Jim asked: How do I remove rodent urine smell? My car was stored outside, and some type of rodent decided to make a home in there. Now on warm days or when the heat is on, the car smells like a dirty hamster cage. The car has leather interior. I have tried many deodorizers and cleaners, but still can’t get rid of the smell. Please tell me what I can use. Thank you.
Rodents 
are small and can crawl into the tiniest nooks and crannies of your car. The first challenge is finding the source of the problem. While the smell may appear to be coming from the seats, you may want to treat other areas as well. If the odor may be coming from other areas of your car, it would be worth your time to check our guide How to Remove Dead Rodents (and the smell) from Your Car. It offers valuable advice for locating the smell and treating the odors if you are unable to find the source.
To remove the urine odor from leather seats, use one of the methods below.
The Cleaning Method
You Will Need:
- White vinegar
- Water
- A spray bottle
- A cloth
Steps to Remove the Odor:
- Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
- Mist the leather with the solution.
- Let the mist sit on the leather for a minute or two, then wipe it off.
- Repeat the process as many times as needed to remove the odor.
The Deodorizing Method
If you have cleaned the leather thoroughly and the smell remains, this method will treat the entire interior of the car.
You Will Need:
- A deodorizer (choose one):
- Baking soda
- Fresh coffee grounds
- White vinegar
- Activated charcoal (charcoal bricquettes)
- A plate or bowl
Steps to Remove the Odor:
- Select a deodorizer from the list above. If using coffee, be aware that although they will remove the urine odor, then will leave a coffee odor in its place. If using charcoal bricquettes, get ones without any lighter fluid added.
- Fill a few plates or bowls with the deodorizer.
- Set the plates or bowls in the car on or near the source of the odor. An easy way to do this is to put one in the floor space of each seat, or on each seat.
- Close the car doors and windows, and leave the deodorizer in the car overnight.
- Remove the deodorizer in the morning and the odor should be gone. If needed, this process can be repeated as many times as it takes for the odor to be removed.
Additional Tips
- More ideas for removing urine odor from leather can be found in our guide How to Remove Cat Urine from Leather Furniture.
How can we remove human poop odor from a fabric car seat? This happens to be a 2012 Toyota Prius.
Thanks.
Sam,
This is the article you need: How to Remove Odors from Car Seats.