An innocent mouse-chase rivalry, “Tom and Jerry” is a childhood classic that many of us can enjoy. Though, when Tom’s reality affects your reality, the innocence and enjoyment does not follow.

You may find yourself in a predicament when your nose hairs find a rancid and rotten smell/odor is brewing from your appliance. Our infield techs often receive many calls from distressed homeowners who have tried everything to get rid of the bad smells from their appliance. Many people are unable eradicate the foul odors and have no clue what the cause could possibly be. An uncommon topic in the appliance repair industry, house mice are the common culprits of your beloved refrigerator, freezer, range, dishwasher and dryer. Ranges, stoves or ovens are the most common appliances for mice to nest in since it is warm with an ongoing food source—crumbs, from last night’s dinner. With the ability to squeeze through small, tight areas or cracks, mice will often chew on electrical wiring or get caught in a fan motor and die. The decomposition process of even just one little house mouse can take several months before the awful scent goes away. If you find that you have this problem, you will need to find the mouse and remove it from your appliance. Tech Tip: If your mouse friend is in your range, turning on your oven on a high temperature for hours on end will not remove the stench. Make sure you wear proper safety clothing such as gloves for sanitary precautions. Simply unplug and disconnect your appliance from any electrical, water or gas source and pull your appliance forward. Begin by removing the front or back panel; search for the mouse with a flashlight as the mouse can be in the control panel or in the rear of the unit. Once you find your Jerry, spray a water and bleach solution in the area if it is not by bare wiring. If you find the mouse is by wiring, you may spray the area with Lysol. You may also find fecal droppings or urine present in the insulation and/or chewed wires. Before vacuuming any waste, it is important to wet the matter with your cleaning solution so the particles are less likely to become airborne in case viruses are present. Depending on the damage, you will need to replace the insulation as well as any damaged wiring—possibly your entire unit. Though you have removed the smell, you need to prevent this from happening again—you need to know why and how the mice are entering your home. While you certainly can call a pest control company or an exterminator, your small rodent friends (spider’s too!) absolutely hate peppermint oil. It is advised to place cotton balls saturated with peppermint oil in small dishes around your home and problem areas. Replace as often as needed or when the scent is not as strong.  Also, make sure all of the tiny cracks and holes are sealed. You can use knitted wire mesh to stuff the crevices as this is a natural deterrent for your uninvited guests. Last but not least, make sure to keep your area tidy—remove and sweep any food crumbs as these little guys take this as an invite to your home. If you have any opened pet food or other edibles, store them in properly sealed containers. If you feel uncomfortable with the process of removing a mouse from any one of your appliances, make sure to call a professional service company in your local area to help solve the unwanted guest problem.

How to Get Rid of That Uninvited and Smelly Guest in Your Appliance