How to Clean Rat And Mouse Urine And Feces In 6 Steps

Mice and rat infestations can be pretty dangerous if not properly dealt with. Rodents can damage your furniture, chew the electrical wires and leave lots of feces and urine around your home. Also, they can carry many diseases, which is why you need to react promptly and adequately.

Today, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide for how to clean rat and mouse urine and feces in 4 steps. Keep reading to learn how to correctly take care of rodent droppings and resolve your mice and rat feces and urine issues.

Dangers of rodent infestation

You may wonder why rodent infestations are so dangerous? The main problem is that rodents carry diseases that can harm your health. Rodents have been to blame for spreading serious diseases like the plague in the past. Nowadays, they still carry diseases that can be harmful to humans. The most common ones are:

That’s why you should ensure that all mice and rats are exterminated from your home and that the infected area is adequately cleaned. For the cleaning process, follow the steps below.

The 6 Steps for Cleaning Rat And Mouse Urine And Feces

1.   Identify the infected areas

The first thing you should do is identify the infected areas. The waste will be visible, while you can easily find urine spots by how they smell. Rodent urine has an odor that resembles ammonia. If you notice strange smells, feces, or even see rodents around your home, there’s no doubt that it’s infested and that it will need cleaning.

2. Exterminate the rodents

Before the actual cleaning process begins, the rodents need to be exterminated from your home. You should place traps around your house or call professional exterminators that will get to the source of the problem. Also, ensure that there are no ways that new mice and rodents can access your home. Block any spaces at the bases of your wall, openings in the foundation, and check attics and basements.

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3. Prep for cleaning

The first step to cleaning rat and mouse urine and feces is to air out the infested area. You should open all doors and windows for at least half an hour to have proper ventilation. Remain out of the area until it’s ventilated. You should never vacuum the droppings as their particles can spread in the air. When it comes to your safety, you should wear a mask and gloves. Before the next step, we advise spraying the droppings with a disinfectant.

4. Make the cleaning mixture

Once you’ve aired the area, it’s time to make a cleaning mixture. The mixture is made from bleach and hot water. You will need one and ⅕ cups of bleach and 1 gallon of hot water to make the solution. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake it. Before applying the mixture, put rubber gloves on to protect your hands.

5. Get rid of the droppings

When the cleaning solution is ready, spray it over the urine and feces to have them completely soaked, and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the time passes, take a paper towel to pick up the droppings. Dispose of them in plastic bags that can be sealed and put in a trashcan. Preferably, the trashcan should be outside, and it’s best if you empty it quickly.

6. After cleaning

If you notice that rodents have entered other parts of your home, steam the furniture, disinfect the countertops, and machine-wash anything the mice or rats have touched. After cleaning, reapply the mixture to the areas again and wipe the floor with a mop. You can also use hydrogen peroxide if you’re afraid that the bleach mixture can damage your floors. As a precaution, it’s also good to clean the floors with vinegar after the mixture. You should also place everything you’ve used in plastic bags that you can seal before disposing of the items.

Disinfect household items

Once you have the home cleaned, you should disinfect household items to ensure no dirt, feces, or urine is left behind. Again, you should have a mask and a rubber pair of gloves to finish this task. If the rodents have infested clothing, bedsheets, or any other washable fabric, put them in the washing machine and wash with hot water. Afterward, it’s best to put them in a dryer, at a temperature of at least 115 degrees to kill any lingering pathogens. If your rugs or furniture have been infested, they will require professional steam cleaning.

Throw away anything that you do not need. In case rodents have been in contact with non-washable items, it’s best to leave them outside in a sunny area for a day. If you don’t have that option due to weather or other circumstances, store the items in an indoor disinfected area for at least a week or more.

Get rid of the smell

Mice and rat feces and urine can create an unpleasant odor in your home. Not only do the urine and feces smell horrible, but they can also be harmful to your health. Traditional cleaning methods are not enough to get rid of the feces and urine smell, so you will need to use a disinfectant to get rid of the odor. The cleaning steps we mentioned above should eliminate most of the scent, but extra steps are required to obliterate it.

Make a mixture using baking soda, vinegar, and lukewarm water. Pour all ingredients in similar ratios, stir, and clean the area thoroughly. It will remove any excess that stays on the surfaces and eliminate the odor.

Methods for rodent control

There are various methods for rodent control that will prevent mice and rats from accessing your indoor and outdoor spaces. The list below will show you the best methods for rodent control inside and outside your home.

Can you get sick from cleaning rodent droppings?

You can certainly get sick from cleaning rodent droppings. If you’re not wearing a mask and protective gloves, you risk touching an infected area or breathing in the virus particles. Always be well prepared before you start the cleaning process and wear all the safety equipment needed. That way, you will stay healthy regardless of the potential health issues.

Conclusion

Rat and mice infestations can be a pain, and it can be hard to get rid of them. Still, once they’re gone, you can clean the urine and feces by following the simple steps we mentioned in the article. Prepare everything you need, protect yourself before the process, and start cleaning!

• See also: How to Get Dog Pee Smell Out of a Couch: 5 Practical Options

Featured Image Credit: Sipa, Pixabay