How To Clean Your Couch After A Mice Infestation?

Mice can be a really startling and scary phenomenon in your house, particularly if you are a city dweller and haven’t had much experience with these critters before.

There are a few things to note about mice off the bat.

Firstly, mice can be somewhat of a good thing, if you have mice that certainly means you don’t have rats. Rats eat mice, so live mice can be a good thing. Mice also don’t carry as many diseases as rats and are usually hiding from the elements rather than anything too malicious. 

However, mice are a lot faster and smaller than some rats which is good for some people but this also means they can be harder to catch as well as being harder to see. In any case, mice can certainly make a mess, eat through things, and be scary.

This is often the last thing you want in your living or on your couch, they are supposed to be places of comfort and relaxation, so here’s how to restore domestic bliss in your home.

If a mouse has found its way into your couch or you entice it there often, it can be best to give it a clean. Keep reading to learn how to clean your couch after a mice infestation.

How To Assess Mice Damage

Mice droppings

If you have mice droppings you will definitely have mice. Mouse droppings are quite small pellets of feces that look sort of like dark-colored rice grains. It can be hard to mistake them for anything else.

Small Holes

If your couch has a small hole in it, that wasn’t already there. These holes could be created by mice seeking to create a nest within your sofa. In this case you may want to consider a whole new sofa if the holes have led to irreparable damage.

Urine Odor

If you feel like you can smell urine on your couch, and you don’t have pets or something similar, then you may want to consider the possibilities of mice. The odor can be washed out quickly.

Scratching Noises

This can be a little scary, but if you are hearing some audible scratching it could easily be a mouse scuttering inside your couch.

Damage To Furniture

Beyond general holes, a mouse may have chewed on the other parts of your couch such as the wooden parts. Double check the feet of your couch too.

How To Clean A Couch After Mice Infestations:

So, let’s assume you have already gotten rid of the mice that were on or in your couch. There is some general couch cleaning you should undertake if mice have been on your couch, before more specific cleaning.

Here’s our advice:

• Disinfect the floors – The mice will have, of course, been on your floors, we suggest diluting some disinfectant with warm water in a mop bucket so you can give the general floor area a good mop. Alternatively, you can use a steam mop. Try moving your sofa so you can get underneath it too. You will also need to disinfect your carpets as well.

• Consider wearing protective clothing – the whole point of cleaning is so that you don’t come into contact with the potentially harmful stuff the mice leave behind, just gloves and maybe a mask would be enough.

• Mice droppings – Depending on the shape and type of couch you have, the mice may have left droppings. Use a damp paper towel to pick up mice droppings and dispose of them into a bin that you will take out soon after.

Pro Tip: While it may seem logical to use a vacuum cleaner in this situation, if you are really worried about the potential viruses a mouse can carry then vacuuming can actually disperse the virus particles even further and you also don’t want them sitting around in your vacuum bag.

• Wash the cushion covers – Any virus that has been left on your sofa by the potential mice droppings can be defeated with a simple laundry wash. The virus’s lipid protection can be penetrated by laundry detergent and a high heat wash can make doubly sure that bacteria has been nuked. Use a dryer for extra heat to kill the bacteria twice. If it has seeped through your cushion covers, you will need to clean your couch cushions as well.

• Use UV Light – If you are really worried about the risk of disease and infection, a UV light can be your best defense. The UV light will show areas the mouse has dirtied so that you can clean them effectively. Actually, certain viruses can become inactive when met with sunlight and UV together.

How To Prevent Mice In The Future

Vacuum Your Sofa Regularly

One reason mice will be drawn to your couch is likely because of the crumbs that will accumulate in the nooks and crannies of your couch if you choose to eat while you sit on the couch. Making sure your couch is free from crumbs will certainly help ward mice off.

Get A Pet

Logically, if your couch is covered in dog or cat hair, the mice will be scared away. Moreover, your cat can catch mice and generally scare them off, a dog can also do this pretty well.

FAQ:

Final Thoughts

As you can see, cleaning up after a mouse in your house can be generally pretty straightforward. Your main goal is to disinfect any surface you think the mouse has trapsed over which includes the floors surrounding and underneath your couch as well as the couch cushion itself.

Wearing protective gear can be a plus to stay extra safe and is recommended when dealing with multiple mice who have caused a more serious mess. A mice nest in your couch could cause irreparable damage. 

If the mice have damaged the furnishings of your couch by biting holes in the cushion covers,  destroying the foam inserts or by damaging the wooden parts, you may want to consider a new sofa. Yet, we hope these steps enable you to love your couch once more as well as your living room.