Mice in my seats
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 497
From: Central Mass, west of Worcester
Mice in my seats
Whew! Now I know why my car smells bad! I took out the rear seats to install a new convertible top and I found 3 or 4 mouse nests, and a half dozen dead mice in the seats. What a stink! I decided to clean it all up and spray them down with a deodorizer, but I think it made it worse! Now it smells like someone poured cologne in a puddle of old mouse ****. NO way those seats can go back in the car. YUK! Time to have the seats done... I don't have a "smell" attachment, and pictures don't so it justice.
Running On Empty
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 26,306
From: Earth
Had a member w/ a similar issue couple years ago who (more or less) slammed me saying "You aren't serious!" I gave up any intention of helping the person; maybe, you'll fare differently. Deodorizers attempt to "mask" (not eliminate) the smell - they do/will not eliminate the smell.
Look, this is a really simple chemical process requiring little (if any) knowledge of basic chemistry (I won't bore you w/ the details of the proteins/enzymes & the like of mouse urine & onion chemicals)
How simple is the process? It's basic "diffusion". The knowledge comes from knowing which chemicals/molecules/compounds interact/absorb with other chemicals/molecules/compounds.
Diffusion: Movement of molecules (released volatile [air borne] mouse urine proteins/enzymes) from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. Simple enough.
I'm not going to go into chemistry details.
The most highly active ingredient in onions is called Allicin (named after the onion Allium/Garlic family of plants). There are several other chemicals of some significance.
The exceedingly high concentrations of onion/garlic molecules/compounds creates an excellent foundation/bed from which to absorb high concentrations of dried volatile airborne mouse urine/droppings. Enough said.
Quarter a large onion, place the quarters in the mouse nest areas. You can do the same with garlic. You can also do the same with charcoal - granulated is best. You can combine all of them. Don't expect an overnight state of OMG it's gone. Do this over several days.
The "key" is to move the exceedingly high concentration levels of dried volatile airborne mouse **** to an area of very low concentrations of mouse **** (e.g. into the onions, garlic, charcoal). These substances will not "mask" the odor of mouse ****, they will absorb the odor of mouse ****. Deodorizers (in general) only mask the smell. Have at it - or not.
Look, this is a really simple chemical process requiring little (if any) knowledge of basic chemistry (I won't bore you w/ the details of the proteins/enzymes & the like of mouse urine & onion chemicals)
How simple is the process? It's basic "diffusion". The knowledge comes from knowing which chemicals/molecules/compounds interact/absorb with other chemicals/molecules/compounds.
Diffusion: Movement of molecules (released volatile [air borne] mouse urine proteins/enzymes) from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. Simple enough.
I'm not going to go into chemistry details.
The most highly active ingredient in onions is called Allicin (named after the onion Allium/Garlic family of plants). There are several other chemicals of some significance.
The exceedingly high concentrations of onion/garlic molecules/compounds creates an excellent foundation/bed from which to absorb high concentrations of dried volatile airborne mouse urine/droppings. Enough said.
Quarter a large onion, place the quarters in the mouse nest areas. You can do the same with garlic. You can also do the same with charcoal - granulated is best. You can combine all of them. Don't expect an overnight state of OMG it's gone. Do this over several days.
The "key" is to move the exceedingly high concentration levels of dried volatile airborne mouse **** to an area of very low concentrations of mouse **** (e.g. into the onions, garlic, charcoal). These substances will not "mask" the odor of mouse ****, they will absorb the odor of mouse ****. Deodorizers (in general) only mask the smell. Have at it - or not.
Past Administrator
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 10,363
From: Rural Waxahachie Texas
Good suggestion Norm, thanks for that. I don't need it now but will store it away in the archives so that when I do need that info it will have been lost forever 
. Actually just being cruel to myself as I have had numerous episode of forgetfullnes lately. Really though, I like it and will try to remember that.
. Actually just being cruel to myself as I have had numerous episode of forgetfullnes lately. Really though, I like it and will try to remember that.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 497
From: Central Mass, west of Worcester
Had a member w/ a similar issue couple years ago who (more or less) slammed me saying "You aren't serious!" I gave up any intention of helping the person; maybe, you'll fare differently. Deodorizers attempt to "mask" (not eliminate) the smell - they do/will not eliminate the smell.
Look, this is a really simple chemical process requiring little (if any) knowledge of basic chemistry (I won't bore you w/ the details of the proteins/enzymes & the like of mouse urine & onion chemicals)
How simple is the process? It's basic "diffusion". The knowledge comes from knowing which chemicals/molecules/compounds interact/absorb with other chemicals/molecules/compounds.
Diffusion: Movement of molecules (released volatile [air borne] mouse urine proteins/enzymes) from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. Simple enough.
I'm not going to go into chemistry details.
The most highly active ingredient in onions is called Allicin (named after the onion Allium/Garlic family of plants). There are several other chemicals of some significance.
The exceedingly high concentrations of onion/garlic molecules/compounds creates an excellent foundation/bed from which to absorb high concentrations of dried volatile airborne mouse urine/droppings. Enough said.
Quarter a large onion, place the quarters in the mouse nest areas. You can do the same with garlic. You can also do the same with charcoal - granulated is best. You can combine all of them. Don't expect an overnight state of OMG it's gone. Do this over several days.
The "key" is to move the exceedingly high concentration levels of dried volatile airborne mouse **** to an area of very low concentrations of mouse **** (e.g. into the onions, garlic, charcoal). These substances will not "mask" the odor of mouse ****, they will absorb the odor of mouse ****. Deodorizers (in general) only mask the smell. Have at it - or not.
Look, this is a really simple chemical process requiring little (if any) knowledge of basic chemistry (I won't bore you w/ the details of the proteins/enzymes & the like of mouse urine & onion chemicals)
How simple is the process? It's basic "diffusion". The knowledge comes from knowing which chemicals/molecules/compounds interact/absorb with other chemicals/molecules/compounds.
Diffusion: Movement of molecules (released volatile [air borne] mouse urine proteins/enzymes) from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. Simple enough.
I'm not going to go into chemistry details.
The most highly active ingredient in onions is called Allicin (named after the onion Allium/Garlic family of plants). There are several other chemicals of some significance.
The exceedingly high concentrations of onion/garlic molecules/compounds creates an excellent foundation/bed from which to absorb high concentrations of dried volatile airborne mouse urine/droppings. Enough said.
Quarter a large onion, place the quarters in the mouse nest areas. You can do the same with garlic. You can also do the same with charcoal - granulated is best. You can combine all of them. Don't expect an overnight state of OMG it's gone. Do this over several days.
The "key" is to move the exceedingly high concentration levels of dried volatile airborne mouse **** to an area of very low concentrations of mouse **** (e.g. into the onions, garlic, charcoal). These substances will not "mask" the odor of mouse ****, they will absorb the odor of mouse ****. Deodorizers (in general) only mask the smell. Have at it - or not.
Running On Empty
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 26,306
From: Earth
This is great advice, Norm, but I think I'm going to move the mouse urine particles to the trash can, along with the fabric that contains them. The seats need to be rebuilt anyway. They feel like sitting on springs. The carpets are natty too. I know I'm throwing a bit of money at this car, but that's what money is for. It buys stuff you want- unless what you want is a 23 year old lover girl. I guess if you had enough money, you could even buy that, too. I don't have that kind of money, so I'll have to be happy with a nice interior for my '64 Olds, and my 58 year old misses on the bench seat beside me.
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