How to Remove Dead Animal Smell in House, Car, or Outside



Need dead animal removal in your hometown? We service over 500 USA locations! Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020.

How to Get Rid of Dead Animal Smell: When you look at scientific happenings behind the breakdown of tissue, the powerful, indescribable odor starts to make sense. The first stage of decomposition happens as soon as life has ceased within the body. Any fluid drains to the lowest point of the body resulting in muscle stiffness and discoloration. Eventually, the PH within the body begins to change and the cells start to breakdown. Now that there is no natural defense, the oxygen in the body is broken down by microorganisms. This breakdown of cellular material is what creates the terrible odor associated with a deceased animal. Only when the decomposition process is complete, or when the body remains are dried out, will the smell be gone. This process can take weeks to months depending on the size of the animal.

You could, of course, just remove the carcass and the smell will go away! This task is usually easier said than done. Animal carcasses are often hidden in crevices of the home or behind layers of sheetrock. It takes someone with a finite knowledge of wildlife removal to be able to narrow down the location enough for easy removal. Taking a sledge hammer to your walls will work, too, but you might be wrong about the location of the pest, and the cost to repair your zealous destruction will be more than just paying a professional to take care of the job. A pro will precisely locate it and either get it through the attic down the wall, or cut a small and precise hole in the wall.

Even when a dead animal is removed, some of the fluids and microorganisms remain. The area that has been affected needs to be thoroughly cleaned with an enzymatic wash like Bac-Azap or Bioshield. Any dry wall, insulation, or wood that has been saturated with the fluids from decomposition will need to be removed and replaced. For areas with porous material that cannot be removed, such as dead animal smell in a car, a drying enzymatic cleaner should be applied. The more moist the area, the longer the smell will linger. Home remedies include baking soda and water mixed into a paste and allowed to dry. Some success can be had with this technique, but any bodily fluids absorbed into the construction material will take more than just baking soda to remove. Furthermore, baking soda is only effective on odors if you leave it in contact for long periods of time. Leaving baking soda inside your wall can promote the growth of molds or mildew. Bleach is another frequently used cleaner that sees some success. The downside to bleach is that, while it kills just about any microorganism, it only covers up an odor and only if you use it in a much stronger dilution that recommended. Bleach can be harmful to materials inside your walls, so be very judicious when cleaning with this product. Bleach can even corrode stainless steel. Imagine what it could do to your wall! If in doubt, the advice of a professional should be enlisted. You can also use an ozone generator, which works to break down odor molecules in the air. This is a tool that professional car cleaners often use to make cars smell new. However, this isn't nearly as helpful as finding and removing the carcass and applying direct cleaning agents to the spot, on the juices and maggots and such.

Nature will eventually get rid of the smell for you, but this process takes a long time depending on the size of the animal or the number of animals you are dealing with. If an entire rat population was poisoned, each rat will need to go through the decomposition stages before the smell goes away. If this is your situation, and there is no way for you to locate and remove the body, there are a few other things you can do to help lessen the smell in your home. It is unlikely anything will completely eliminate the odor from your home. Ionic air cleaners have been used with some positive results, as have enzymatic candles designed to remove pet odors. Area sprays will likely just add another odor rather than lessening the bad one. If your home is in a humid location, you should consider the use of a dehumidifier. Odors tend to be stronger in high humidity and heat.

For the cost of trying cover-up remedies or self-inflicted home improvement, you could have a professional come to your home and advise you on how to proceed, or, better yet, find and remove the dead animal(s) for you.

There are many different people who will find they have to deal with the carcasses of dead animals, and these can range from small pests and rodents up to deer and large stray dogs. Most people will not be well versed in the precautions that they will need to take, and there are some animals that really should be left to the professionals. Whether you are a trapper looking to get rid of the corpses of pests or are simply someone who has found some animal that has been killed on the road, there are some important steps that you will need to take.

Animals In Or Around The Home: One of the main situations in which people will want to get rid of dead animals will be if the animal has died in their home. This can happen if a wild animal has taken up residence in the property and was already dying, or if poison has been laid down to specifically try to kill pests. Either way, once the animal is dead the body will start to decay and the smell from the carcass can be horrible.

Probably the biggest problem is that many animals will crawl into a small confined space to die, so the carcass can often be hard to find. Smell and flies will often be good clues, but knowing the kind of places that animals will try to hide if they are dying will be a skill that is generally developed with experience. Click here to read more about how to find a small dead rodent in a house or walls, since small animals like rats and mice are usually harder to locate

Summary: The most important thing when getting rid of dead animals is to do so without causing any health risks to you. There are a number of different sites that will be able to incinerate any animal carcasses, but if you are dealing with something problematic such as a porcupine with the barbed quills or a larger animal, calling a professional may be the best course of action.

This site is intended to provide education and information on removing dead animal smell in a house or car, so that you can make an informed decision if you need to deal with a dead animal problem. This site provides many dead animal control articles and strategies, if you wish to attempt to solve the problem yourself. If you are unable to do so, which is likely with many cases of dead animal removal, please go to the home page and click the USA map, where I have wildlife removal experts listed in over 500 cites and towns, who can properly help you with your nuisance dead animal.

Click here to read more about how to get rid of dead animals inside a house.

Select Your Animal

RaccoonsRaccoon Control Education and Services

SquirrelsSquirrel Control Education and Services

OpossumOpossum Control Education and Services

SkunksSkunk Control Education and Services

RatsRat Control Education and Services

MiceMouse Control Education and Services

MolesMole Control Education and Services

GroundhogGroundhog Control Education and Services

ArmadillosArmadillo Control Education and Services

BeaverBeaver Control Education and Services

FoxFox Control Education and Services

CoyotesCoyote Control Education and Services

BirdsBird Control Education and Services

BatsBat Control Education and Services

SnakesSnake Control Education and Services

DeadDead Animal Control Education and Services