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  • Mice, Chipmunks in the Car.

    Mice, Chipmunks in the Car.
    .
    …. I have two cars that have set for twelve years. One I have reactivated and the other is a 1996 KIA Sephia GS with DOHC 1.8L engine and 5 speed, really a sweet running machine. May have a burned valve, NOT sure yet. Anyhow, the air vent to the outside air was left open, and in that time, mice and or chipmunks came to visit underneath the dash and throughout the inside of the car and left their droppings everywhere. Not a pile of drippings but a substantial amount. I would like very much to vacuum out the inside of the car and perhaps remove and shampoo the seats or at lease clean the inside and under the dash with Clorox water etc. My serious concern is with mice and the like drippings and most likely urine stains as well, although NOT visible, upholstery is gray in color and that makes it impossible to tell. The real problem here is, I do NOT know how to handle this situation and my wife is a very sickly person with all kinds of medical issues and I do NOT want to do anything that would reduce her immune system anymore than it is already. I talked with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and that was like talking to a ROBOT. What I got out of that was: face mask ( and no guarantee against any kind of bacterial or lung disease), a number of types of rubber gloves, household detergents, No vacuum cleaner, No dust creation, and to remove any urine spots and dispose of them. I’m sure there is GOOD intent here but what I need is GOOD DOWN TO EARTH PRACTICAL information in how to handle this situation.
    …. So, if you can shed any light, share your own personal experiences, or have first hand GOOD knowledge of how to go about handling such a circumstance it would without question be very much appreciated. :?:
    .
    Thanks
    .
    A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.

  • #2
    Hey,

    If it weren't for your wife's health problems I'd say put on a dust mask and gloves, grab your favorite cleaner , and go to town. Being a farmer I've ran into this problem more than I'd care to mention. Being as the vehicle can be moved away from the house , and kept away from your wife I'd say a shop vac with an extension cord is a good tool. There are good products available that use enzymes to actually destroy the urine. Be careful with that bleach around the cloth, and plastic.. but by all means use bleach it kills most everything. Make sure you are in a well ventilated area though! Clean it..let it air out awhile then inspect, and clean it again. G'luck!

    P.S Be sure to check the heater vents for nests. Mice are notorious for building them there.
    Jeremy.S
    1988 black lx 5spd cancer victim
    1989 red lx 5spd , cancer free lots o options,
    1983 Subaru GL 4x4 wagon, It's a monster!

    Comment


    • #3
      .... You are talking my language, I do appreciate your experience and info.

      Thank you very much



      Originally posted by Ogrekhan View Post
      Hey,

      If it weren't for your wife's health problems I'd say put on a dust mask and gloves, grab your favorite cleaner , and go to town. Being a farmer I've ran into this problem more than I'd care to mention. Being as the vehicle can be moved away from the house , and kept away from your wife I'd say a shop vac with an extension cord is a good tool. There are good products available that use enzymes to actually destroy the urine. Be careful with that bleach around the cloth, and plastic.. but by all means use bleach it kills most everything. Make sure you are in a well ventilated area though! Clean it..let it air out awhile then inspect, and clean it again. G'luck!

      P.S Be sure to check the heater vents for nests. Mice are notorious for building them there.
      A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by boydg1 View Post
        …. So, if you can shed any light, share your own personal experiences, or have first hand GOOD knowledge of how to go about handling such a circumstance it would without question be very much appreciated. :?:
        Strange you should say "shed any light".
        For whatever biological reason, mammals urine fluoresces under UV light.
        So with a florescent "black" light, available at Wal-Mart($) or a special ($$) pet urine detection light, from Pet Smart, you should be able to see were the mice/chipmunks made "deposits".
        Definitely use this in a dark garage or outside with no moon or a tarp covering the windows.
        Darker it is and the more dark adapted your eyes, the better you can discern the spots of fluorescent material.
        There are other biocides that can be used in place of bleach.
        My concern is that the bleach will corrode the wiring under the dash.
        A good start would be to pull the interior and use a carpet/upholstery cleaner to do the seats/carpet/ and door cards.
        Using a solution of Lysol and an anti-forming agent (the Lysol will foam in these machines).
        Use as hot a water as you can get into the machine.
        When it's all cleaned set it in the sun to dry (UV sterilization) and then use hot water again with nothing it it to remove residual Lysol, as this may cause your wife as much issues as the original "problem".
        Let dry again in the sun.
        And that should go a long way toward making this vehicle safe for your wife.
        You may want to pull as much of the air handling "tubing as you can and wash them out as well.
        I'd be very careful of "hosing" off anything under the dash.
        Good luck with this.
        '93 Blue 5spd 230K(down for clutch and overall maintanence)
        '93 White B6 swap thanks to Skeeters Keeper
        '92 Aqua parts Car
        '93 Turquoise 5spd 137K
        '90 White LX Thanks to FB71

        "Your God of repentance will not save you.
        Your holy ghost will not save you.
        Your God plutonium will not save you.
        In fact...
        ...You will not be saved!"

        Prince of Darkness -1987

        Comment


        • #5
          ^

          dont 4get to check your wiring they are known to chew em up!
          Never Hire a Boy to do a Man's Job!!

          Comment


          • #6
            Good luck getting it all cleaned out, why were they sitting so long if you dont mind me asking...

            Comment


            • #7
              If you do decide to use bleach, you only need to use a little. About an ounce per gallon. if the water has a smell to it, that's enough.

              Most likely you'll find mold in the car too. Probably a lot. You might be tempted to use one of those bathroom mold killers in your car. Bad move. Way too strong. It will leave bleach marks and the smell will live in your car for months (believe me, I know). Use bleachwater.

              With the shop vac, get some pieces of small hose, like rubber vacuum lines. Tape or hold them onto the end of the vac hose for getting into tight places.

              One way to get SOME of the stuff out of the vents is to block all but one, put the vacuum cleaner hose on the open one, crank the fan all the way up and work the fresh air/recirculated air lever back and forth. do this for each vent. Work in stages, floor, dash and defrost.

              Good luck
              Festiva: Because even my dog can build a Honda.
              ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

              '90 L. B8ME/Kia Rio 5 speed. Rio/Aspire suspension swap. :-D
              '81 Mustang. Inline 6, Automatic.
              '95 Eagle Summit Wagon. 4G64 Powered.

              Comment


              • #8
                why were they sitting so long if you dont mind me asking...

                Originally posted by graywolf_14 View Post
                Good luck getting it all cleaned out, why were they sitting so long if you dont mind me asking...
                …. I had no real intent on reactivating either one of these two vehicles. But, economics and the cost of living has caused me to perhaps reconsider. My wife, many years ago was involved in a head on accident in our 1986 4X4 NISSAN KING CAB truck which saved her life . She was hit by a big heavy CHRYSLER LEBARON and on that very night she started to get into the KIA SOPHIA at home before she left and changed her mind after thinking she hadn't run the truck for a while, that move save her life, the truck was absolutely totaled. All indications were that this alcoholic guy who just left the bar because his seven year old son could NOT be there after dusk by law. His son, unbuckled and traveling without headlights and on the wrong side of the road coming over the top of a hill and making the curve all at the same time. My wife NEVER saw what hit her and there were NO skid marks on her side of the road. I was out of town at the time. At that time, when most people were using telephone modems and the Internet was just getting started there were NO real safety ratings to speak of on cars. After the accident, I found out that the FESTIVA XL and the KIA SOPHIA were just about the most unsafe cars on the road and this was after traveling over 476,000 miles in the FESTIVA alone not to mention another 160,000 miles or so on the KIA SOPHIA back and forth to work for many years. So, I decided NOT to replace the truck and to park both the FESTIVA and the KIA and replace all of this with a 5 STAR SUBARU OUTBACK LIMITED wagon which would do the job of all it was replacing. Now that eleven, twelve years or so have passed I have come to the conclusion that when your NUMBER is UP your NUMBER is UP. In other words when God calls YOU home it's NOT going to matter whether you're in a SAFETY FIVE STAR Car or NOT !! And all I can say to those that read this., Make sure you're SAVED and that you have reserved an ETERNAL ADRESS in God's LAMBS BOOK of LIFE.
                .
                Thanks
                .
                Last edited by boydg1; 10-11-2010, 09:05 PM.
                A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.

                Comment


                • #9
                  If it's within your budget, and if that interior is really bad, I would suggest going to the local pick-a-part and getting a used carpet, and maybe even seat covers etc. Might be a lot easier than trying to get everything (stains, smells) out.
                  If it has boobs or wheels, sooner or later you're going to have trouble with it.
                  Mark S.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    if it makes you feel a little more ambitious about this task at hand, the car im driving now sat in a field for over 2 years and had a half dozen or more field mice in it that had found themselves a sweet shelter. they had chewed the fabric from under the back seat to shreds, nested in the glove box over flowing it all over the floor. they also made a nest in the quarter-panel next to the fuel neck. there was feces and corresponding urine every where. the only other chewing damage i found was the key that was in the ignition and teeth marks on it. i gutted the car,(wearing gloves and mask) seats trim plastics, and the entire carpet carpet got clipped to a wall and pressure washed. the seats were the only item i did not try to clean to indepthly do to having racing seats ready to install. it still had a smell for about a month or so. lots of fresh air (windows down as much as possible) and a little air freshener here and there didnt hurt. as of now i cant even tell that it was neglected at all. if they didnt know the history they wouldnt have a clue. if the car if worth saving, it will take a little elbow grease but the results will be what you put in them. good luck!
                    Im not driving a Festiva because I'm poor. I drive a Festiva because i want to!

                    Dennis
                    93 L Advancedynamics suspension mod, awaiting B6 swap
                    91 GL B6 sohc, currently in the hands of DAE undergoing top secret work. Soon to be cable G, with stage 3 F1 Kevlar clutch... To be continued
                    93 GL In progress BP/hydro G
                    15 Mitsubishi Mirage daily
                    88 Dakota tow pig

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      .... Yes, the car is worth saving. I am going to use a very similar approach that you used. And I thank you for sharing your experiences. I think it is a good idea to bring out unusual circumstances like these so that others can benefit. Most people jump into these kinds of things without realizing others have been there first and their experiences can save them from serious consequences which I for one DO appreciate. It's NOT everyday you come up against this sort of thing.
                      .
                      Thanks again
                      .
                      ............



                      Originally posted by gauge_half_inch View Post
                      if it makes you feel a little more ambitious about this task at hand, the car im driving now sat in a field for over 2 years and had a half dozen or more field mice in it that had found themselves a sweet shelter. they had chewed the fabric from under the back seat to shreds, nested in the glove box over flowing it all over the floor. they also made a nest in the quarter-panel next to the fuel neck. there was feces and corresponding urine every where. the only other chewing damage i found was the key that was in the ignition and teeth marks on it. i gutted the car,(wearing gloves and mask) seats trim plastics, and the entire carpet carpet got clipped to a wall and pressure washed. the seats were the only item i did not try to clean to indepthly do to having racing seats ready to install. it still had a smell for about a month or so. lots of fresh air (windows down as much as possible) and a little air freshener here and there didnt hurt. as of now i cant even tell that it was neglected at all. if they didnt know the history they wouldnt have a clue. if the car if worth saving, it will take a little elbow grease but the results will be what you put in them. good luck!
                      A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        This is what Id recommend, Notice is destroys uric acid ( mouse pee ). You can also use it in your septic tank to decompose organic matter. It works, Ive used it.

                        Last edited by freshtiva; 10-13-2010, 03:25 PM.
                        sigpic
                        The Don - Midwest Festiva Inc., Missouri Chapter

                        Link to my festiva pictures below
                        https://fordfestiva.com/forums/album.php?albumid=10
                        Celebrating 25 years of festiva(s) ownership.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          .
                          Where can I get this product? :?:
                          .
                          Thanks




                          Originally posted by freshtiva View Post
                          This is what Id recommend, Notice is destroys uric acid ( mouse pee ). You can also use it in your septic tank to decompose organic matter. It works, Ive used it.

                          A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I bought it from Hillyard. There is a link for them below. There just happens to be a Hillyard distributer across the street from where I work. I just walked over there on break one day and bought a gallon. Think it was less than $20. You mist it over the intended area and then put wet towels on it and the (dirt, grime, poo, etc ) wicks right up into the wet towels. There is a picture of it in action on the forum somewhere. Ill see if I can find it.

                            sigpic
                            The Don - Midwest Festiva Inc., Missouri Chapter

                            Link to my festiva pictures below
                            https://fordfestiva.com/forums/album.php?albumid=10
                            Celebrating 25 years of festiva(s) ownership.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Here is another link for the product and a thread showing when I used it.




                              Discuss enhancing your Festiva or Aspire interior and exterior (including custom paint, bodywork, seats, etc)
                              sigpic
                              The Don - Midwest Festiva Inc., Missouri Chapter

                              Link to my festiva pictures below
                              https://fordfestiva.com/forums/album.php?albumid=10
                              Celebrating 25 years of festiva(s) ownership.

                              Comment

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