One of the worst parts of a rat infestation is figuring out how to get rid of rat urine smell. Rodents cause a lot of damage, including chewed wires, shredded insulation, and destroyed property. Yet, we often forget about the other issues. Getting rid of rat urine smell from a building or outdoor space frequented by rats can be tricky.
Like most urine, rat urine contains uric acid and carries the scent of ammonia. This sharp odor means it quickly envelops a room and refuses to budge. In addition, many people with pet rats have the same struggle if they have accidents around the house or while cleaning their cages.
Eliminating rat urine odor is the final step in returning your room to normalcy following an invasion. Luckily, there are multiple ideas on how to remove the smell of rat urine using DIY methods. Follow simple tips and use familiar household items to erase the smell of rat pee.
- How to Remove the Smell of Rat Urine
- How Long Does Rat Urine Smell Last?
- How to Get Rid of Rat Urine Smell
- Getting Rid of Rat Urine Smell With White Vinegar
- Enzymatic Cleaners Destroy Rat Urine Odor
- Eradicate Rodent Odor With DIY Air Freshener
- Oxygen Bleach to Erase Rat and Mouse Urine Smell
- Remove Rodent Urine Smell Using Activated Charcoal
How to Remove the Smell of Rat Urine
Whether you’re struggling with how to get rid of rat urine smell from your rat cage or after a rodent infestation, a little knowledge helps. Rat urine is a persistent odor. Uric acid and other odor-causing molecules bind to fabrics, carpets, and hard surfaces and linger.
Though you can find several store-bought cleaners, you don’t have to turn to harsh chemicals when getting rid of rat urine smell. Use pantry and cleaning supplies to oust the scent of rat pee permanently.
How Long Does Rat Urine Smell Last?
The foul odor associated with rats sticks around for up to three weeks after the rodents leave. Cleaning up soiled nesting material and picking up rodent droppings influence this timeline. The odor from rat droppings and a decomposing dead rodent combine with the smell of rat urine, leaving a very stinky space if rats have lived there.
Getting rid of rats is essential to disease control, and cleaning up once they’re gone is just as important. Nobody wants to spend time in a smelly room full of germs, feces, and urine stains. Get rid of the rat smell, and ensure you and your family are safe.
How to Get Rid of Rat Urine Smell
Baking soda is a famous odor remover. Though found in the baking aisle, this white powder packs a punch to get rat stench out of a building. Remove the rat pee stains and scatter boxes of baking soda throughout the location to absorb any lingering rat smells.
Dust a fine layer over flooring, carpets, and furniture. Baking soda works well as an odor filter, but to remove odors consistently, you must swap it out with fresh baking soda every one to two days. Vacuum up the old baking soda, toss it in the trash, and put down new until the smell of rat urine is gone.
Getting Rid of Rat Urine Smell With White Vinegar
Norway or roof rats leave behind smelly urine marks and feces odor. To make a simple, natural, and budget-friendly odor removal spray combine one part distilled white vinegar with water in a sprayer. Distilled white vinegar disintegrates the odor-causing particles since it contains acetic acid.
Shake the sprayer well and mist the vinegar solution over surfaces where rat odor persists. If you’re unsure if the vinegar is appropriate for a delicate material, spray a tiny area first as a test patch and check for adverse effects. Spray the vinegar mixture daily until the scent of rat urine is undetectable.
Enzymatic Cleaners Destroy Rat Urine Odor
Enzymatic cleaners rely on enzymes – substances formulated to break down a specific molecule – to destroy biological stains and odors. Since rat urine, feces, and the smells associated with a deceased rodent are all biological, make your own enzymatic cleaning solution for urine smells.
Look for an appropriate enzyme cleaner in the laundry section or at your local pet store. Since enzymes are naturally occurring, they’re generally safe for your family and pets, but read the label carefully to be sure. Use the enzyme cleaner under the manufacturer’s directions to eliminate rodent pee smell in your house once and for all.
Eradicate Rodent Odor With DIY Air Freshener
If you’re short on cleaning time or want to freshen up your residence between cleaning sessions, an air freshener covers the odor of rat urine. Though many commercial air fresheners are available, they use harmful propellants and toxic chemicals.
Craft a homemade air freshener to keep your family healthy and have complete control over the fragrance. Choose from the many essential oils available to find the best scent.
Shake the spray bottle vigorously to blend the oils and water. Mist into the air, onto fabrics, walls, or flooring where rat urine smell is a concern. Reapply as necessary. Combine the air freshener with techniques to remove rather than mask the odor for the best results.
You can also use essential oils to repel mice and rats. They dislike strong smells like peppermint rosemary oil and will stay away if they come near the scent.
Oxygen Bleach to Erase Rat and Mouse Urine Smell
Oxygen bleach is an ideal way to clean, disinfect, and remove the smell of rat feces and urine. This chlorine bleach alternative only produces water and oxygen, making it acceptable for sanitizing your pet rat’s house or spraying down walls and floors after eradicating a rat or mouse infestation.
Read the oxygen bleach label carefully before using it to deal with a dead mouse smell, urine stain, or odor. Shake the powder and water until blended and spray lightly over floors, walls, and fabrics to erase the odor of mouse and rat pee. Choose a color-safe oxygen bleach to avoid accidentally fading upholstery.
Remove Rodent Urine Smell Using Activated Charcoal
Getting rid of a rodent invasion is exhausting. Once it’s over, you’re still faced with eliminating the persistent urine and dead rat smell. Activated charcoal makes removing the scent of rat and mouse pee easy. This fine black powder is an odor eater. It has a huge surface area which it uses to absorb foul smells.
Add a few spoons of activated charcoal to paper cups or muslin bags to make odor traps. Set the bags or bowls out around the smelly space where children or pets are unlikely to contact them.
The activated charcoal draws the rat smell out of the air and surrounding textiles. Replace the activated charcoal powder once a month or as soon as you notice it losing effectiveness.
After a rat problem, you’re left to find out how to remove the smell of rat urine. Cleaning up mouse droppings and scrubbing away rat urine stains may not be enough to get rid of the odor of rodents.
Rat cages or environments where pest rats made their home tend to develop a sharp scent. If the foul smell lingers, use easy-to-follow techniques to eliminate it from your property.
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