If there is one thing that is a constant with rodents, it is their continuous stream of pee on everything. In the life of a rodent, urine is a universal sign for marking something as safe or friendly (i.e. safe way to travel, safe to eat, safe to chew on, this is my home, my mom, my dad, my kid, etc.). If you are being pee’d on by a rodent, consider it a compliment.
Now, humans do not feel the same way about urine and we find it gross and unsanitary (which it is!). We look for ways for eliminate the smell of urine, not increase it. When uncovering a rodent nest, it is going to wreak with the smell of rodent urine. Before we can tackle the smell head on, we need to disinfect the area first (remember, safety first!).
Note: it would help to initially identify all the spots which have a high concentration of urine by using a black light.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has some fantastic guidelines for how to clean up after rodents. Please see the link here for more information.
Alright, now let’s neutralize that smell!
There are two sources that the smell is coming from:
- The surface/material that the urine is soaked into.
- The stagnant air within that area
In order to completely eliminate the smell, we need to treat for each of these sources.
Now that we know our two objectives let’s look at the step by step process!
Step 1: Neutralize the Odor
Our first step should be to try and break down the actual chemical compounds that are creating the smell. This can be accomplished using an enzyme solution such as the Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain & Odor Remover. Spray liberally on the surface and let it sit. We want the solution to get deep down into pores of the material to break down the urine trapped inside.
Step 2: Draw Out the Odor
This can be accomplished with baking soda or a baking soda paste (mix with water). Pour the baking soda liberally on the surface or smear on the baking soda paste pretty thick, and then wait a day or so before cleaning up. You can also mix vinegar into the baking soda solution as well.
Step 3: Pull the Odor Out of the Air
There are many household remedies that can actually work very well, in addition to some retail products. See below!
The Obvious
- Fresh air
How to use: Open up all windows. Even get some fans going if you have them. This will help to flush out all of the stagnant air that is containing the odor.
Household remedies
- Coffee Grinds
- Raw Onion
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- Charcoal (the kind you BBQ with)
How to use: Place a bowl full of any of these in any room or area that has the odor. Replace with a new batch every 1-3 days.
Absorbent Products
How to use: Essentially the process for using these is very similar to the household remedies. Place one of the bags or products in each room or area that there is a smell. One bag or product will be sufficient for a certain number of square feet. Check the instructions to determine how many you may need.
Electronic Products
How to use: Ozone Generators are used professionally by hotels to get rid of nasty smells. These devices are SUPER effective but they are costly and potentially dangerous to use. Pretty much just don’t be in the room when the ozone generator is on and stay out of the room for at least 2 hours after you have run the machine. Be very careful not to breath in any of the gas. Follow the instructions! If you are trying to eliminate odor from your car, I would check with some nearby car dealerships to see if they would allow you to use their machine.
Air Ionizers can be effective as a supplementary solution as well. They essentially filter out the air, but I wouldn’t expect this to solely take care of the job.
Tip For Cars Only:
Change the air filter immediately. This should really help to initially reduce the odor you are smelling. Also, for the air conditioner, you can spray Lysol or odor neutralizer in the vent and then flip it on. I would suggest also keeping the windows down as much as possible to get fresh air in there.
If necessary, Step 4: Conceal the Odor
Lastly, if you are still detecting the smell of rodent urine you can try a sealant on the surface to lock the smell in. I would do a few coats of the sealant and then lightly sand in between coats. For wood, I would do a non-wax based shellac (if this area is not typically exposed to moisture) such as Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac or a poleurethane (if this area would typically be exposed to moisture).
For concrete, there is a product called Kilz MAX Stain and Odor Blocking Latex Primer/Sealer that can be used to seal in the odor.
As always, I hope that this information has been helpful!
Please leave any comments/questions below.
Thank you!!
-Rat King Dave
This page contains Amazon Affiliate links. I will receive a commission for any purchases made through these links, though at no additional cost to you.
Hello and thank you for your insights- – how do you rate Nature’s Miracle as an enzyme solution for rat urine combat?
Hi David! Nature’s Miracle is also an enzymatic cleaner, so theoretically should work the same. I will say though that after taking a quick look at reviews on various websites, Rocco and Roxie seems to consistently be the top performer. And I’ve had a good experience working with this product. Hope this helps! Thanks for the comment! RKD
Hi I have garage that is filled with junk and rats had at one point taken over the garage. I am having a complete garage cleanout done in a few days.
My question is this…..Once the cleanout is done I will be renting a power washer to spray down the entire garage in hopes of getting rid of any lingering smells. Are their any products that you would recommend that gets it not only clean of any bacteria but the smell as well?
Hi Mendi! Sorry for the delay in my response. I would suggest using an enzyme cleaner on any areas that smell of urine (see reference to Rocco & Roxie product in Step 1 in the article above). You need something that is actually going to break down the source of the smell. I would spray down your entire garage floor with this stuff and allow at least 10-15 minutes for the enzyme to do its job before wiping up. Allow your garage to air out and if you still detect urine smells you might need to conceal the odor. In Step 4 of the above, I reference Killz Max Stain and Odor Blocking Latex Primer/Sealer. You would need to do a coat over the concrete with this sealer to lock in the smell and that should do the trick. Hope this helps! If you have any other questions, please let me know! RKD
A rat infestation grew in the house my dad spent the last several years of his life. Nests in the attic and walls. Floor plates have been seriously soaked with rat pee. Ripped sheet rock off walls where known nests were and in ceiling. Will the smell eventually subside from the floor plates, or should I replace them?
Hi Randy, so sorry for my delayed response! I am not sure what you mean by floor plates, but I assume you mean some sort of part of the floor. Regardless, the smell will resume as long as it isn’t treated. If these floor plates have absorbed the pee then you may not be able to get to the source of the smell because it is inside the floor itself. You could try to paint over the floor plates which may conceal the smell, but might make more sense just replace the flooring at this point. Hope this helps! If you have any other questions, please let me know. Thank you! RKD
Hi RKD,
We have recently moved into a house and we think rats were present at some stage as there were lots of dropping under the floor boards inside our airing cupboard. I have cleaned ad much of this as I could and cleaned the area that is accessible with baking soda vinegar and and enzyme cleaner but the smell persists. Given we can’t get under the floorboards in every area they have been is there anything you would recommend?
Hi Scott! I really apologize for the delay in my response here. I took some years off being Rat King, and I suspect you have already figured out how to deal with this issue by now. In reading your comment, I actually had to look up what a “airing cupboard” is lol, but I understand what it is now. Unfortunately I don’t really have a solution to these types of scenarios other than pulling up the base of the cupboard to replace and clean the materials underneath. I suspect this is probably what you already did. In order to make a smell go away (and just for sanitary purposes) it is important to find deal with the source of the smell directly. Hope this helps and sorry for the delay. Best of luck to you. Thank you! RKD
Can i get some help on how to remove rat pee smell from on top of the heater vents in a house . Don’t smell until the furness is on . I have tried to use industrial orange spay but not able to reach far enough
Hi Joanne! So sorry for the delay in my response. No idea if this is still an issue for you, but you want to ensure you are cleaning the source of the smell with an enzyme cleaner. It doesn’t have to be Rocco and Roxie’s one I mention in the article, but you need to enzyme to be able to break down the material that is causing the smell. If you can’t reach the source of the smell I would try odor absorbent products or natural remedies as mentioned in the article. I hope this has been helpful for you. Thanks for the question! RKD
My car in my garage was a temporary home for two rats for a few days before they ate rat poison finding them dead. The rat(s) ate some of my wiring under the intake manifold and hood liner causing $700 in repairs. I steamed cleaned the engine the best I could to eliminate the rat urine smell. A week later my car still smells like a rat farm while it is running. It is getting better with time. Question, how long do you think it will take before the smell is gone? Should I leave the car running in park to help burn off the smell? Thanks in advance…
Hi Jay! Oh man, sorry for the delay in my response. The smell can last for at least a couple weeks if left untreated. I would suggest following the steps in the article above and especially changing the car air filter. One option you have is to go to a local car dealership and see if you can pay to use their Ozone generator. This is the only way they get smoke smell out of used cars and is highly effective. If you can get to the source of the smell you want to spray it with an enzyme cleaner, but if you can’t I would try and get odor absorbent products. I hope you are no longer dealing with this issue, but please let me know if you are. Thank you! RKD
I was recently given a truck that had been sitting in the hills for 10 years. In the engine compartment they built a den out of their feces and urine…It’s like a stinky concrete. Took me days to remove that crap (pun intended). After I got it running my wife and I took it on a drive…as soon as the engine warmed up we were gassed by the most horrible of stenches. Sooo, I spent the last two days removing the entire dash board, A/C and heater ducting. I believe I got all of the nests and now am going to use a vinegar/baking soda/water spray to deodorize the parts as I put them back, after washing them thoroughly.
If it wasn’t such a nice pickup I prolly would have burned it by now. Anyway, thanks for the valuable info. Rats suck.
Wow, Sean! Glad to hear that you have removed the problem from the car but I hope you were super careful. Many of the diseases that rodents carry are transmitted through the urine and feces. Mostly transmitted by breathing in the dust from this. Well I hope that you aren’t running into any more issues, but please be sure to keep checking under the hood. Since they’ve been there before, they are more likely to come back. Stay safe out there. RKD
Hope you can help!? Rats have migrated from my moms garden into the house! They are living in the kitchen cupboards but we have no idea how they are getting in. We hear them moving about and the smell of urine is overwhelming. Mom has stopped using the cupboards and has moved pots/pans etc into another room, but how do we get rid of the smell? They are coming through from behind the units so unless they are ripped out how do we get at the source! I don’t mind rats, I mind the fact that they are living with us!! It’s unsanitary not to mention a danger to our health. My mom is a frail 88 year old and I worried she is going to contract something nasty.
Hi Tracie, Oh man.. I’m so sorry I haven’t replied yet and that you and your mom have had to deal with this. I really hope that this is no longer an issue for you both, but at this point I would call in a professional. Given that this has become a health concern, an exterminator would be warranted here. Please call one ASAP if you haven’t already. Hope this is helpful and let me know if I can be of any other assistance. Thank you. RKD
So, if you used charcoal to remove the horrible urine odor, would it still be good for grilling?
Thanks,
Ratty
“On the Internet, one experiential observation from an imbecile is worth one hundred thought experiments from a moron.”
hahaha, I honestly have no idea! In order to avoid any lawsuits, I would suggest NOT doing this..for the record haha. Thanks for the comment Ratty! RKD
Bought a used dishwasher recently and discovered a mouse made its home in the insulation. I have torn it out completely, but it seems to have leeched into the plastic of the tub. Any suggestions?
Hi Sara! Oh man so I’m trying to imagine where this mouse is. So it’s somehow in between the exterior of the tub and the plastic that lines the inside of the dishwasher? Here’s my thought: at some point that noise is going to need to leave for food. Are you able to determine any specific entry and exit points in which the mouse can leave? If so, I would try and position the tub so that this exit point is flush with a wall or vertical surface. Then place a trap flush along this wall or vertical surface as well. Bait with peanut butter. Please let me know if this makes sense or if you have questions. Good Luck! RKD
Great post.
if you have pet rats PLEASE don’t use use baking soda or anything that can get up their noses and cause an RI !
Got it. Good to know and thanks for the comment Angelo! RKD
I need major advice, help, etc.. My father passed away and had a good bit of antiques passed down from since his great great grandmother and they were put up in a huge storage building that rats have now found a home in. My husband found 15 nest so far. I just walked out the room and cried. I don’t know what to do. They’re antique paintings, bedroom suites, china, crystal, etc… what do I do to save these items. Please Please Someone Help.
Melissa, I know it’s been 2 weeks. I hope you haven’t thrown out anything you wanted to keep. I have not tried it because of the expense and not having antiques, paintings, fabrics to save. A safer (to people, plastics, and rubber) alternative to an ozone generator is a Hydroxyl generator. It basically works like the ozone machine, takes longer, but people can be in the room with it running and it doesn’t age the surroundings like ozone does. I’ve seen the machines in the $700 range.
How to get the smell out from inside the walls???
Hi Kathy! I’m so sorry for my delayed response. That’s a tough situation. If you can’t treat the source of the smell directly then you need to resort to covering up or masking the smell. You could try some of the natural remedies or the odor absorbing bags mentioned in the article. Ultimately your best best solution would be treating the source directly, but pulling the smell out of the air would at least minimize the smell. Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions! RKD
I would hand/glove wash them with a disinfectant soap and then put them through your max cycle of the dishwasher. I would absolutely keep the dishware.
Doug
Thanks for your input, Doug!
Veronica, If you haven’t already thrown out your dishes – don’t. Just soak them overnight in a solution of about 10% chlorox, which will kill any pathogens, and if you want to be extra cautious, put them in the oven for 30 min. at 300+ degrees and they will be sterile. If they can’t take the oven, then boiling for 30 min. kills everything. Just FYI, I’m a dentist and frequently work in the 3rd world, and we take sterilization very seriously.
Wow! Thanks for the information Richard!!
If the rat urine smell is coming from inside the walls, how can you treat it? Asking as a renter who does not have the ability to rip open the walls to deal with it. Thanks!
Hi Jenni! Ugh, that’s a tricky situation that would need to get worked out with your landlord. The only way to eliminate the smell is by eliminating the source so you would need to treat the specific source. This should certainly be something that your landlord could take care of or be ok with asap. Rodents are a MAJOR health concern and a landlord has a duty to ensure they are providing a healthy living environment for their tenants. I would call your landlord asap and see how they want to handle. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions. Thank you!! RKD
If glass dishes were stored in the garage in boxes and the rats chewed the paper or walked on the dishes, can the dishes be cleaned safely enough to use again. Or should they just be thrown out?
Hi Veronica! To be honest, I don’t think I am qualified to answer that question. To be safest I would throw them out, but that is just my personal opinion. Sorry I can’t be of too much assistance here! If any other questions pop up, please let me know. Thank you! RKD.