Mouse smell in portable ice house

[bitz]

I opened my ice house last week and in the last few weeks, a mouse had gotten inside and pee'd and crapped and had started a small nest. I had no problem getting the stuff out, but can't get rid of the smell. Its really bad and gets worse when you close up the house and turn the heat on. I have wiped everything down with bleach water, freebrz, baking soda and used a carpet cleaner on the indoor/outdoor carpet.

Any ideas?

Bitz

[Will]

i don't know how to get rid of the smell, i would have tried the same things that you did. i can tell you how to keep the mice out though. put some fabric softner sheets in there, works for me.

[Gus]

Sounds like you've done pretty much what I would have done. Another thing I like to do is use my left over scent killer from deer hunting to deodorize.

I use it to kill odors from the diaper champ as well as garbage cans throughout the house. Really works good!

[bearslayer]

When I was playing hockey growing up, used to use newspaper and fabric softener sheets to get rid of smell in hockey bag. Krinkle up a bunch of newspaper, add a few bounce sheets, throw it all in the bag and close it up for a day or two. Might work for a fishhouse. I think it would work best if you put the stuff in the tub and then collapsed it like your were hauling it. Good Luck

[JeffB]

I would leave it set up for a week or so either in the garage or back yard out of wind. It has been cleaned now it needs to air out.

[so haaad]

Make sure you didn't miss a spot. I thought I heard somewhere that mice/gerbil pee is part urine and part scent gland secretion for marking territory. So it's really tough to remove. You may need to repeat what you are already doing, then let it air out in the sun and wind.

[Phred52]

I feel for ya! I had a mouse build a nest under the hood of my pontoon outboard 3 years ago. I've done and used everything to get rid of that smell, and no-go. I even tried engine cleaner! It smells just as foul today as it did the day I discovered that nest. If you find anything that works, share it with the rest of us, okay? Phred52

[Sandmannd]

Pet stores sell different products to get rid of the smell of cat pee. Have used it and it works. Might work for this as well.

[hondarider550]

Just an idea... How about throwing some moth balls around the shack? I know that I have an aunt that is obsessed with using them and the house smells the same all through it... It cant be any worse than the mouse smell....

[echo2010]

Just an idea... How about throwing some moth balls around the shack? I know that I have an aunt that is obsessed with using them and the house smells the same all through it... It cant be any worse than the mouse smell....

Id rather smell mouse

[echo2010]

Look into a product called odo ban. It is amazing. I have heard it can even remove cat urine

Also I am a fan of using white vinegar to clear out bad smells.

[Jim Almquist]

I had the same problem and OdoBan was the only thing that even came close to removing the smell. We washed 5 or 6 times and let air out in between and it is OK but not perfect.

[Chef]

I had the exact problem. I must have washed, sprayed and used every kind of odor killer known to man and it STILL stunk as soon as I turned on the heater. I bet is spent almost 100 bucks on odor killing and cleaning products, even the ones formulated to eliminate these types of odors.

I finally tossed the canvas and started over.

[MNHuntress]

There is a product called Atmosklear (made here in MN) you can get it at most ACE hardware stores, works great on urine. It may take a couple of times to get the smell out. Try to bring it where it can get warm because this stuff is in a spray bottle so it can work not freeze on.

All those other things do is mask odors, not neutralize them.

The other option is renting an Ionizer from a rental place, should be about $35 for 4 hours of use. Ionizers are what they use to remove smoke damage and clean bad smells in cars. It neutralizes the particals.

When you do get the smell out use Irish Spring Soap (I use this in my boat) or dryer sheets. Keeps mice out.

[wildeskimo]

i use vinegar an a little water in a spay bottle it well smell like vinegar for one day after that gone !!!!!!!

[opsirc]

there is a product called OdoBan thats works great on everything I have used it on.

[propster]

OdorBan, Atmosklear, and many of the good hunting scent eliminators will work (the good ones are not just odor maskers - they are neutralizers/oxidizers). The problem is getting them to the source of the odor until it's gone. And if it's soaked into the wood, carpet, canvas, etc that could take awhile and several applications, and you still might not get it all. The best way and a permanent fix is either the ionizer/ozonator as someone mentioned, as long as it's in there long enough, or plain old sunlight/air, but that obviously will take a long, long time.

[bitz]

Thanks for all the good ideas... I will try a couple of them and also figure that come spring I can set it up outside and let mother nature help out. If I can't get it out, I will put it up for sale

Any one interested? (just kidding as my 30 yr old son wants it as is)

Bitz