How do I clean rat feces out of my attic?

It is important to make sure that you have thoroughly cleaned up and completely decontaminated your attic after you have cleared out a rat infestation there for many reasons. The rat droppings may carry diseases that can be passed on through contact or by being inhaled. The odor the feces produce is also very unpleasant. Also the waste may degrade the drywall or wood and it may lead to mold growth. The scent of rat urine has pheromones that may attract new rats or other animals.

The first step in the clean-up process is making sure you seal all the entry holes in the house and ensure that the problem of the rats has been solved completely. If it is possible, you may use a vacuum to clean the attic. It is recommended to use an industrial vacuum cleaner with a long hose if available. When a lower power vacuum is used, it may not be able to suck up all the feces that are found in the fiberglass insulation, etc., so it would be best to use a high power vacuum to ensure all feces are removed.

In most cases, the insulation that has been defecated on or urinated on by rats will need to be completely replaced. It is difficult to clean such materials to the point where they are safe. The rats will most likely have damaged the insulation past the point of it being effective as well. Be sure to wear gloves and a mask when removing the insulation and while cleaning the attic in general.

It is going to be very difficult to ensure that every piece of rat feces is removed. There are some droppings that may be down in the walls and embedded in the attic. An electric fogging machine may cover each nook and cranny of an attic. There are also cleaning products that have enzymes or cultured bacteria that can eat away at the organic matter like urine or feces while it kills pathogens and bacteria.

Cleaning up all the rat droppings after an infestation may not be as easy as it may seem. It may be overwhelming, but it is very important to do a very thorough job in order to avoid the potential of diseases being transmitted through contact or through the air and other negative effects to your home and family.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Rats page or email us if you have any other questions about How do I clean rat feces out of my attic?