What Does a Dead Mouse Smell Like (and How to Get Rid of It)
Every Utah homeowner dreads this: you notice an unusual odor in your home, and it keeps getting worse. Where is the smell coming from? Is it a rodent? What does a dead mouse smell like? How do you get rid of this terrible smell?
Utah has a large population of deer mice, and these mice like to find shelter in Utah residents’ homes during the colder months of the year. These mice can easily live in the walls and air ducts of your home undetected. In fact, you may not even know there is (or was) a mouse or two in your house…until you start to smell the dreaded stench.
If you're wondering if you have a dead mouse stinking up your Salt Lake City home, we wrote this post just for you.
Here’s the answer to the question, “What does a dead mouse smell like?” and how to get rid of that unwanted odor in your Utah home!
What does a dead mouse smell like?
If you suspect you have a dead mouse stuck somewhere in your home, these are the signs and smells to look out for:
A rancid smell that starts randomly (and hasn’t happened in this area of your home before)
A scent that smells like rotten cabbage
A general smell of decay
A foul scent that starts off subtle and gets more pungent over time
If any of these smells match the odor in your home, it is very likely you could have a dead mouse trapped somewhere in your house. The odor from a dead mouse can last up to two weeks in Utah houses, so it is important to act quickly if you believe this is what is causing the smell in your home.
How to get the dead mouse smell out of your Utah home
Once you’ve found out you have a dead mouse in your house, how do you get rid of that terrible smell? Thankfully, there are several helpful steps you can take to help quicken the process of eliminating this stench from your home. As a Utah air duct cleaning company that specializes in making sure Utah homes have clean, safe, and good-smelling air quality, here’s what we recommend:
#1 - Ventilate your house
One of the best ways to get rid of this awful scent is to ventilate your house the best you can. Open windows and turn fans on as much as possible. This flow of fresh air will help get rid of the unwanted smell from the mouse faster by pushing the odorous air out and cleaner air in.
#2 - Use an air purifier with a HEPA air filter
A good air purifier will also work wonders in ridding your home of the dead mouse scent. Plus, the purifier will help clean the air in your home from any bacteria from this decaying animal.
Note: an air purifier with a HEPA filter will be most effective in cleaning the air in your Utah home and removing any unwanted odors. HEPA filters are the best air purifying filters on the market! For more information on the best air purifiers for Utah homes, check out this post.
#3 - Have your home’s air ducts cleaned
As we mentioned earlier, mice often live in the walls and air ducts of Utah homes. So, if a dead mouse is trapped in one of these places, you won’t be able to see it, though you’ll surely smell it. As a Utah air duct cleaning company that has been serving the Salt Lake City, Orem, and Provo areas for over twenty years, we’ve found our fair share of dead mice in air ducts over the years.
Having your air ducts cleaned and removing the dead animal will definitely help get rid of the rancid smell faster. Plus, oftentimes when a dead animal is found in air ducts, so is its feces. This is not something you want in your home and especially not in your air ducts! If a bad smell originates from your air ducts, it will be pushed through the rest of your home any time you run your heating or cooling system.
Contact us today to schedule your air duct cleaning. We’ll check for any dead rodents in our free inspection and make sure the air quality in your home is back up to par ASAP!
#4 - Sanitize all surfaces and fabrics in your home
If there’s a rotten smell from a dead rodent in your Utah home, it’s time to sanitize and deep clean everything. Bring out the bleach and your best bacteria-killing cleaning agents. Mop, scrub, and wipe down whatever you can. You should also wash and clean all fabric surfaces in your home, including furniture, rugs, and curtains. Fabric can easily retain odors, so the dead mouse smell may linger on these items even if it’s gone everywhere else.
#5 - Use a room deodorizer
Using a room deodorizer is always an option, too. These air freshener sprays can help mask and minimize more foul smells, such as an odor from a dead mouse. While these room deodorizing sprays won’t remove the stench from your Utah home, they are a helpful option to make the air more livable while you take the other steps listed above to truly get rid of the smell.
Getting rid of the dead mouse smell
Now that you’ve learned the answer to “what does a dead mouse smell like?” and know how to get rid of the rotten smell, it’s time to take action! Removing the scent of a dead rodent from your home does take time, so the sooner you take care of it, the better. If you think there may be a dead mouse in the air vents of your home in Utah, call Crystal Clean Vents to set up your air duct cleaning as soon as possible.