Asked on Sep 30, 2017

How to get rid of mouse odor

Nguyet
by Nguyet

Hi there folks, how do I remove urine and feces odor from a contaminated wood dresser. I had this brand new dresser sitting in the garage for several years. I opened up the drawers and noticed all of them had rodent and cockroach feces and stains. It is an awful smell that is now in my garage as well. Please tell me how to remove the smell from both the furniture and room.


Thank you.


  12 answers
  • PJ Wise PJ Wise on Sep 30, 2017

    Be very careful when working around wild rodent urine/feces, and wear a mask over your nose/mouth and rubber or latex gloves. Make a paste of baking soda and water, apply and allow to dry; vacuum or sweep up. If the area still smells, make a mixture of 1c. Peroxide, 1tsp baking soda, and a drop of dish soap or laundry detergent, mix well. Spray or place a cloth soaked in the solution over the area in question for 10-15 minutes, rinse and allow to dry. Sit in the sun to dry. Repeat as necessary. (Note: This mixture can be sprayed on the carpet, walls, and wood cabinets for cats, dogs, skunks, etc.)


    Nature's Miracle (an enzymatic liquid) also works well; available in differing sizes at the local big box stores or pet supply stores.


    I read somewhere here in HomeTalk that someone swears by WD40 (!) to remove odors, but I haven't tried it.

  • Castrang17 Castrang17 on Sep 30, 2017

    Always outfit yourself with rubber protective gloves and a ventilation mask, preferably do this project outdoors. Remove all drawers and vacuum drawers and vacuum the whole chest inside and out. Place the used vacuum bag in a large kitchen trash bag, tie it up and place the vacuum bag in the trash immediately. Use a degreaser dish soap, water, and rags to clean the dresser and drawers thoroughly. Dispose of these cleaning items in a plastic bag and throw them in the trash immediately. Let the wood dry for a few days. The sun will dry the wood and bake out the smell. If the chest and drawers are clean and useable, put the chest inside, and place cotton balls saturated with Oil of Peppermint (the real Peppermint Oil, not imitation). You can also rub the wood with Peppermint Oil, close drawers, and let sit for a few days. The peppermint will be strong. To eliminate the Peppermint smell, remove drawers and place them all in the sun again. Paint or spray the chest and drawers with a polyurethane finish. I would strongly recommend saturating lots of cotton balls with the Oil of Peppermint and place throughout your garage, ridding it of mice. The Peppermint burns the mice's lungs, is humane treatment, they get the hint and will not return. Treat your garage or any areas at the first sign of mice or as the seasons change. Be diligent.

  • Ebbjdl Ebbjdl on Sep 30, 2017

    Start by using Lestoil diluted with a little hot water. Clean with a wrung-out rag, if you use too much water, you'll soak the wood too much. Next vacuum the draws out, and use the Lestiol. Keep the draws open to dry, and air out. The Lestiol is a bit strong, so use a mask if you have one. When all of this is done, finish the top and front with Murphy's oil soap, for a nice shine. When it's dry, buff with a clean rag. Good Luck!

  • Dfm Dfm on Jan 16, 2018

    I had this issue with a mouse in my oven and it took a lot of scrubbing, which is what I am sure you will need to do. I used a product that has enzymes in it to break down urine in the pet supply aisle called Nature's Miracle. There is a similar product used at nursing homes...it might also be on your store shelves. Use the one you find. Instructions are on the label. For my oven, I kept the area moist so the cleaner worked a bit better and covered it in plastic. I wouldn't do this with your dresser as you might damage it so once you have let the cleaner work and then rinsed it off make sure to let it sit in the sun and dry out.

  • Robert Heath Robert Heath on Oct 16, 2017

    Use white vinegar and baking soda and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Vinegar breaks up urine crystals and baking soda absorbs them.

  • Jay Jay on Oct 16, 2017

    Make sure the wood is dry and apply either clear or amber shellac. This will encapsulate the odor so it will not smell anymore. Be sure to have on hand some denatured alcohol to clean up with.

  • Judy Judy on Jul 06, 2013

    There is a liquid spray called Odoban, it got a cat smell out of my plywood subfloor...might work.

  • FrancescaTexas FrancescaTexas on Oct 27, 2017

    I've read Hints from Heloise who recommends sprinkling baking soda in drawers and adding wadded up newspaper to the drawers and letting it sit for a few days then cleaning it all out. Good luck.

  • Lifestyles Homes Lifestyles Homes on Apr 12, 2021

    I recommend Beckart.com their chlorine dioxide Aqua Tabs chemically kills and removes all odors.

    You'll need to put it in the garage so that you can fumigate the piece and leave the space for at least 4 hours.

    Make sure there are no plants or pets near that fumigation space.


    Chlorine Dioxide is what they used to save the mold-damaged buildings post-Katrina in New Orleans.

  • Fill the drawer with kitty litter to help absorb the smells. Let it sit for a week or so

  • Marlene Schwartz Marlene Schwartz on Nov 05, 2017

    Try Don Aslett's X-O Odor Neutralizer. It can be mail-ordered from his website or from QVC. It's used in nursing homes, and I use it in my cat litter box. It really kills the urine smell!

  • Anita Dreyer Stanley Anita Dreyer Stanley on Jun 28, 2017

    To rid your garage, furniture, or any area in general of odor, use a mixture of 50 ml vanilla essence and 50 ml Dettol (only Dettol) and dilute with about 500 ml water. Shake it up to mix and spray on the affected area. This will absorb any bad smells. To freshen up your house dilute your favorite fabric softener with water and spray around the house. Mice do not like the smell of peppermint, so use a few drops of essential oils around the garage. Good luck!!