When there is a bad smell emanating from some part of your home, it makes life difficult for you. It becomes even more challenging than before when you are not able to spot the source of the bad odor. One of the common problems that many people face is bad smell from the ovens. When your oven smells like dead mouse, you know that you have to do something about it as early as possible.
Have you ever wondered why your oven smells like dead mouse? Rats are small enough to get through the oven vent, but they eventually die inside due to which your oven smells very bad for many days. You might have tried many tricks but in vain. In this article, we will let you know some of the main causes of why your oven smells like dead mouse and some of the effective solutions to get rid of the same.
So, Why Does Your Oven Smells Like Dead Mouse?

Causes
- Rats dying inside the oven vent after then enter through the small holes
- Cooking something in the broiler pan under the oven and forgetting to clean it
- Mouse droppings or urine left uncleaned in the tiny cracks of the oven drawers
As you can see from the above, treating the mouse infestations in your home is very important, as it is the root cause of the bad odor emanating from the ovens. Apart from that, you can also try the following simple methods to get rid of the foul smell.
What Can You Do When Your Oven Smells Like Dead Mouse?
If you notice a bad odor coming from your oven, here are some home remedies that you can follow to get the best results. Most of the time, the foul smell may not go even after washing the insides of your oven thoroughly. Don’t worry or get frustrated; these simple tips will come to your rescue at that time.
Coffee
Orange peels
After an hour, switch off your oven and open the oven door slightly. You will be happy to notice that not only your oven but even your kitchen is filled with the pleasant smell of oranges for a long time. Let the peels remain in the oven for a long time even after you have switched off the oven, as they continue to keep the bad smells at bay.
Baking soda and vinegar
Once you have removed the dead rat that has been causing the foul smell from your oven’s vent, you can use a couple of simple kitchen ingredients such as baking soda and vinegar to get rid of the bad smells in the following ways:
- Pour some white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray as much as possible into the vent. Vinegar absorbs all the bad smells quickly.
- You can immediately sprinkle some baking soda as well into the vent to remove the bad smells completely. This is because baking soda is also a great absorber of foul smells.
- Keep a fan on high mode near the vent for the vinegar and baking soda to act quickly and eliminate the bad smells as fast as possible.
- You can repeat these steps as many times as possible, until your vent is completely free from the dead mouse odor.
If the smell is very bad you can also boil some white vinegar in a container. Let the container remain in the vent overnight. The steam from the boiled vinegar will clean the vent thoroughly.
Lemon
If the foul smell is because of leftover or rotten foods, lemon is an excellent choice to get rid of the same. Extract the juice of 2 to 3 lemons in a baking bowl. Now, you can add some water and the lemon pieces in the bowl. Bake the mixture for about 30 minutes after preheating the oven to 120 degrees C.
After 30 minutes, please switch off and wait for the mixture to cool down. You can then gently open the oven door and clean the insides of your oven with a soft & clean microfiber cloth. Thanks to the effects of the lemon, you will notice that your oven is free from grease and foul smells quicker than you expected.
Vanilla Extract
Who doesn’t love the pleasant smell of vanilla? Using vanilla extract to get rid of foul smells in any kitchen appliance is one of the time-tested methods that have been in practice for many years. All you need to do is to prepare a small mixture containing about 200ml of water and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. You can also use 10 drops of vanilla essential oil instead of vanilla extract.
It would help if you baked this mixture for around half an hour after preheating your oven to 120 degrees C. The water from the vanilla extract gets evaporated upon heating; therefore, you need to check the consistency 2 to 3 times during the heating process. If you don’t want to bake in the foul-smelling oven, you can simply dip a microfiber cloth in a solution of vanilla extract & water and keep wiping the insides of your oven as many times as you want until all the foul smells go away.
Conclusion
Next time, when your oven smells like dead mouse, you know better than to invest in a costly disinfectant. Try these simple home remedies and say goodbye to foul smells quickly.
Did you enjoy reading this article? If yes, I am sure you will enjoy reading our “Is A 900 Watt Microwave Powerful Enough” article as well.