How to get rid of the smell of mice in the house? Means and methods

Rodents
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How to get rid of the smell of mice in the house? Means and methods

• Causes of mouse odor in the house
• Is mouse odor hazardous to health?
• General recommendations for getting rid of the smell of mice in the house Eliminating mouse smell using folk methods
• Chemicals to eliminate mouse odor
• Ozone installations

Along with mice, a strong unpleasant odor appears in the house, which is difficult to get rid of. It is important to consider that it can be dangerous to people, especially small children. This smell can also attract other pests. Please note that before attempting to eliminate the odor, you must get rid of the mice. Otherwise, even if there are only a few rodents, the smell will reappear after a short period of time.

How to get rid of the smell of mice in the house?

Causes of odor

The mouse smell cannot be confused with anything else. Usually its source is: waste products, fur with sebaceous secretions, food debris from the habitats of mice. Also, the reason for the “incense” from living rodents is the secretions that the male produces to attract females.

A particularly strong, unpleasant “aroma” appears when their corpse decomposes. To get rid of it, you need to find the body of the pest and carry out a general cleaning of the house using chemicals. You won’t be able to get rid of a strong odor by just washing the floors with bleach; you need an integrated approach.

Preventive measures

To prevent the appearance of mouse odor, preventive measures should be taken:

• carry out general cleaning of premises (including hard-to-reach places);
• after removing rodents that were previously in the house, it is worth disinfecting the rooms using one of the above methods;
• systematically ventilate the room, avoiding air stagnation;
• periodically dry bedding, carpeting and soft toys;
• place around the house scents that are unpleasant to mice, such as tar (it is contained in Vishnevsky’s ointment);
• use wood ash as a deterrent, spreading it in areas where rodents are likely to pass;
• place ultrasonic repellers;
• get a cat at home.

Why is he dangerous?

It is especially dangerous for allergy sufferers and people with bronchial asthma. Mice are carriers of various diseases (for example, typhoid fever). Pathogenic microorganisms are present in their excrement. This smell attracts flies, which contribute to the spread of pathogenic microbes. If you do not begin to solve the problem, the situation may worsen.

Important! Mouse odor is easily absorbed into wooden surfaces.

What diseases do mice carry and how can you get infected from them? Read more in the article here.

What will you need?

We will use handy, but no less effective means to combat mouse odor. We also use auxiliary tools. We have placed everything you need in the table and in the photo.

"Chlorine"

Lime is an absorbent

Products containing formaldehyde

Hydrogen peroxide

Potassium permanganate

Vinegar

Ways to detect a dead mouse

To eliminate unpleasant odor, it is necessary to find out the source of its occurrence. This is easy to do if the corpse of a rodent lies on the floor and is visible to the naked eye. But often, a rat or mouse dies in hard-to-reach places, which complicates the search.

In old furniture

To get rid of the smell of mice that comes from the sofa, you need to lay it out and carefully inspect it for the presence of rodents. The corpse of a dead mouse may end up under removable housing elements or under upholstery material. For detection and subsequent removal, the boards need to be unscrewed, the bevel must be torn off or removed.

Important! If the mouse corpse is old, the wooden elements of the old furniture will be saturated with this smell, so in the future it can only be used in the countryside. To get rid of the unpleasant odor, coat the wooden frame with clear varnish or impregnate it with an antiseptic composition.

In the ventilation

This is a favorite place for rodents; here they can simply hide or build a nest. If one of them died here, the smell will spread literally throughout the house. Therefore, it is necessary to begin the immediate destruction of the “incense”, along with the discovered corpse. It’s worth saying right away that using an air freshener will not help radically solve the problem; more serious methods are needed.

In bags of cereals

Animals are attracted to food storage areas that can be easily accessed. For example, through cracks, ventilation holes. If cereals are stored in unsealed containers, but in ordinary plastic bags or bags, mice gnaw through them and get inside. Afterwards, all stocks must be disposed of. So housewives should take care of having well-closing containers.

On a note. If cereals are stored in a pantry or in the basement of the house, you need to let your cat in there periodically. You can leave it overnight if there are no breakable dishes. It is also necessary to provide her with access to all corners and between the bags so that she can catch her prey.

Under the baseboard

Rodents that run into a person’s home can climb into the gap between the wall and the baseboard and die there. To remove the smell of mice in the house, you will have to dismantle the baseboard and carry out a thorough treatment. All existing cracks and holes should be sealed with cement mortar with the addition of broken glass. Be careful when working, otherwise you may injure yourself.

Interesting! A decomposing corpse can be quickly identified by tracking the trajectory of the flies.

Vinegar

The main impact of the rat invasion falls on summer residents and owners of large country houses. In winter, in search of warmth and food, rats run into houses where not all survive until spring. And a fairly common way to combat the smell of dead rodents is vinegar.

In order to remove the smell, it is enough to simply treat all horizontal surfaces of the house with vinegar: countertops, window sills, floors next to baseboards, furniture, in general, all the places where rats could run. Acetic acid quickly neutralizes cadaveric poison and odor, after which it evaporates after a while.

Treating furniture in your apartment with a vinegar solution will help get rid of the cadaverous smell of dead rats

How to eliminate mouse odor

To get rid of the smell of mice in your home, you first need to find the source. But even after this, it can remind of itself if it is absorbed into the floor, wall, furniture, textiles. To quickly solve the problem, you can use folk remedies.

Ventilation

The simplest, but ineffective method of getting rid of traces of the presence of rodents, especially if the apartment has been empty for a long time, and there was simply no one to clean it up. Its use is recommended if the rodent's stay was short-term. And home furnishings, things, and finishing materials did not have time to become saturated with its smell. It is advisable to carry out ventilation in sunny weather, this will enhance the effectiveness of the procedure.

Open all windows and doors for several hours to allow a draft to flow through the apartment. Hang upholstered furniture, blankets, pillows, carpets, rugs outside. If you plan to turn on the air conditioner, you should first disassemble it; mouse corpses are often found inside this device.

Advice! To increase the intensity of air flow, it is necessary to install a fan in the doorways.

After airing, you can use an air freshener with a deodorizing effect.

Wash

You can get rid of the smell on clothes and textiles by washing. For greater effect, set the washing machine function to the highest temperature suitable for clothes.

Clean carpets with a vacuum cleaner. If possible, hang them outside. This issue can be resolved by contacting a dry cleaner.

Chlorine treatment

You can use white to treat your apartment. Dilute it with water according to the attached instructions. Moisten a rag in this solution and treat all hard surfaces: window sills, doorways, etc. Particular attention should be paid to corners and “secret” places of rodents.

Attention! Carry out the treatment with gloves. This method is not recommended for people with bronchial asthma.

Chlorine is effective in combating persistent odors; it is preferable to use it in basements, warehouses, and garages. Not recommended for use in rooms where there are small children and pets.

Hydrogen peroxide

Use this folk method after treatment with a chlorine-containing agent. Peroxide has an antibacterial effect and will destroy the remaining pathogenic microbes that the whiteness could not cope with.

Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray the areas where the mice might travel. If things are damaged, they can be soaked in a solution of peroxide and water (proportion 1:6) for half an hour, then washed in a machine. This method is not suitable for thin textiles.

Wet cleaning will help get rid of the smell of pests in the house. To do this, you will need to make a working solution consisting of the following components:

• 0.8 l of peroxide (3%);
• 0.1 l of liquid dish soap;
• 10 tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

To prepare the working solution, select glass containers and carry out processing using protective gloves. At the end of the procedure, wash with soap.

Potassium permanganate solution

It will help disinfect the room from infections that these pests could bring into the house. You need to prepare a highly concentrated liquid composition: 10 teaspoons of medicine per liter of water.

Soak a rag in the solution and treat all surfaces, including cabinets, wooden furniture frames, baseboards, and corners. Carry out the treatment with gloves.

On a note! If you periodically treat your apartment with potassium permanganate, rodents will never appear. The smell repels uninvited “neighbors”.

Vinegar

Acetic acid is a natural disinfectant. It will help get rid of not only mouse odor, but also pathogenic microbes. Prepare a solution: 10 teaspoons of 9% acetic acid per 5 liters of warm water. Pour into a spray bottle for easy use of the prepared composition, shake it periodically.

Treat all surfaces and suspected rodent habitation areas. After treatment, open windows and doors to ventilate the pungent odor of acid.

Chemicals

They will also help solve the problem if the mouse in the wall has died. This place must be dismantled and treated with any of the following chemicals:

• "Chloropicrin." Available in the form of tablets or granules, it belongs to toxicity class IV. Use for treating any surfaces, including dishes, tools, furniture. Its active substance is sodium DHCC, occupies 87% of the total composition;
• Medifox. This is a concentrated liquid and belongs to toxicity class IV. Destroys pathogenic microorganisms and effectively combats unpleasant rodent odors. Active ingredients: non-alkonium chloride, PHMG hydrochloride, triamine dodecyldipropylene;
• "Lizafin." Available in liquid form, it belongs to toxicity class III. It can be used to process not only various surfaces, but also textiles and furniture upholstery;
• Medifox Dez. Eliminates unpleasant odor and germs after rodents have been in the house.

When using, read the instructions and follow safety precautions.

Absorbents

Purchased products in the form of powders, tablets, aerosols only mask the problem, but do not eliminate it. Therefore, it is worth using folk remedies: baking soda, lime, salt. They should be placed in close proximity to the main source of “incense”.

• Salt. Fill a small fabric bag with absorbent and place it on the shelf. But there is another option: sprinkle salt on the source of the unpleasant odor, and after a couple of hours replace it with a new layer. It perfectly absorbs moisture and various aromas.
• Lime. Its principle of use is no different from the method described above, but it is recommended to use it in non-residential premises, away from pets and children. Spread a thick layer of lime over the area where the mouse died. Destroys pathogenic microbes carried by rodents.
• Baking soda absorbs not only the “incense”, but also particles of decay of organic tissues. Plus, it will be possible to disinfect the house.

On a note! Use incense sticks to solve the problem. You need to choose a pleasant aroma, as it will be absorbed into the wallpaper and interior items. Set the sticks on fire and walk with them throughout the apartment. The fragrant smell will last for several weeks. When it evaporates, you can repeat the process if necessary.

Ozone installations

Ozone is used by professional companies to treat premises against rodents. The ozone installation not only drives away pests for a long time, but also gets rid of the mouse corpse odor in a matter of minutes. It also helps cleanse the air space of toxic elements.

The main advantage of this method is that after processing there are no traces left on household appliances, textiles and other items.

Use of chemicals

To eliminate unpleasant odors in residential premises, there are a number of professional products developed by the chemical industry:

• "Lizafin." Domestic product. Available in concentrated liquid form in volumes of 1 and 5 liters. It contains active substances: 30% benzalkonium chloride, 0.5% glutaraldehyde, 0.5% glyoxal. Disinfects any surfaces, incl. furniture, plumbing fixtures, tools, textiles. Belongs to toxicity class 3;
• Medifox . Domestic disinfectant. Available in concentrated liquid form with a volume of 1 liter. It contains active ingredients: 5% non-alkonium chloride, 7% dodecyldipropylene triamine, 5% PHMG hydrochloride. Destroys most pathogenic bacteria and effectively removes sources of odors. Belongs to toxicity class 4;
• "Chlorapin" . Domestic remedy. Available in tablet or granular form. Its main active ingredient is 87% sodium DHCC. Suitable for processing any surfaces, incl. dishes, tools, furniture, and for washing clothes. Belongs to toxicity class 4.

Eliminating mouse odor on different surfaces

If a mouse has been in the house, all surfaces must be treated, not just the floor, walls, cabinets and other objects. You can also use any folk remedy for this.

Furniture

A vinegar solution is used to clean leather upholstery and varnished surfaces. To do this, you will need to prepare a solution: water and the bite are mixed in equal proportions.

Upholstered furniture can also be damaged by rodents. However, it cannot always be washed like removable bed linen. But you can clean mattresses, sports bags, sofas and armchairs without any problems. To do this, make the following solution:

• 0.5 liters of water and the same amount of pure alcohol (vodka 40% is also suitable);
• 120 grams of baking soda;
• 15 ml of any essential oil.

Boil water, cool to room temperature, pour into a spray bottle. Next, add the remaining components here. Spray the solution onto the upholstery of upholstered furniture and wait until it dries completely. You don't need to do anything else. If the smell remains, repeat the procedure one or two more times, you can increase the amount of essential oil by 5 ml.

On a note. Corn flour will help clean furniture covers. Lightly dust the fabric with flour and vacuum after half an hour. There will be no trace of the smell left.

Carpet

You can get rid of a mild mouse “incense” using a soap solution and a brush. Dissolve 1/2 bar of laundry soap in warm water, after grating it on a coarse grater. After treatment, repeat the process, but with clean water. If the weather permits, it is better to do this outdoors, because at home it is not always possible to “successfully” clean the carpet; there will definitely be stains.

To do this, you need to hang the carpet on a rope and stretch a hose to this place. Wet with water, apply shampoo or a special cleaner for carpets. Rub with a brush, paying special attention to the area from which the mouse smell emanates. Leave for literally a few minutes so that the product is deeply absorbed into the carpet fibers, thereby breaking down the dirt. Rinse well with water from a hose.

If the smell remains, the procedure should be repeated. Some housewives recommend using baking soda first (sprinkling it in an even layer on the carpet), then cleaning with shampoo.

For more severe dirt, use a vacuum cleaner or steam cleaner. If cleaning yourself does not bring a positive result, the carpet should be dry cleaned.

Essential oils

Aromatic herbs are a good help in the fight against both the mice themselves and the smell of dead animals, but the smell of dried plants is subtle and quickly disappears, so it is better to use essential oils. The most commonly used oils are peppermint, lavender, and coniferous trees. The product is applied to a cotton ball and left in the problem area.

Coffee beans

Coffee beans are an excellent absorbent. To neutralize the smell of a dead mouse, coffee beans are laid out near the source in bulk or placed in a cotton bag. Dry coffee grounds have the same effect.

Formalin

Formalin, or formaldehyde, is used by pathologists to neutralize cadaveric odor. The substance will also help to cope with the stench of a dead mouse. It should be remembered that the compound is quite toxic, and use it at home with great caution.

Recommendations for carrying out work

Rodents
Modern drugs to combat stench while simultaneously destroying sources of unpleasant odors are available for purchase. All products are certified by Rospotrebnadzor. They are easy to use. It is important to act as directed on the packaging and wear protective clothing. All work on premises must be carried out by adults in compliance with safety regulations.

Before using the products, it is necessary to check the integrity of the packages and release dates in order to prevent the use of expired and spoiled drugs. After preparing the working solutions, the concentrates are stored out of the reach of children and animals. The unspent remainder of the working solutions is disposed of.

Sometimes situations arise when the condition for a quiet life can only be urgent treatment of all things and premises using potent agents to eliminate odors. There is always a way out: the choice of drugs that are suitable for getting rid of stench is quite wide. You just need to read the manufacturer's advice and follow their recommendations.

*Prices are valid for September 2022.

Prevention measures

It is easier to prevent any problem than to get rid of it later:

1. Prevent the appearance and reproduction of mice and rats in the house (apartment) and in the local area: get rid of garbage in a timely manner, keep trash cans and bins clean, store food (especially cereals, bread) in airtight containers.
2. Check the walls and floor for cracks and repair problem areas in a timely manner.
3. If you notice a rat or mouse, call extermination specialists or catch the rodents yourself, using traps and bait, but not poisons, which begin to act only after some time.

People living in houses face such a problem as mice. The appearance of rodents in the house leads to serious consequences. They cause harm: they chew furniture, baseboards, food and even detergents. Things, furniture and the house acquire a specific mouse smell that is difficult to get rid of. If mice are not visible to the naked eye, this does not mean that they are not there. You may not immediately understand that the smelly corner of the linoleum is not rotten or something spoiled, but the smell of mouse droppings.

Some information sources claim that one or two mice are produced per day - an interesting fact, but no one can confirm or deny.

Mice cause a lot of trouble

• the appearance of mouse excrement in the house;
• characteristic unpleasant odor;
• night rustling and squeaking;
• the appearance of holes in walls, baseboards;
• presence of nests: located in warm and dry places. They are made from scraps of rags and papers.

Mummifying poisons

Getting rid of the smell of corpses is one thing. But how can you make sure that after deratization of the room the chance of getting a “bouquet of aromas” is sharply reduced? Many people poison rats with conventional poisons, from which the rodent dies where death overtakes it. Great luck if he died in a visible place or right in the middle of the room so that he could be removed.

To prevent this from happening, you need to use special mummifying poisons. We wrote about them in this article. After death, the dead rodents begin to gradually dry out, turning into a real mummy, and do not emit unpleasant odors at all. These poisons have different effects: they can accumulate in the body, or they can kill immediately. Therefore, you can choose exactly the one that suits your situation.

Potassium permangantsovka

Potassium permanganate is used almost everywhere: small children are bathed with it, they drink it for intestinal disorders, it is used for disinfection, and much more. In addition, potassium permanganate copes with the destruction of stench much better than some odor neutralizers. Therefore, if a rat died under the floor or behind a wall, and the corpse began to emit a stench, potassium permanganate is perfect.

To remove the smell, it will be enough to simply wash the floors and baseboards in those places where rats most often ran, and spray it into those places (cracks) where the corpse of a rodent may be located. In addition, potassium permanganate will also destroy most of the harmful bacteria that parasites might leave behind, so the risk of becoming infected with something in the future is reduced to zero.

Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate)

Chlorine

Chlorine, as you know, has an interesting property: it removes any odors, and at the same time disinfects the surface being treated. The most famous representative of chlorine-containing products is “Belizna”.

Using bleach is similar to using vinegar. It is also necessary to treat horizontal surfaces, especially carefully around the baseboard and in all cracks in the walls. In addition to the smell, whiteness can destroy various microorganisms that can be harmful to health and pose a risk of poisoning.

White (bleach) removes unpleasant odors well

Prevention

It is always better to prevent the appearance of mice than to fight their invasion by selflessly destroying their odors and traces.

In a private house or apartment, the best remedy for mice is a cat. Even if he is lazy and has never brought prey in the form of a sparrow or a mouse in his life, the smell of his urine will serve as an excellent natural repeller for rodents.

The mouse is such a small and cute creature that some people keep as a pet. What harm does it do? She eats so funny, moves her paws, rolls around in a wheel, and squeaks. But even in a confined space: a cage, you will feel the unpleasant odor that comes from the indoor rodent. What if the mice came from the street?

When rodents have actively colonized your living space, spoiling things, leaving droppings, emptying the pantry, then the smell is not so bad. First you need to get rid of the mice themselves, and only then decide how to get rid of the mouse smell in the house.

It is clear that mice will not leave the property they occupy without a reason. Therefore, people have come up with many ingenious ways to destroy them: traps, traps, poisons, gases. But most of these measures are dangerous for the inhabitants of the apartment.

There are also safe techniques:

• use folk remedies;

There are simple ways to help mice look for another place to live: scatter ash at the intersection of mouse paths (ash falling on the paws irritates the animal) or soak a cloth in tar and place it in different places (mice do not like this smell).

But no matter what method you use, it will take time and patience to keep rodents out of your home.