Rodent droppings: recommendations for cleaning up - Ask Extension
I am cleaning up my garage and I have noticed that there are a lot of rodent droppings. How should I clean these up? If I wear an n95 mask and gloves ...
Knowledgebase
Rodent droppings: recommendations for cleaning up #926262
Asked March 18, 2026, 5:45 PM EDT
I am cleaning up my garage and I have noticed that there are a lot of rodent droppings. How should I clean these up? If I wear an n95 mask and gloves can I sweep them up? Some resources recommend spraying and soaking them with a bleach solution first, but that seems like it would be more difficult to clean up if they got wet.
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Dampening the waste reduces risk of aerosolizing the material and thus the risk of additional exposure routes (eyes, skin, your clothes, etc.). The CDC has a good site about cleaning up after rodents https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/clean-up.html
And/but: Are you sure these are rodent droppings? I ask because bat and rodent droppings can be confused. Rat/mouse/some other rodents leave scats with relatively sharp-looking ends that are fairly firm if squashed (unless old and dried out). Bat scats tend to be more blunt-ended, and can be crushed, at which point the "dust" may look shiny due to being composed of insect parts, wings, etc.
Either way, it would be an excellent next step to firmly ID what species has been using your garage and then undertake exclusion (hint: unchewable hardware cloth is likely to be a prominent tool for this) measures to prevent further use of your structure.
And/but: Are you sure these are rodent droppings? I ask because bat and rodent droppings can be confused. Rat/mouse/some other rodents leave scats with relatively sharp-looking ends that are fairly firm if squashed (unless old and dried out). Bat scats tend to be more blunt-ended, and can be crushed, at which point the "dust" may look shiny due to being composed of insect parts, wings, etc.
Either way, it would be an excellent next step to firmly ID what species has been using your garage and then undertake exclusion (hint: unchewable hardware cloth is likely to be a prominent tool for this) measures to prevent further use of your structure.
