How To Get Mouse Smell Out of a Camper or RV In 5 Easy Steps

When you leave a camper or RV sitting for a long period of time, nearby pests like mice will often work their way inside to nest and look for tasty snacks. Mice urine is a strong and persistent odor, and you’ll face some trouble getting rid of it. Let’s check out how to get rid of that mouse smell in your motorhome.

Preparation

There are several methods you can use together to help get your motorhome smelling fresh again. Below we’ll catalog what you’ll need.

Top 5 Ways to Remove Mouse Smell from Your Motorhome

1. Air It Out

First, open all the doors, windows, and vents in your camper or RV. This will help dissipate the mouse smell while you work on cleaning the interior. If you have one on hand, running a fan on the interior will also help a lot. Then let’s don your rubber gloves and get to work.

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2. Identify Problem Areas

It can be hard to pinpoint where mice have trafficked and urinated. They like areas that contain food and can get into some pretty small nooks and crannies. You can figure out where mice have urinated by using a black light. Turn off all the lights in your motorhome at night and shine a black light around until you find the scene(s) of the crime.

Urine will be highlighted in the darkness, and you should note where it is so you know where to spray and clean in the next steps. These aren’t necessarily the only areas you’ll be spraying, however.

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3. Spray Down The Interior

Arm yourself with an enzyme cleaner, which is usually sold as a pet cleaner, and get to work. Spray every upholstered surface in the RV or camper, and be sure to thoroughly spray every surface. If you want to, you can even pull up the carpet and spray underneath where the mice’s urine may have penetrated.

Wipe everywhere that you sprayed with a rag, and for hard-to-access areas, you can use a long-handled nylon brush. Once you have all the enzyme cleaner wiped up, it’s time to mix your next cleaner.

Mix water and white vinegar together in a spray bottle at a 1:1 ratio and spray everywhere that you sprayed with the enzyme cleaner. This may seem like overkill, but it’s essential to give you the best chance of getting rid of the mouse odor. Once you’ve sprayed and wiped every surface down with both cleaners, it’s time to mop.

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4. Mop The RV/Camper

Fill a bucket with water and white vinegar at a 1:1 ratio, then add some peppermint oil for good measure. Mice dislike peppermint and other essential oil aromas, and it will help keep the space fresh too. Thoroughly mop the entire floor of the motorhome, then leave it open to dry. For faster drying, you can set up a fan or just wipe the floor with a towel afterward.

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5. Freshen The Space

Now that the RV or camper is clean, it’s time to freshen the area up and make it livable. Place air fresheners at each air vent you have inside, and not just the ones in the cab either. Put them in the bathroom and every place that fresh air enters your motorhome.

If you’re putting it back into storage or on standby for your next trip, place mothballs all over your motorhome. Put them in the food storage areas, closets, drawers, and other crevices all over. These will discourage mice from approaching, plus repel insects.

Related Read: How To Get Dried Dog Pee Out Of A Carpet: 5 Practical Options

Conclusion

Having your RV smell of mice may seem like a problem that is impossible to get rid of. Mice urine is not a pleasant odor but by using these methods you should have your motorhome back to smelling fresh in no time.

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Featured Image Credit: David Pereiras, Shutterstock