I’ve discussed the topic of getting rid of dead mouse smell in a previous post, but I thought I’d hit on it again today because a lot of people seem to have a problem with the dead mice smell lately. A lot of people are asking the question “How long does the dead mouse smell last?” That is not an easy question to answer because as with just about everything in life, it all depends. What sort of things does it depend on? For one, what sort of environment did the mouse die in? Is it dry or humid? Is it warm or cold? The dead mice odor comes from the fact that the mouse is decaying after its death. Once the mouse is completely decomposed, it will no longer emanate an odor as all that will be left are dried up bones. If it’s a hot humid environment, you can expect that the mouse odor will be very strong and pervasive. If it’s a cooler dry environment, it will take some time for the mouse to decompose… it may not decompose at all.
Your best bet for getting rid of the dead rodent smell is to, simply enough, get rid of the dead mouse. You need to physically locate the animal and remove it, or wait it out. A lot of times, your only option is to wait it out because the mouse died in the walls of your house. If that’s the case, you can start by pounding down the walls to get it out, but that is not your most economical option. You could just move out of the house for a few weeks (or months?) while you wait for the smell to subside, but that’s not the most practical option. Your best bet is to purchase an odor eliminator that neutralizes the smell in the air. Make sure it’s an odor eliminator and not just some perfume that covers it up. The last thing you want is some cheap perfume mixed with the stench of a decaying carcass. One of the most positively reviewed odor eliminators is available on Amazon: Fresh Wave Continuous Release Odor Neutralizing Gel. This is a gel where you basically leave the lid open and it evaporates into the air neutralizing the foul odor. This is actually some pretty powerful stuff that can be used on other things besides dead rodent smells, so it’s a good all around product to have in your arsenal. It’s good for the wet musty smells in the basement, or things like that too. You can check out the Amazon Reviews.
Some people may be wondering if they should handle a dead rat smell any differently… the answer is no. The same principles apply for any dead rodent, whether it’s a dead rat or mouse. The only difference for a dead rat is that the smell may last longer as the body is generally much larger. Unfortunately if you are unable to locate the dead rat (or mouse), you’re not going to know the difference anyways… All you’re going to know is that dead rats, dead mice, and dead rodents in general all smell really bad!
So a quick recap of what you should do to get rid of mice smell. First, locate the source and remove it if possible. This will stop the smell from continuing to emanate from the source once it’s gone. Second purchase an odor eliminator to remove all traces of the stench. It’s not enough to just get rid of the dead mouse because the stench may have been absorbed into the different materials in your home. The odor eliminator will ensure that the stench fully dissipates from the air. If you follow these simple steps, you can knock out that odor in no time.