Let’s say I hypothetically had some mice pee in some plastic components that cannot be properly cleaned in any realistic way. Is it possible to heat it up to “cook off” the mouse pee nastiness without actually melting the plastic?
Let’s say I hypothetically had some mice pee in some plastic components that cannot be properly cleaned in any realistic way. Is it possible to heat it up to “cook off” the mouse pee nastiness without actually melting the plastic?
Since you mention this is a vehicle, I think the ozone generator approach is probably easiest.
I’ve had vehicles with similar issues, and open windows + time really did it. An ozone generator is the faster version of what I’ve done.
Just don’t let it go crazy, as ozone attacks pretty much most materials in a car. So maybe throw a generator in it, let it run for a couple hours (put a small fan in the car to really circulate it up under the dash), then air out the car well.
The idea is the urine is probably more reactive to the ozone than anything else, so get it reacting. Then stop and clear the air before it has too much time/concentration to start on the plastics.
If urine is in the carpet, use the enzyme with an upholstery cleaner (similar to a carpet cleaner) - then you’ll be pulling the nasty out with vacuum.
Enzymatic cleaner is amazingly effective. Used it in a camper that had mouse nests everywhere.
So I had a similar issue in the past that I used an ozone generator for… all of my upholstery just unglued itself. So this is one of the solutions that has been suggested among “just torch the thing and collect the hefty insurance on” that I am trying not to do lol… but enzymatics have been suggested elsewhere and apparently have come a long way. That’s definitely my next try.
ozone is an oxidizing agent. it destroys smells by oxidizing the proteins and such that create the smell.
Unfortunately, this also means that any plastics or adhesives used will generally be broken down too. (the degradation in plastic is similar in effect to UV exposure, where the adhesives just… as you mentioned… becomes ‘unglued’)
Enzymatic cleansers will likely be a better solution. Though, I’ve used ozone generators to remove some truly… unique… smells; when I was working for a college cleaning dormitories. but it really is a nuclear option.
Have a recommendation for a good enzymatic?
Go to a pet store, get the stuff for pet urine. I used one on a badly mouse-pee impregnated camper. (I mean BAD, had to rip out some of the interior). The cleaner worked on everything else, including wood that had absorbed years of mouse pee.
If you use the ozone generator, maybe do it in small doses, just under the dash. Today’s plastics don’t age from oxygen exposure like 1970s cars did, so it’ll probably hold up a lot better.
I remember 2 year old cars in the 70s with degrading plastics (cracked, out gassing coating the interior glass, etc.). Cars since the 90s have much improved plastics.
Are all the enzymatic basically the same then?
Anyone have an idea of how to aerosolize the enzyme into the ventilation? I have a small air compressor, can I make a contraption with that?