Asides from getting rid of rats from your home, the kitchen is a place to take extra caution while cleaning after mice invasion.
Mice carry infectious viruses that can cause serious diseases. Contact with mouse droppings can result in Typhus, Lyme disease, Hantavirus, and other illnesses.
That is why you must take considerable caution when cleaning mice nests, droppings, and poop after an infestation. In this post, we will discuss how to clean up after mice in kitchen.
For the sake of you and your family’s health, it’s critical that you properly clean the house after getting rid of a mouse infestation. Here are some tips that will help you to disinfect the kitchen to avoid any diseases properly.
How to Clean Up After Mice in Kitchen – 5 Steps
1. Pick Up and Dump
Mice are curious creatures that usually forage the entire kitchen area. You need to be thorough and systematic in cleaning the kitchen. Clean all the areas where there is evidence that the mice have been foraging in the kitchen.
Wear gloves and pick up all rat droppings. Dump them in a plastic bag. The mice have probably been in your cabinets and countertops. Wipe down the countertops and cabinet shelves using a disinfectant—also, clean areas under the appliances and behind the furnishings. You should use sponges and paper towels to clean these areas and dispose of them off afterward.
Mop the floors in the kitchen after cleaning. Be generous in using the disinfectant. You should dispose of the mop head after cleaning the floor: steam or shampoo area rug, carpets, and upholstery in the kitchen.
You should double bag the mouse trash by placing one bag inside the other. Tie bags tightly and dispose of them soon after cleaning.
2. Saturate Mouse Droppings
Mouse droppings and urine can dry out quickly. Removing them with a dust mop or broom is not enough to kill germs. Microscopic bits can release into the air when you remove scoop up the mess.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends disinfecting the area that contains mice urine and droppings before picking them up. Use a disinfectant in nests and the other regions where the mice may have lingered inside the kitchen.
You can use over-the-counter disinfectant for the job. Make sure to buy a disinfectant of a reputable company. Avoid buying general disinfectant by an unknown brand online. CDC also recommends making a DIY mixture for disinfecting the area. You can use a mix of one-and-a-half cups of bleach and a gallon of water with a ratio of 1:9.
Spray the disinfectant and leave it for up to 10 minutes. Wipe the affected area using mop, sponge, or tissue paper.
3. Bleach Up Contaminated Area
The third step on how to clean up after mice in kitchen that I also do recommend that for everywhere you found mouse dipping in the kitchen, you pour bleach around the area for proper decontamination. Using bleach service two purposes;
- It helps to create a germ-free environment that disinfectants might not remove.
- Also, it helps to repel mice away from your kitchen.
Applying bleach specifically on those contaminated areas is the first step to take before the proper cleaning commences.
4. Cleaning Storage Areas
After getting rid of the rodent infestation, you should thoroughly clean the storage areas. Even if there is no sign of an infestation, you should clean the cabinets and other areas where you store food items. Before cleaning the storage area, open the doors for at least 30 minutes to remove contaminated air from the area.
Wear latex, rubber, vinyl gloves when cleaning the storage area. A dust mask is also recommended as it will offer protection against molds and dust inside the cabinet. Remove everything and look for mouse urine or nesting material. Spray the storage cabinet with a household disinfectant or a solution prepared as per the instructions given above.
Soak thoroughly to remove viruses altogether. After about 10 minutes, remove mouse droppings using a rag or paper towel and dispose of in a plastic bag. Disinfect the storage cabinet again after eliminating the mice droppings. Mop the floors near the storage cabinet using a disinfectant. Consider using bleach and water solution to disinfect the floors.
Any food item that has been contaminated with mice droppings or urine should be disposed of and put in a plastic bag. To clean storage boxes, you should move it outside and place it in an area that is exposed to direct light. The outside and inside of the storage box should be cleaned and disinfected using a household or DIY disinfectant.
Afterward, remove contaminated material such as plates, spoons, and forks inside the storage box while taking care that dust or debris does not get blown towards the face. Infected items should ideally be disposed of. But if they are of high value, you should decontaminate them by following recommended practices. Glass, plastic, and metal items can be disinfected and cleaned using paper towel and rag. Cardboard boxes containing traces of rat droppings or urine should be disposed of.
5. Wash Hands and Dispose of Gloves
Once you have cleaned up the kitchen, you should thoroughly wash your hands using warm water and soap. Consider using a new soap bar that can kill germs. You should scrub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds to remove bacteria. Lather up the soap and rinse with water so that bacteria go down the drain.
After washing your hands, you should change clothes and launder them immediately in hot water and detergent. Gloves should also be disinfected and cleaned after cleaning. Consider disposing of the gloves to be on the safe side. You should buy new gloves instead of risk getting contact with viruses that can cause serious diseases.
Contact Professional Exterminator
So now that you know how to clean up after mice in kitchen, you should know that in the case of heavy infestation, you should contact a professional exterminator. Professional mice exterminators use expert tools and techniques to remove rodent infestation altogether. They can also inform you about the best way to disinfect and clean after mice have been removed from the house.
Getting the help of a professional exterminator is safer as compared to trying to get rid of the infestation yourself. Rodent control experts make use of effective tactics to eliminate mouse infestation. They take precautions to avoid contact with mouse urine and droppings.
Always contact experts for eliminating mice infestation. Home Pest Doctor can help you get rid of the mice infestation in the kitchen. We give you safe and effective tips to help you get rid of mice and other rodents from inside the house.
