Automotive

Get rid of mouse urine odour

  • Last Updated:
  • May 14th, 2019 4:23 pm
Deal Addict
Aug 6, 2004
1951 posts
711 upvotes

Get rid of mouse urine odour

Left some packets of sugar from a fast food place in my car and found the wrappers all chewed up and sugar gone/eaten, probably by mice as I've had mice in the garage where it was parked.

Since then there's been a really bad, almost nauseating smell in the car, which think is mouse urine.

I've cleaned and vacumed and the best I can, checked the engine bay and there went any dead mice to be found and the smell doesnt seem like anything is rotting. Oddly there were no mice droppings to be found.

Tried odour neutralizers to no avail, but the problem is that I can't isolate the specific source to apply this to.

What else can I do to try and eliminate the smell?
12 replies
Banned
User avatar
Mar 7, 2007
5347 posts
3026 upvotes
I don't think is mouse pee. Water and soap usually get rid of it.

Most likely, there's a dead mouse somewhere in there.
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Deal Addict
Jun 20, 2010
2278 posts
1888 upvotes
Agreed, urine or dropping should not draw if any smell. I had the same issue with some food my son hid in my car and other than vacuum and disinfecting, it did not leave any smell at all.

It could have gotta stuck and died trying to find its way out under the dash or hvac.

As for odor neutralizer, nothing beats ozium. You can find it at some Petro gas stations.
Deal Addict
May 2, 2017
1918 posts
2941 upvotes
eclone wrote: Agreed, urine or dropping should not draw if any smell. I had the same issue with some food my son hid in my car and other than vacuum and disinfecting, it did not leave any smell at all.

It could have gotta stuck and died trying to find its way out under the dash or hvac.

As for odor neutralizer, nothing beats ozium. You can find it at some Petro gas stations.
Mouse urine does stink quite a bit. Smells a bit like ammonia, it could be very strong in a enclosed space like a car. Unfortunately, it might be hard to find where they urinated, it could be literally anywhere. The smell should dissipate over time, but i'd do a full carpet shampoo and steam clean at a minimum. Also check in your HVAC system, specifically if you have a cabin air filter, it's a pretty common place for mice to make their nests.

If it is a dead mouse in there (smells like mildly rotting meat), find it and remove it. If you cant find it, it'll eventually dry out and stop smelling - that could take weeks though. You might be able to speed up the process if you run a dehumidifier in your car. Good luck.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Feb 23, 2008
12939 posts
1862 upvotes
Brampton
Perhaps a UV light could help you find the spot.
Lets Go Blue Jays!!!
Jr. Member
Nov 15, 2011
171 posts
152 upvotes
SW Ontario
+1 to check the cabin filter.
Deal Expert
Jan 15, 2006
21392 posts
23735 upvotes
Richmond Hill
TheTall wrote: Mouse urine does stink quite a bit. Smells a bit like ammonia, it could be very strong in a enclosed space like a car. Unfortunately, it might be hard to find where they urinated, it could be literally anywhere. The smell should dissipate over time, but i'd do a full carpet shampoo and steam clean at a minimum. Also check in your HVAC system, specifically if you have a cabin air filter, it's a pretty common place for mice to make their nests.

If it is a dead mouse in there (smells like mildly rotting meat), find it and remove it. If you cant find it, it'll eventually dry out and stop smelling - that could take weeks though. You might be able to speed up the process if you run a dehumidifier in your car. Good luck.
A dead mouse that is rotting is far from a mild smell. It is absolutely putrid and you wonder how something so small can smell so f'ing bad!!! Trust me OP, you'd know if it was something dead and rotting, you wouldn't even be able to sit in the car.
Deal Fanatic
May 22, 2003
9325 posts
6386 upvotes
Vancouver
If it is mouse urine, maybe try Nature's Miracle? Works really well for removing odour/stains from dog and cat urine.
Deal Addict
May 2, 2017
1918 posts
2941 upvotes
EP32k2 wrote: A dead mouse that is rotting is far from a mild smell. It is absolutely putrid and you wonder how something so small can smell so f'ing bad!!! Trust me OP, you'd know if it was something dead and rotting, you wouldn't even be able to sit in the car.
Don't get me wrong, it's a bad smell - but once you've smelled a failed cottage freezer's worth of rotting meat, you'd know what I mean by "mild rotting meat".
Sr. Member
Feb 25, 2004
590 posts
274 upvotes
I would mask it with cat pee
Sr. Member
May 23, 2007
642 posts
384 upvotes
Kanata
Mice most certainly urinate and you will never get rid of the smell. Trust me I know.

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