Mice are a danger to your health
Mice are serious infestations that are a danger to human health. They carry with them dangerous bacteria, viruses and parasites like fleas and ticks. Ticks can cause Lyme Disease in just twelve hours and fleas can pass on dangerous viruses and bacteria. Blood-consuming parasites are not something you want in your home and around your family which is why pets are frequently treated for them. Taking action when you find out you have a mouse infestation is important but the aftermath is just as dangerous as the mice themselves.
So is their feces
Mouse feces is one of the most dangerous aspects of a mouse infestation and should be dealt with very carefully. Aside from the massive amount of dangerous bacteria it also contains something called Hantavirus which is a deadly respiratory virus that can put you in the hospital on a ventilator if you are infected by it. While this virus is far more common in countries that lack proper cleaning processes and chemicals it is still real and can still affect you and your family. Getting rid of it is an absolute necessity.
Cleaning mouse feces yourself
Cleaning the feces is a difficult process especially if the feces is on furniture like a couch or a carpet. Getting rid of it is not just a matter of vacuuming or taking it outside and beating it with a broom. Both of these methods could end with you being infected by the various virus you are trying to avoid by cleaning it in the first place. The best option is to use a powerful cleaner like bleach. For a sofa, you will want to remove the cushions and take the covers off.
Sterilize while you clean
Clean the covers in a laundry machine on hot with a dose of bleach, this will kill any bacteria and viruses in the feces and result in a clean case. The cushions themselves are another story. They must be sprayed down with bleach mixed with boiling water and scrubbed. Once they are all clean you can move on to the sofa itself.
If the job is too big
This may seem like a great deal of work and buying a new couch would be a better decision but you can clean it and you can keep using it. Using the same method as cleaning the inner cushions you can clean the rest of the couch with boiling water and bleach and then let it dry. Renumber the mice dedicated to the sofa, not inside of it.
Commercial cleaning
If you are worried that there are too much feces to clean and that it’s all over the house when you may want to call in a professional. A pest control company will often be able to do it using commercial-grade tools. Cleaning the feces with special equipment like a shop vacuum with an installed heap filter will protect you and them from the hantavirus while making the job faster. They can then use a device called an industrial fogger to fog your home with hospital-grade botanical sterilizers that will kill off everything from bacteria to viruses. It may come with a steep price tag but your health matters more than your wallet.