How to get rid of raccoons

While the dead animal itself is most of the problem, if the animal has been in there for a while you may have to clean the area more to fully get rid of the smell. Hopefully, you catch it early and all you have to do is open the windows for a while to allow the smell to leave. Sometimes though, if you don’t you may have to do some deep cleaning in that area. Some people prefer to have an expert come in and take care of this to ensure that everything is cleaned properly, however there are things you can do on your own.

Before you do anything, make sure that you have the proper safety equipment on. This can be goggles, gloves, and a face mask. If the animal had started decaying, there is a good chance you have maggots in the area, so be sure to clean all of those out of the space as well as any left behind…fluids. You can mostly do this with warm water and soap and a rag, which you will want to throw out. If the animal was in the attic, you may have to remove insulation that was contaminated. If you had a previous infestation of an animal in the attic, you may be looking into having the insulation replaced anyway, this is something that your insulation company would be able to remove for you with the rest of it so you wouldn’t have to worry about it at that time.

Finally, you’ll want to disinfect the area. Many professionals use an enzyme-based spray that can break down all of the particles in the area to completely disinfect the area. This spray is also used to break down the pheromones left behind so that no other animal comes sniffing out the area. You may be able to purchase a hospital-grade cleaner from a local feed store, but if not you can use a strong disinfectant in the area. These will make sure that no bacteria is left behind, potentially resulting in you getting sick.