How often do you complain about a mouse or rat infestation in your house? If you answered quite frequently, there’s something that you need to do immediately to get rid of the issue for good. A mouse cannot just wreak havoc inside your home; they are also responsible for transmitting a range of harmful diseases that can affect your health for the worse.
Besides them chewing down your furniture and clothing and infesting your kitchen pantry, the worst part about a mouse infestation in the house is the smell after they die. It is terrible, not to mention extremely bad for the health and sanitation of your house.
So, how to get rid of dead mouse smell? This is a very common question that several homeowners struggle to find answers to. And, if you are in the same boat and have difficulty sorting things out or finding ways that work, we have all the answers for you.
Also read: How to Get Rid of Mice? 8 Tried & Tested Methods
Table of Contents
List of Ways to Get Rid of Dead Mouse Smell
A mouse is very sneaky. Not only is it nearly impossible to hunt them down, but you also won’t even realize they are dead until you can smell that rotten, stinky smell coming out of a part of your home. This is where you need to act quickly and do the needful to eliminate the stench you are struggling with.
1. Dispose Of The Mouse
If you can smell the stench of the dead mouse in the house, the first step is to find them and dispose of them before they rot further and create an even worse smell. The moment you dispose of the dead mouse, you are likely getting rid of more than half of the smell.
Also, make sure that when you dispose of the mouse, either bury them somewhere so they can decompose and blend in with the soil or you should dispose of them in the outdoor trash or throw it out immediately without any further wait.
Since mice carry a lot of diseases on their body, ensure that you wear gloves when disposing of them from where they have died. Wear a protective mask to prevent cross-contamination and keep yourself safe and healthy.
2. Try Vinegar
Once you have gotten rid of the dead mouse, the next step is to try to sanitize the areas, so there are no further risks of cross-contamination or infection in the house. The last thing you want is for the deadly diseases to spread further when you unknowingly touch or step on the spot.
One of the best cleaning agents for that is vinegar. The mild acidic property of the vinegar sanitizes the area and deodorizes the surrounding area promptly. Although vinegar has a pungent smell, cleaning the areas where the mouse died will absorb the bad stench.
3. Try Baking Soda
For further sanitization and hygiene, baking soda works like magic. Like vinegar, baking soda has deodorizing properties, which help get rid of the bad stench coming out of the area where the mouse died.
If you have available baking soda in a pantry, we’d recommend making a solution with some water. Spray that solution daily once or twice in the area till the smell is completely gone. It shouldn’t take much longer than you think.
4. Use Bleach
There are no two ways about it, but bleach works like magic. If the mouse has rotten pretty badly and you can’t seem to get rid of the stench with the above deodorizing compounds, bleach will for sure work like magic.
Avoid using bleach directly on the spot because that will damage the surface you are pouring it in. Instead, make a solution out of it. This will ensure to clean and sanitize the area that you are spraying it on. Doing this for 2-3 days consecutively will make all the difference.
5. Opt for Charcoal
Before you think it’s impossible to get rid of the stench of the dead mouse using charcoal, let us correct the myth. Charcoal briquettes are highly effective and absorb bad smells and stench optimally. This means that if you want to know how to get rid of dead mouse smell in the house, place a few pieces of charcoal around the house.
If you don’t have access to the briquettes, you can also opt for the readymade charcoal deodorizer bags that are easily available in the market. Buy them and spread them out around the house according to your comfort. Keep it there for a few days, and you will see notable changes in just a day or two.
6. Try Airing Out Your House
If the dead mouse is anywhere within an enclosed space, you want to air out the spot for an easier way to get rid of the stench quicker. It shouldn’t take you long. If it is the pantry, open the door and keep it open for a day or two till the air has cleaned out and the smell has reduced drastically.
Air ventilation is hands down one of the best and the most effective natural ways to get rid of the strong dead mouse smell you are complaining about. If you don’t have windows, you can always switch on the fans and let the air circulate through the room for better results.
7. Try Essential Oils
You must think that they won’t work, but concentrated essential oils can do wonders for getting rid of nasty smells in the house. Ideally, we’d recommend that you use high-quality essential oils and make a solution with some water. Transfer the solution into a spray bottle and then spray it around the room or the area where you found the dead mouse.
Repeat this multiple times a day for a few consecutive days, and you should start seeing notable results in no time. Just ensure that you keep the concentrated essential oils out of reach of children and pets since they can otherwise impose heightened risks.
8. Use a Commercial Disinfectant
When you have traced a dead mouse in your house, more than the smell, your focus should be on disinfecting the space. Since the mouse is notorious for carrying deadly diseases, you need to ensure that the area where they died is disinfected so there are no remnant signs of infection.
Ideally, we’d recommend using a commercial disinfectant for the same. They work like wonders, especially because of the high chemical concentration and formula. However, the high chemical levels in these disinfectants make them unsafe for kids and pets, so make sure you keep an eye out for that without fail.
9. Use Coffee Grounds
If you are a regular coffee drinker that throws away the pods after their morning cup of coffee, we’d recommend making the most out of it. Coffee grounds are highly deodorizing, which means they can easily pick up the strong stench from the area where the mouse died.
However, sprinkling coffee grounds can be messy and even stain the area. So, always ensure that you proceed cautiously and avoid getting into a mess. The aromatic flavor of the coffee will easily absorb the stench and then give off a pleasant smell.
10. Get Professional Help
Sometimes, it is very late to discover the dead mouse smell. By then, the mouse has decomposed so much that the smell becomes unbearable to withstand. In such cases, we’d recommend getting professional help so you won’t have to worry about it.
Professional exterminators are equipped enough to tackle such complications and have the required tools and compounds to get rid of the smell in no time.
If you are looking for how to get rid of dead mouse smell, we hope this article gives you all the insights you are looking for. Always ensure that you take immediate steps to clear and clean out the space before the smell gets worse than it was before.
Also read: 10 Best Home Remedies to Get Rid of Lizards
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Long Does It Take For The Dead Mouse to Start Smelling?
You can’t expect a dead mouse to start smelling until after 1-2 days when the body starts decomposing. They emit the smell fairly quickly, so if you can smell something bad and amiss, you know where you need to hit the nail.
Is It Bad To Inhale a Dead Mouse Smell?
Yes, a dead mouse’s smell can harm a person’s health. So, wear a mask when disposing of the dead mouse.
Will The Dead Mouse Smell Go Away On Its Own?
If you dispose of the mouse’s dead body, the smell might mellow down a lot. However, the stench will remain to a degree.
