How to clean dishes after mice effectively? Have you ever experienced walking into your lovely kitchen and suddenly seeing some mice running around the sink and infecting all your dishes, bowls, and glass?
We genuinely know how you feel, and we understand your need to clean up after this incident.
Considering how dirty a mouse can be (since they run around the ground, sewers, and other nasty places), you must do a handy and thorough deep cleaning because a mouse can bring so many diseases that could potentially make you and your loved ones sick.
In this article, we will show you the best step-by-step guide on how to clean after mice in kitchen!
So, go forth and read on below!
How to Clean After Mice in Kitchen
When cleaning up the kitchen after a mice infestation, there are 3 essential things to keep a note of, and we will discuss them with you one by one.
Before you start, let the kitchen ventilate for 30 minutes and stay out of the area while it’s being aired out.
The Cross-ventilation process is advisable to let inside much air as possible.
Once that’s done, we can now begin!
How to Clean Dishes After Mice
If you’ve had a mice infestation, there’s no doubt that they may have infected your plates, glass, bowls, fork, and spoons too, so it is crucial that you thoroughly clean it up to avoid getting you and your loved one’s sick.
To start, here are some things you’ll need:
- Scrubber sponge
- Dishwashing liquid
- Hot water
- Bleach
Steps
Step 1. Place all your eating utensils inside a basin on your kitchen sink. It’s better to use a big basin to help you clean the dishes as much as you can.
Step 2. Pour in some boiling hot water that’s enough to submerge all the dishes. Let this stay for 10 minutes to make sure bacteria or germs are eliminated.
Step 3. Once the 10 minutes have passed, drain the hot water and begin washing the dishes with the scrubber sponge and dishwashing liquid. Be sure to wash the dishes thoroughly on both sides.
Step 4. If you are still uneasy and want to deep clean your dishes, you may use a sponge and bleach to disinfect them.
Step 5. Rinse well right after.
Keep note: You can only use bleach on glass, enamel, plastic, china wares, or porcelain but never on metal or silverware such as pans or pots.
Throw out Any Contaminated Food
Mouses as they are, gnaw on whatever they can take their hands on. Whether you place your food on your countertop, cabinet, drawers, or practically anywhere in the kitchen, It is still at risk for food contamination.
A mouse typically eats anything, and it doesn’t matter what kind of food that is. Considering this, it is crucial that you examine and throw out any contaminated food.
- Start with your kitchen cabinet where you keep the food such as biscuits, bread, cookies, cereals and many more.
- Examine each food packaging to see if there are any traces of bite marks.
- If there are any unsealed food, it would be best to throw it out rather than risk getting food poisoned. The rodent may have eaten it.
- For those foods left in your cabinet, it’s a great idea to place them inside a glass container or a material that can’t be easily gnawed on.
Sanitation Precautions After Mice Infestation
Once you have cleaned the visible areas, it’s now time to sanitize them to get rid of those germs and bacteria which may carry sickness and diseases. Take note of the following:
The first thing to do is to open up the windows for about 30-60 minutes to ventilate your kitchen area. This can help the fresh air to come in.
Be sure that you’re wearing gloves before we start sanitizing since we have no idea what germs and bacteria linger on the area.
Start with your cupboard. Throw out food that hasn’t been sealed and use a cleaning spray to wipe the insides of your cabinets and drawers
Now, do the floors, they must be cleaned using a disinfectant, but if you don’t have one, you may use bleach to do so.
Ensure that your kitchen carpet has been well cleaned if it hasn’t been, then you may take them out and place them in boiling water.
Once you have examined the floor and cabinets, head on to the countertops, take a disinfectant and spray the surfaces of your kitchen that are probably infected by the mice. Wipe off the surfaces with a microfiber cloth and let it dry before placing anything on it.
How to Surely Get Rid of Mice
Now that we’re done with the cleaning part, we need to make sure that all the disgusting mice are gone (and won’t ever come back!)
Because there’s no point in cleaning if these little rascals are still roaming around your kitchen, right?
We have here 4 tips and pieces of advice you can follow to get rid of all those mice in your kitchen and your whole house.
If you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford to call in pest control, this will surely help you!
Seal off Entry Points
Evaluating your house thoroughly or rodent-proofing is a great way to avoid mouse infestation from progressing or ever happening in the first place.
Protect your home from pests such as a mouse by sealing off any entry points and easy access. This may be a bit hard since mice are small and can fit through anything.
However, you can use a pencil to seal off any cracks or holes where a mouse can get through. You can also use a strong sealant for other places but make sure it is durable enough for a mouse not to gnaw through.
Utilize a Mouse Trap
One of the best ways to eliminate mice is to set up a mousetrap. The classic yet useful wood mouse strap works great for small or moderate mice populations.
However, don’t underestimate a mouse; it’s advisable to layout many traps other than one.
It’s also an excellent idea to set off other mousetraps such as glue traps and multiple-capture traps.
By doing this, it gives you a greater chance of catching all these little rascals and protecting off your home from infestations!
Pick The Best Bait for Your Mouse Trap
You can utilize any food from your home as bait, or you can pick mouse-approved baits such as peanut butter, chocolate, hazelnut spread bacon, oatmeal, and dried fruits.
When you’re all set with the trap, you can tie the chosen bait to the trigger via a dental floss or fishing line.
This can make sure the mouse will get what’s in store for them. Replace the food bait every two days or so.
If baits don’t work, you can also utilize nesting materials like feathers or cotton balls.
Remove Any Sources of Food or Water
Take off any sources of water or food from your kitchen. You can store your food in containers and jars instead of plastic bags since mice can still gnaw through it.
Be sure to regularly throw out the trash to avoid attracting mice as well.
Conclusion
Mice in the kitchen could be a huge problem, but now that you know how to clean dishes after mice and how to avoid infestation, you are assured that your family’s health and safety are protected.
Mice problems are shared worldwide, so it is vital that you know how to deal with these problems. Don’t forget to give this guide a check if you encounter mice in your kitchen again!
Read Further: Do Pickles needs to be refrigerated?