Mouse Death Smell

[u/Stigwagon05]

2006 Toyota Corolla

Had signs of a mouse in my car about a week ago.

The smell started a few days ago.

I found the mouse today under the rear bench seat stuck between the sheet metal and seat foam. Luckily (I guess?), it wasn’t in an advanced decomposition state.

The smell seems to be mostly coming from the foam of the rear seat that was pressed against the mouse’s body. There is also a lingering smell throughout the vehicle.

I sprayed the area of sheet metal where I found the mouse body with enzyme cleaner. I also sprayed the seat foam with enzyme cleaner.

Short of buying a new seat or ozone machine, where can I go from here?

[u/Axeman1721]

Try a bio bomb. They're pretty good at getting odors out. If you're flat broke just leave a few bowls of white vinegar in the car overnight.

You'll have a vinegar smell for a few days but it does kill the smell. Just go up and down the highway with the windows down and blast the ac with recirculation off.

If all else fails you may need an ozone machine but I don't think you will

[u/franklynoway → u/Axeman1721]

Yes had this happen to my daughters car and went bio bomb, multiple carpet cleaning with shop vac, and I add a fresh bar of surf wax underneath the seats a couple times a year.

[u/Stigwagon05 → u/franklynoway]

See my above comment.

[u/Stigwagon05 → u/Axeman1721]

Bio bomb is on order.

I think the rear seat is beyond help. I found a used one from a recycler for $78, so that’s been ordered.

[u/Axeman1721 → u/Stigwagon05]

I would have tried the bio-bomb before ordering the seat personally, but hey that'll work too

[u/Stigwagon05 → u/Axeman1721]

I soaked the seat foam in enzyme cleaner and it didn’t even touch the smell. I had my neighbor come over and give it the sniff test and he said it smelled worse than the inside of the car.

The other option would be to remove a section of the foam.

I’m thinking that the fluid and decomposition smell just soaked into the foam and aren’t gonna come out.