An individual should practice safety precautions before and during cleaning of rat droppings at infested areas. The rodents should be trapped before the cleaning process begins and any potential entry points should be sealed so that the rats or rodents will be denied entry. One should set a trap for the duration of one week. If the trapping is unsuccessful, the active infestation process should be eliminated so that the infectious virus which is contained in the rodent’s droppings or urine is inactive. The area should be well ventilated before the commencement of cleaning of the rat droppings by opening the windows and doors for the duration of thirty minutes. During the airing out period, a person is advised to leave the area and cross ventilation should be allowed. The following are the steps to be followed;

Steps

Rat droppings should be cleaned

It is essential for an individual not to stir up dust by vacuuming up or sweeping the droppings. Latex, vinyl or rubber gloves should be worn by an individual when cleaning the rat droppings. The mouse droppings should be sprayed with a mixture of bleach and water or disinfectant. The instructions of the manufacturer of the disinfectant should be followed strictly to achieve excellent results. A paper towel should be used when picking up the rat droppings. The items which have been contaminated should be disinfected after the disposing of the wastes in the garbage.

The whole area should be cleaned and disinfected

An individual should mop the floors and the countertops cleaned with a bleach solution or disinfectant. The upholstered furniture and carpets with any rodent exposure should be steamed cleaned or shampooed. Any clothing and beddings should be washed in hot water with laundry detergent if exposed to rat droppings. An individual should remove his or her gloves and then wash his or her hands thoroughly with soap and water. In a case whereby soap is not available, and one’s hands are not visibly soiled, one should consider using a waterless hand rub which is alcohol based.

Items which are non-washable

An individual may leave things which are non-washable such as books and papers since they cannot be cleaned using liquid disinfectant. One is advised to air the items outside on direct sunlight for several hours. The virus usually became inactive after a duration of approximately one week. The items should be wiped with a piece of cloth moistened with a disinfectant.