How to get rid of mouse urine smell?

[greg g]

Couple links have been posted to sourcesfor the bushes.  They also can be purchased at dealer supply places.  If that fails get a vegetable brush from the kitchen section of the grocery store.Any medium stiff bristle scrub brush will sufice.

[captden29]

the vinegar odor will go away when you take the bowls of it out of the car. I guess you thought I meant to leave it in there or pour the vinegar on the floor.    capt den

[casper50]

No I just can't stand vinegar.

[knuckleharley]

No I just can't stand vinegar.

A little bit of vinegar will kill acid reflux pretty much instantly. Best way is to eat something make with vinegar,like macaroni salad,but I have drank a cap full straight to kill the bile when in a bind.

[casper50]

Lucky for me I don't suffer from acid reflux.

[knuckleharley]

Lucky for me I don't suffer from acid reflux.

VERY true. It ain't fun.

 

Getting back to old cars,vinegar is also my favorite deruster. Especially for stuff like little bolts,nuts,and screws. Drop them in a bowl of vinegar overnight,and the next day they are squeaky clean and ready for use again. I even got my fingerprints back once I discovered this trick.

 

Also used it to get the rust out of a couple of gas tanks.

Edited April 27, 2016 by knuckleharley

[timkingsbury]

Hey all,

 

My P19 fastback was "barn fresh" when I got it last week, and I've been going gangbusters ever since figuring out all of it's secrets, one of which (not really a secret actually) was that it had been turned into a mouse luxury liner.  I have removed all of the seats, carpeting/vinyl on the floor, and have sprayed the entire car and trunk out with a hose after using a mild degreaser.  The headliner and door skins under the rear window remain, and I'm sure have absorbed some odor too.  Anyway, the car still stinks.

 

How do I get rid of the urine smell?  I can tell that even the steel retained some of the odor.  Also, what's the best way to remove the headliner without irreparably damaging anything?  My goal is to get this thing mechanically sound for the road this summer, drive it around, then begin body/underbody repair in the winter.  

 

I'm wondering about Simple Green, Nature's Remedy, or straight bleach for the urine smell.  Thoughts?  Also thinking of trying to have the seats extracted at a detail shop so they are usable and bearable for the summer.  

 

Thanks to all for replies!

You will find you have a number of issues to address and by your description you have already discovered that.   You have the direct problem of the mouse urine on surfaces and you have the absorbed smell that isn't direct contact.

 

I have a friend who repairs wrecked cars and has on several occasions had to deal with things ranging from animals living in them to animals or people dieing in

the car and have been in the car after death for some time.

 

In the extreme cases he has actually had to take everything out, bleach things, then paint over everything to seal it as the smell gets right into the metal.

 

Your likely no where near that. I have had several cars and trucks that over the years I send to him to "clean up" and the mouse house scenario  is a pretty common

one.  What he does then ranges widely dependant upon who bad it is.  The bounce sheets or air freshener items that will absorb some smells are usually the after treatment item he uses at the end, and rarely the start.

 

bleach will kill a lot of things but remember it can also be harsh on fabric and carpet and will change colors on things.

 

On carpets he often pulls them, and actually soaks them in an old bathtub with laundry detergent and Clorox bleach for the unbleachables.  Agitating  and

scrubbing  any obvious effected areas.    On the metal where moisture may have pooled, he with wash using the same thing or pressure wash if he can do it 

without getting water on wires etc.. 

 

But the two "magic bullets he uses and for the head liner in a scenario your describing this is definitely what he uses..

Two products.. Febreze for pet odor

 

http://www.febreze.com/en-CA/Product.aspx?id=873

 

and  extra strength Febreze

 

http://www.febreze.com/en-CA/Product.aspx?id=867

 

Sometimes just spraying  carpets and fabrics without taking everything out will work but its always a case of getting the treatment to the effected area..  So if

the urine has soaked through the carpet to the metal floor, surface treatment wont cut it.  That is when out comes the carpets and they need to be cleaned

as described above.

 

Seats, unless they have gotten actually into them, which is possible, usually are not effected.  If they are, its also a case of getting upholstery  off and get to the effected area. 

 

The other thing to consider and check is under the dash that the mice have not hauled material up under the dash and made a house up there.  if they

have start with removal and fabreze.   In my case if its fairly mild I take care of it, but if its carpet out time, I take it to my friend because for $75-150 he deals

with the problem.

 

Hopefully that helps. 

Tim

[55 Fargo]

Yup totally agree with Tims post, have used on my 55 fargo, chlorine bleach and detergent to initially clean all metal surfaces, then primer and  painted, a few spots i have not got painted, and even after a few years, you can smell meese peese slightly when it gets warm in the cab.

1 of the kids dragged home a 72 lemans, to make into a "roadkill drag car", it had meese peece all over washed and bleached as muc as i could, it needs painting over these metal surfaces, and the headliner probably should be pulled out.

I find metal surfaces, once sanitized and painted over are fine afterwards...

[wayfarer]

I have used a product called 'd-molish'   http://www.neutronindustries.com/odor-control/enzymatic-digesters/

that was given to me by a commercial contractor. He used it to clean up bathroom floors where guys couldn't figure out how to pee in the bowl... So far it has worked on everything I used it on.

You might also check with a commercial type janitorial company.

[jrhoads]

http://www.scoe10x.com/reviews?gclid=CMOxiPX4r8wCFQEdaQods58HYA

 

It works.

[deathbound]

Your link doesn't work, at least for me.  Meguires products are not exclusive to Oreilly's, available at any number of auto parts stores.

I believe he works at O'reilly's....blatant plug?

 

On another note, 3+ pages and no one has recommended a respirator. With the urine, there's most likely the other & with all that mice $h1t flying around, you don't want to breathe it in.

[knuckleharley]

I believe he works at O'reilly's....blatant plug?

 

On another note, 3+ pages and no one has recommended a respirator. With the urine, there's most likely the other & with all that mice $h1t flying around, you don't want to breathe it in.

I not only mentioned a respirator,I even suggested a sandblaster  hood to cover your head and shoulders so the stuff overhead didn't get in your hair or on your face.

[deathbound]

I not only mentioned a respirator,I even suggested a sandblaster hood to cover your head and shoulders so the stuff overhead didn't get in your hair or on your face.

No mention of respirator or sandblasting hood, maybe you can quote that post in your response.

[knuckleharley]

No mention of respirator or sandblasting hood, maybe you can quote that post in your response.

You are right and I was wrong. I mentioned the sandblast hood in a PM to someone,and not on this thread. I suggested it because of the headliner issue and working with mouse dust overhead. I also wrote a paper mask or other respirator could be worn under it.

[Young Ed]

You are right and I was wrong. I mentioned the sandblast hood in a PM to someone,and not on this thread. I suggested it because of the headliner issue and working with mouse dust overhead. I also wrote a paper mask or other respirator could be worn under it.

I remember reading it too. Probably in another thread but not a PM.

[knuckleharley]

I remember reading it too. Probably in another thread but not a PM.

Thanks,Ed. I  am posting to so many different boards the last few days I can't keep track of what I wrote and where I posted it.

[Young Ed]

Thanks,Ed. I  am posting to so many different boards the last few days I can't keep track of what I wrote and where I posted it.

I didn't want you to think you were going completely crazy.....

[Fastback50]

Like the early Fords,they are held on by roll pins slightly longer than OD of the door handles and window cranks. There are tools make for this,but you can use something like a dull putty knife with a wide blade slipped between the plastic backing piece and the door panels to see the pin,and then use a nail,pin punch,really small Phillips head screw driver,or anything else of a smaller diameter than the pin to just push it out. Besides the pins,the door handles and window cranks are held on by springs that put pressure  on the plastic and the handles to keep pressure on the locating pin.

 

This sounds more complicated than it is due to my poor instructions. Just use the putty knife to push the plastic spacer away from the handle and once you see the pins it will all make sense.

 

Hey thanks!  Sorry for the delayed response, had a couple hectic days at work.  I'll get after this tomorrow

[Fastback50]

You will find you have a number of issues to address and by your description you have already discovered that.   You have the direct problem of the mouse urine on surfaces and you have the absorbed smell that isn't direct contact.

 

I have a friend who repairs wrecked cars and has on several occasions had to deal with things ranging from animals living in them to animals or people dieing in

the car and have been in the car after death for some time.

 

In the extreme cases he has actually had to take everything out, bleach things, then paint over everything to seal it as the smell gets right into the metal.

 

Your likely no where near that. I have had several cars and trucks that over the years I send to him to "clean up" and the mouse house scenario  is a pretty common

one.  What he does then ranges widely dependant upon who bad it is.  The bounce sheets or air freshener items that will absorb some smells are usually the after treatment item he uses at the end, and rarely the start.

 

bleach will kill a lot of things but remember it can also be harsh on fabric and carpet and will change colors on things.

 

On carpets he often pulls them, and actually soaks them in an old bathtub with laundry detergent and Clorox bleach for the unbleachables.  Agitating  and

scrubbing  any obvious effected areas.    On the metal where moisture may have pooled, he with wash using the same thing or pressure wash if he can do it 

without getting water on wires etc.. 

 

But the two "magic bullets he uses and for the head liner in a scenario your describing this is definitely what he uses..

Two products.. Febreze for pet odor

 

http://www.febreze.com/en-CA/Product.aspx?id=873

 

and  extra strength Febreze

 

http://www.febreze.com/en-CA/Product.aspx?id=867

 

Sometimes just spraying  carpets and fabrics without taking everything out will work but its always a case of getting the treatment to the effected area..  So if

the urine has soaked through the carpet to the metal floor, surface treatment wont cut it.  That is when out comes the carpets and they need to be cleaned

as described above.

 

Seats, unless they have gotten actually into them, which is possible, usually are not effected.  If they are, its also a case of getting upholstery  off and get to the effected area. 

 

The other thing to consider and check is under the dash that the mice have not hauled material up under the dash and made a house up there.  if they

have start with removal and fabreze.   In my case if its fairly mild I take care of it, but if its carpet out time, I take it to my friend because for $75-150 he deals

with the problem.

 

Hopefully that helps. 

Tim

 

Tim thanks--excellent info.  I'll be revisiting the project tomorrow, and plan on seeing what my last efforts did and then tackling under the dash as you recommended, plus headliner/door skins.  Thanks again.

[Fastback50]

I believe he works at O'reilly's....blatant plug?

 

On another note, 3+ pages and no one has recommended a respirator. With the urine, there's most likely the other & with all that mice $h1t flying around, you don't want to breathe it in.

 

Already on it--thanks for the word of caution though

[mlozier76]

With my recently acquired Studebaker, I also acquired loads of barn fresh feces and even a petrified cat in the front floorpan.  I took out the interior and the smell still remained on the metal.  I used a Woolite Pet stain and odor remover.  I don't recommend trying to keep your flooring materials  because of all the years of moisture and decomposing fecal material.  I am going with newer materials, so it's no skin off my back if the original interior is destroyed by critters, but I do understand if you are wanting to try to keep the OE.  Do all you can to remove from the vehicle and clean, no need to get sick because of Mickey Mouse.

[Oldguy48]

You might want to chat with your local funeral director. A friend of mine is a funeral director, and gave me some "deodorizer" in a spray bottle. I can't recall the name of the product, but it had a really pleasant odor, and obviously, funeral homes have a real need for something like this occasionally. It might be worth an inquiry. Good luck !!

[blue p15]

I have never had to deal with a urine smell, but I keep a bottle of Zorbx in my van.  It does great if I get gasoline on my hands or clothes at the gas station.  It iworks better than anyting else I have ever used www.zorbx.com

 

I bought a tool on eBay to get the interior handles off.  Look at item # 121979481781.

 

Hope this helps!