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HowStuffWorks Home & Garden Home Improvement Household Hints & Tips Cleaning 5 Tips for Disinfecting After Getting Rid of Mice By: Sara Elliott

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Eek! You've got mice! If you've just evicted rodents from your home, cleaning up is the next order of business. A mouse houseguest and his buddies leave more than bad memories behind. Cute, furry mice may look fragile and harmless, but they can be carriers of potentially life-threatening illnesses like hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, plague, rat-bite fever and salmonellosis. Germs can linger in rat urine and feces after the rats themselves have been dispatched, too, so careful cleanup is important.

Grab a pair rubber gloves and disinfectant and meet us on the next page for some important suggestions about safe cleanup procedures. We know you want to get your home sparkling again fast, but it's important to use some precautions while you're doing it.

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Contents

1. Wear Gloves
2. Think Wet
3. Scoop and Dump
4. Sponge and Mop
5. Wash Your Hands and Tidy Up

5: Wear Gloves

Don't try to clean mouse-tainted areas with your bare hands. Even though a surface may look relatively clean, it probably isn't. Mice urinate when they become frightened. They may also walk through urine-saturated areas occasionally, tracking germs on the bottoms of their tiny, dirty little feet. Before you tackle cleanup, invest in a pair of latex, vinyl or rubber gloves, and wear gloves throughout the cleaning process. To avoid contaminating other surfaces, spray gloves with disinfectant periodically, especially before handling clean surfaces like doorknobs and cabinet pulls.

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Get Rid of Rodents Forever

To keep mice and rats from having a family reunion at your house, seal gaps under exterior doors and windows and along your foundation. Mice can enter your home through gaps as small as a half-inch wide. To avoid unwanted visitors in the future, check for cracks and gaps around fireplaces, drains and floor vents. Inspect your attic and crawlspace, too.

4: Think Wet

Mouse urine and droppings dry out relatively quickly, but just removing moisture doesn't kill germs. When you come along with your broom and dust mop (or vacuum cleaner), you scoop up most of the mess, but microscopic bits are released into the air where they can be inhaled and spread disease. Very bad idea. Instead, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends saturating rat droppings, rat nests and any areas where rats have lingered with a disinfectant mixture that kills germs on contact.

Although you can use an over-the-counter disinfectant to do the job (make sure it says disinfectant on the label), the CDC also recommends using a mixture of one-and-a-half cups of bleach to a gallon of water (a 1 to 9 ratio). Spray affected areas well, and leave the bleach or disinfectant in place for 5 to 10 minutes.

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3: Scoop and Dump

Once the areas you want to clean are wet, scoop up debris and dump it in a plastic bag for disposal outdoors. Be systematic and thorough. Mice are curious creatures. If you discover they've been foraging in your kitchen, don't just clean areas where you see evidence they've been snacking. They've probably been on your countertops and in your cabinets. Clean any areas where you think they've been active. Look under your appliances and furnishings and behind them, too. Double bag mouse trash, one bag inside the other, and tie them both tightly. Place bags outdoors for pickup as soon after cleaning as possible.

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2: Sponge and Mop

After loose materials like mouse nests have been gathered up, wipe down cabinet shelves, countertops and other areas with disinfectant. Mop the floors in affected areas, too. Use a disposable mop head and paper towels or sponges you can discard afterward. Be generous with disinfectant. Remember, wet (saturated) is good. Shampoo or steam clean affected carpets, upholstery and area rugs.

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1: Wash Your Hands and Tidy Up

Disinfect your scrub gloves before taking them off, and wash your hands thoroughly when you've finished cleaning. That means scrubbing them in warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Scrubbing your hands vigorously is what loosens germs so the rinse water can wash them down the drain. Lather up. It's a germ fighting precaution. You've seen TV doctors do it before surgery. Now it's your turn. After washing your hands, change clothes and launder your cleaning clothes promptly in hot water and detergent.

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Eliminating Mice FAQ

Will bleach kill rats?

Due to its smell, bleach serves as a terrific rat repellent. But it can act as an effective poison too. That’s because rats can’t ingest it and live. But the smell is likely to keep them from getting too close so if you want rats to ingest it, mix a little bleach with a tablespoon of peanut butter. You may have to add more PB to disguise the odor. Set the bait at a mousehole or other entry point.

Does bleach keep rats away?

Just as how humans dislike the strong smell of bleach, rats also avoid it. Create a solution of water and bleach and spray it around the rat hangout to drive them away for good.

Does bleach kill hantavirus?

Yes, it can. (Hantavirus is a virus spread by rats that causes diseases in humans.) This is done by creating a disinfectant solution of 90% water and 10% chlorine bleach. Soak the rat and the trap in this mixture. Although you can use also cleaning solutions, they can be ineffective at times. Therefore, use chlorine bleach for the best results.

Will bleach get rid of mouse urine smell?

Yes, here's how: First, wear vinyl, latex, or rubber gloves and clean rat droppings and urine. Then create a mixture of bleach and water and spray it around the droppings. Make sure to leave it on for at least 5 minutes.

What smells do rats hate the most?

Besides bleach, rats hate the smell of naphthalene (found in mothballs). They also dislike the stench of ferrets, raccoons, cats, and other rat predators. Among natural scents, they despise eucalyptus oils, peppermint, and citronella.  

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Sources

• MicroEvolution. "Diseases Carried by Mice." (6/19/12). http://www.macroevolution.net/diseases-carried-by-mice.html
• Orkin. "How to Clean Up After Mice Infestation." (6/19/12). http://www.orkin.com/rodents/mouse-control/how-to-clean-up-after-mice-infestation/
• Rodent Proof. "Rodent Waste Clean Up." (6/19/12). http://www.rodentproofaz.com/rodent-extermination-articles/rodent-waste-clean-up/
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control. "Diseases directly transmitted by rodents." 6/7/22. (6/19/12). http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/diseases/direct.html
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control. "Facts About Hantaviruses." (6/19/12). http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/pdf/HPS_Brochure.pdf
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control. "Preventing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)." 5/17/11. (6/19/12). http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/hps/prevention.html
• Washington State Department of Health. "Hantavirus." (6/19/12). http://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/Hantavirus.aspx

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