Rodent smell?

[wetfeetmi]

My car that was stored in a barn in VA  has a distinct odor from the mouse house I found under the dash. I removed everything used for the nest and still can't get rid of the odor. Has anyone had any success with a solution to this probelm? I appreciate all responses. Thanks, Rick

[Dave22443]

Are you sure that you don't have a dead one in there somewhere?

In the old days, I used to take a dryer sheet and toss it under the seats to help keep things fresh (change them out once in a while).  Fabreeze might help too but what you really want to do is make sure that you have removed the source of the smell (like a dead mouse hidden somewhere) first.

I'm in Virginia too.

[mikepmcs]

where ya'll in virginia, i'm (dad retired in 91 so i call it home) from centreville(fairfax county near dulles)

[Old Moparz]

Peroxide.

I've used it before to get rid of an odor worse than rodents, & that was cat piss. Used it on the rear seat in my car as well as carpet in the house. I've been told it can discolor, but I have yet to see that happen. Best bet is to try it in an area you won't see first.

http://www.acmehowto.com/howto/pest/skunk-smell.php

By the way, it's cheaper than almost any product that you can buy claiming to kill odors.

[Dave22443]

I'm about 30 miles east of Fredericksburg. 

In fact, there's a big to-do this Saturday at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds for the Childrens Network.  Part of it is a car show.  I'll be there in a yellow '68.  If your in the area, look me up!

-Dave

[limey]

My car that was stored in a barn in VA  has a distinct odor from the mouse house I found under the dash. I removed everything used for the nest and still can't get rid of the odor. Has anyone had any success with a solution to this probelm? I appreciate all responses. Thanks, Rick

So you have this smell that you only notice everytime you get in the car.....
Hmmm.....hey mate, are you sure its not you?.......

No seriously... I had a problem like that with my old Jaguar XJS (RIP )
Ripped out all the interior apart from the dash and kick panels...was looking at the metal floor.paintstripped it, cleaned it, painted it....still smelled like something had died in it.....then I twigged about the semi hidden kick panels, pulled them out and found a dead mouse in there.....yuk...
If you haven't stripped the car out completely...then that may  be your answer..
Nick

[wetfeetmi]

Thanks for the info! I am in MI, but the Charger came from VA two years ago. I have everything out of the car I can remove. I will try peroxide and dryer sheets when re-assembled. ( My sister in law is in Charlottesville) Rick

[41husk]

I had the same problem in the Challenger, found the source inside my back seat,  Had chewed up some of the stuffing made a nest and died there (probably from the mouse poison I used to leave all around the car) That was the least of my problems, those little roddens love to chew on electrical wires.  I thought I had a gremlin living in my car.  Now I put a few of those sticky mous traps in the floor boards when I store it, that way the problem is right there with it's little face stuck in the glue and I don't have to tear the car down to find the smell.  My wife says that is very inhumane of me, but I feel having me tear the car apart to find his rotting carcus is very inhumane by the mice

[mikepmcs]

I'm about 30 miles east of Fredericksburg. 

In fact, there's a big to-do this Saturday at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds for the Childrens Network.  Part of it is a car show.  I'll be there in a yellow '68.  If your in the area, look me up!

-Dave

i'd like to but i live in maine last 10 years, navy.
thanks and have fun
r/
Mike

[Kirkvkid]

I have always heard that if you take a bar of Irish Spring and cut in half, and throw it under the seat it will help take the smell away.  I didn't have a mouse but, someone left a crappy Styrofoam cooler with meat in the trunk of my almost new car for several days.    Needless to say it stunk- in my trunk.  Ha ha.  They tried Frebreeze fabric spray or something like that, but it still smelled.

I threw half a bar of Irish Spring, cut the bar of soap in half while in the box and all (makes a nice holder) and put one half in the trunk and one under the seat.  It took a few days but the smell finally went away.

BTW, I have been told it only works with Irish Spring.  "Strong enough for a man- but stinky cars like it too."

[Paul 500]

my friend found this mummified rat in the sill of a charger. It built a nest in there & died, its piss rusted out the sill.

[4402tuff4u]

my friend found this mummified rat in the sill of a charger. It built a nest in there & died, its piss rusted out the sill.

That's unbelievable! I can picture the family of mice living in there while you are hot rodding around town or at the track! Maybe they like fast cars?

I once spilled bait fish water, when I was going fishing, in the interior rug on a company vehicle I was assigned to. Well talk about a real bad smell for a long time!!! geez, I tried everything available in the market - but could'nt get that rotting fish smell out. I finally soaked up a rag of acetone and kept the area damped with acetone for three days. The smell finally subsided but you could still smell remnants of the fish. You might want to wipe the metal down with some kind of solvent like acetone that will remove oils/body fluids left behind from the animal's decomposing corpse.  

[teddy1500]

have you pulled the heater box? the love to nest in there.  mothballs, and an underfed cat is really the best way to get rid of mice. when I still lived in Mi, mice built a nest in the headliner of my baracuda. stopped feeding the wifes cat, locked it in the garage for a few days, problem solved. I live in SC, mice are not the problem here, snakes are, anyone know how to keep them away from cars?

[mikepmcs]

catch em and bag em'

[charger_lady]

I'd say you still have a dead mouse in your car...find the corpse and the smell should be gone!

Before restoring ours last year,it had sat in a barn for 4 yrs and outside for 5yrs. There was some major holes in the floor for the rodents to get in. What a mess and stink they left behind!! We replaced the carpet and I scrubbed the "crap"out of the seats(Armor All muti-purpose cleaner)...NO MORE SMELL!!!   All you can smell now is the smell of a clean Charger...just the way it should!!

[terrible one]

my friend found this mummified rat in the sill of a charger. It built a nest in there & died, its piss rusted out the sill.

That is crazy. And sick.

[charger_lady]

my friend found this mummified rat in the sill of a charger. It built a nest in there & died, its piss rusted out the sill.

...when our Charger got to the body shop and they started it for the first time in 9yrs...a nest full of mice was blown right out of the exhaust!

[wetfeetmi]

Hey U.K. that photo is hilariuos. It almost looks like a photoshop creation.
My 'Cuda still has an odor that I can't locate either. I tried Lysol aresol in all the duct work, but I am afraid I will have to dissect it. I always store my stuff with mothballs and have never had a problem. The cars I have bought seem to have attracted pests when their previous owners stored them. $5.00 worth of mothballs go a long way!
I would rather have snakes in my car than filthy mice. Thanks everybody for ideas. Rick

[charger490]

BOUNCE dryer sheets are the best for any thing including snakes bees mice . if you have a dinner on your porch hang up some bonce and they will not come around. check your heater that is where mine were and since using bounce i have no more.charger490

[mikepmcs]

BOUNCE dryer sheets are the best for any thing including snakes bees mice . if you have a dinner on your porch hang up some bonce and they will not come around. check your heater that is where mine were and since using bounce i have no more.charger490

off to walmart, great tip!!!!
v/r
Mike

[Dave22443]

We've used mothballs around the garage doors for years to keep snakes from crawling in when the door is left open.  Don't know if it actually works, but we've never had a snake in the garage 

[mikepmcs]

We've used mothballs around the garage doors for years to keep snakes from crawling in when the door is left open.  Don't know if it actually works, but we've never had a snake in the garage 

maybe no snakes in your neck of the woods?

[Dave22443]

Not unless you count the black snakes, copper heads and cow suckers. 
(Like I said, I don't know if it actually works)

[Bandit72]

We've used mothballs around the garage doors for years to keep snakes from crawling in when the door is left open.  Don't know if it actually works, but we've never had a snake in the garage 

oh come on...there's nothing like reaching for something in a bag and finding a black snake (or worst) i grew up on a small farm and there were a few times i stuck my hand in a bag of chicken feed or something like that and found a black snake.... i hate snakes now

later 

[1fine69]

I HAVE FOUND THAT IN PLENTY OF CARS! IF YOU HAVE TIME TAKE CARPET AND INTERIOR OUT AND WASH WITH BLEACH THAT WILL DO THE TRICK HECK YOU NEVER KNOW THERE MIGHT STILL BE A RODENT IN THE HEATER DUCTS THEY USUALLY LOVE TO LIVE IN THERE AS WELL! GOOD LUCK TO YA!