Both urine and droppings are involved. Clearing the odor would require complete disassembly of the unit, washing of all the interior parts/surfaces, and replacement of all the insulation and possibly some of the components such as switches that may have absorbed the odor and can't be individually disassembled for cleaning. Even if you could find a servicer to do the job, it'd likely be VERY expensive. If you really want to save the range, maybe try doing the job yourself.

In my experience, the stench means the stove is scrap metal. Maybe just changing out the insulation would do the trick, but when this happened to me the service guy who came by didn't offer much hope for that.

Thanks for the replies. I am hearing the same thing from everyone - trash it.

Guess I am hoping for a last ditch effort to save the $1000 replacement cost.

Any tips for preventing this for happening? We certainly are not overrun with mice - no more than any other "older" home. We have a cat who is a great hunter and will catch 2-3 mice a year.

Other than traps, do people normally do anything to their ranges to prevent this from happening?

Oh my gosh. I have nothing to offer, but sympathy. One of our cats brought a HUGE mousehunt victim into our sewing room and it was hiding under an overturned basket until the terrible smell led me to it. It was a semi-horrific discovery, but I have to say, not as bad as in the oven. I'm SO sorry. And extra sorry it means scrapping a new oven! I've also replaced 4 ovens in our new kitchen, so know that's not a fun or welcome task.

When you remove the appliance, is there no way to make sure the area the new one goes into will be sealed from mouse access? Seems like there should be a way...

Does your homeowner's insurance cover this?

Beekeeperswife - It is not covered by our homeowner's insurance. But, if it catches on fire because of the damage, then they will cover it. Nice huh?

rhome410 - We think the mouse came up from the cellar through the small opening next to the gas line. Apparently some mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime. Crazy. We'll definitely be taking care of that hole but I guess a mouse could still go under the range from the front. We live in an older home so fixing every dime size hole isn't realistic. We'll be investing in some mouse traps and maybe another cat. :)

One appliance repair store suggested covering any openings in the back of the range with tin foil. I am going to wrap my new range in tinfoil.

Cats helped us with prevention. Otherwise, once the evenings get cooler and mice begin looking for new homes, I keep things really clean -- no crumbs in the oven or anywhere, no spills that aren't cleaned up thoroughly.

So far so good, but it's only been one winter with the new stove. The house with the mouse problem is a summer/weekend house, so the cats aren't on patrol during the winter.

The service guy who came by has a hunting cabin with propane stove. To keep the mice away, he attaches chicken wire with tape, with the sticky side out, over openings to keep the mice out when he's not there. For closing up a house, maybe that would work. But full time, removing wire every time time stove is in use wouldn't make sense.

There is the solution of sealing off whatever cracks the mice are using to get in, if that's possible. I'd worry about using traps with cats around. We have two old houses. We closed off the main mouse highways, but no doubt there still are back roads in.

Ideally, all openings between floors should be firestopped by the appropriate material (typically a silicone like red goop extruded from a caulk tube). However, another approach is the open sticky trap. One brand is called Revenge (appropriately for those subjected to real rodents and not just Mickey). Another brand is configured to be an open end box with the sticky part scented with peanut odor.

Checking the traps often will keep down the smell of the deceased vermin. The traps need to be placed where cats won't get attached to them.

kas

Sticky traps are inhumane. I am not advocating letting the mice rule in your house but there are more humane ways to kill a mouse. A good old fashioned mouse trap that will kill them quickly is what you are looking for.

Are your cats indoor only cats? If so you might consider moth balls around your foundation, they help deter mouse entry. Do not do this if your pets go outside.

NICE. So wonderful to know such a helpful business who is willing to go beyond their own responsibilities to get you baking again!

svs. Kudos to Thayers! Also do you have any friends that have a lot of mint in their garden. Harvest it and spread the stems with leaves around your foundation. Mice do not like mint. Not a cure all but it could help and not harm other animals or children.

svs, Kudos to Thayers! Also do you have any friends that have a lot of mint in their garden. Harvest it and spread the stems with leaves around your foundation. Mice do not like mint. Not a cure all but it could help and not harm other animals or children.

Any odor will eventually go away as the material decomposes. I think heat will help. And time. I've heard of dead mice, etc. that have died between the wall studs of houses, and eventually it composts!

I can just imagine you don't want to wait 6 months or more, but I bet the odor would go away in that amount of time. Especially if you use the oven and dry it up.

If you end up back on your own again, I would suggest that it couldn't hurt to try spraying 'Natures Miricle' or similar 'get urine out' product. That could work in conjuction with some time.

I had an old house that finally got overrun with mice. I succeded in stoping the intrusion by stuffing SOS soap pads (steel wool/soap) in potential holes.

Hope they find an solution for you. If they were a little closer to me (I'm upstate, but Ithaca is 2 1/2 hours from everywhere, or at least that was my impression when I lived there) I'd buy at Thayers!
And yes on steel wool. We stuffed holes with it.

chesters_house - We were recently trying to arrange a transport from North Carolina to Ithaca - the driver was convinced we were in Canada because he didn't recognize the names of any of the surrounding cities. :)

alexr - I'm sure time would solve the smell issue but I also think this is a sanity issue. I can't stomach eating anything out of the oven in its current state. Anyways, I have visions of guests smelling burnt mouse instead turkey at our Thanksgiving dinner!

chas045 - I am hesitant to spray any cleaning products into the range. I think the smell would be awful and a potential health risk. Also, some areas of the insulation are simply unreachable, unless I take the range apart. If that happens, I may never figure out how to put it back together!

I actually wasn't suggesting you spray from inside the oven. I admit that I am no longer familiar with the structure of modern ovens, but assuming similarity to old ovens, I would expect to be able to remove the outside panels and get at the insulation from the outside.

Natures miracle smells real nice, but I haven't baked any of it and you could be right. I guess I would then try rincing it off with sprayed water in the hot sun. I assume that your nice repair place will do something similar.

I don't suppose this next info will do your 'sanity issue' any good, BUT I used to work in an animal research lab and on a couple of studies, needed to know the weight of the rat bones. We boiled the rat (mice are very similar!) and I learned that rat soup smells (and tastes; yes, I checked) like turkey soup. Happy Thanksgiving.

chas045 - In that case, who needs a turkey!

You are right. Natures Miracle is a great product.

I am thinking about getting an oven that had a mouse burnt in the oven burner. Has anyone found any solution?

People constantly comment on sticky traps being inhumane. But, I have been using sticky traps in a humane way for years now..and every mouse was relocated and lived to see another day. I used to use the plastic traps that would capture the mice and then relocate them. But, I found that it would sometimes take days..before a mouse would even dream of entering my plastic traps. So, the process of catching them was too long. And then, I began using sticky traps..and caught mice every day & relocated them. All you have to do is check the traps a couple of times a day. If you catch a mouse in the sticky trap..take the mouse and trap to where you plan to relocate the mouse. Pour a little bit of vegetable oil on the trap..and voila. Mousey is free to run off and find a new home! The humane way of using "inhumane" mouse traps!

I've found an Ozone Machine makes odors inert. We had a lot of mold and mildew on our boat

which was miserable to breath in at least for me. It was in the pillows, blankets and walls of the hulls. I bought the Ozone machine. It was advertised for all kinds of smells including urine. I would think dead mouse smell would be taken care of. It killed the mold and mildew but you still had it on the walls of the boat and needed to be washed off. The one negative: it would literally make the cologne I was wearing disappear and neutralize it..

Inga

Has anyone tried using white vinegar as a way to kill the smell of mouse urine in the oven insulation etc. I use it on my back patio following up on a dog urine situation (seeping into the concrete etc.) It always do the trick. The vinegar smell dissipates after a little. I’m mentioning this because it’s all I can come up with and I have the same problem with a mouse invading my oven.

My friend bought a new stove to replace the one full of mouse poo andurine, and had her handyman bolt hardware cloth to the back and bottom before installing. . I would do this with new stove plus make a screen to put on top when not using it so they cant go in theough the burners at night.

It is clear it is high time a manufacturers make mouse proof slide in ranges! Everyone says you can't keep them out of your house, though I have hired an exterminator and for now, they have stopped. I have talked to neighbors and friends who all retain exterminators year round, for this purpose. I just bought a 20 year old house in April and in November the mice moved in so quickly, even tho I got an exterminator, they ruined my dishwasher, chewing the wires underneath, and my range/oven, invading all parts of that. I have plugged all visible holes in cabinets and walls, with steel wool, and that has stopped those access points, but now, I must undertake a partial kitchen remodel, to find the other holes, before I replace the appliances! Also shopping appliances which have more protection from mice. Ultimate solution seems to be a wall oven and cook top, as they are enclosed in cabinetry. but yes power and gas lines would have to be cut in cabinet/wall so tightly fitted so as not to allow 1/4" hole for mice. As for dishwashers, there are a few brands that cabinet the underside and don't leave it open for mice to play in the wires, Bosch is one. Same with ranges. I have found a couple of European brands that have less holes in the back. My current brand, GE duel fuel, is like it was made to be a climbing toy for mice! They love the range. there are lots of ways through it for a mouse. So next range will be European or wall oven and cooktop. These solutions are twice as expensive, not counting the cabinet remodel. That is why I think is time for manufacturers to at least TRY to make these kitchen products mouse proof. Yes, I am throwing away the old ones, such a waste, totally not green. I did find one resource which showed putting rat wire, less than 1/4" mesh wire, over the one opening along the bottom of the rear of a European range, where that was the ONLY opening. I am planning to do that, but the range must vent, so don't use foil! I am planning to purchase the most enclosed range I can find. Then, yes, the suggestion of how clean you must keep things, cleaning the grates and range top and oven, every time you use it, and all crumbs off your floors, and counters, and even taking out the trash every night. they are nocturnal, so doing this before dark, is a good practice. Less attractants, has to help. Nothing to eat, should help.

We live in the woods and mice are all over outside. Every now and then we get some in the house even with a now semi-retired hunter cat. The cat alerted us we had mice again so we put out traps. I'm getting good at setting traps. Used to use the old fashioned snap traps baited with peanut butter. Can't find those anymore so I've been getting these (pictured). I find these work better, are easier to set and less grab and goes with the bait. It's as humane as a trap can be--it's a very quick end of story with these. I bait them with Oreo crumbles. Turns out this is the best bait and the mice can't resist, then this trap takes care of the rest. We caught four over two days. The cat seems to be off alert now and not on patrol anymore. Case closed, for now. These are my go-to traps from now on. I ordered more off the big A to have for the next time. We have the one known entry point blocked off and steel wool stuffed up there, but we think with the huge snows we've had they must have burrowed their way in through a micro opening. Oreos. Bait with Oreos. I've never had such a fast erradication as I've had with this bait. I put them where the cat can't reach them, just in case, as these are serious mouse traps.

I had the same thing. Mice infiltrated my kitchenaid induction double oven. Warranty is a scam and doesn’t cover anything mouse. I’m trying to find a repairman with no luck to replace the insulation. This thing is fully open for mice. The insulation is destroyed! The steam from the bottom oven escapes inside and also destroys the insulation! For the money this cost ($3,000) i expect the bottom to be sealed! I’m so upset. My previous stove was an LG and that thing went on fire! So i have no luck with ranges. Furthermore, no one knows if the bottom is sealed when you look for a new range. Now I’m looking at a Bertazzoni from Italy. All the brand name consumer stoves in the US seem like terrible design function and only have bells and whistles and aesthetics but loses design and even worse service. Also the warranty companies are a scam.

There's no valid reason for a manufacturer warranty to cover damage from a mouse chewing wires. The consumer is responsible for defending his property from such events.

Seriously, what a kitchenaid induction range costs or any range costing over $3,000 the manufacturer SHOULD be responsible to assure mouse entries are sealed. If they can seal the vent entrance into the oven cavity with steel mesh they can do it elsewhere. My very expensive kitchenaid induction range has had mice entries and insulation nightmares that are in addition to the mice. The steam and juices are vented and absorbed into the insulation making it smell nicely for mice. It’s a TWO part problem and kitchenaid along with their warranty refuses to point to the actual design issue. I’m so sorry i got this range and now after the pandemic greed these double ovens are up at least 1,000$ more so this problem i brought will cost me another 4-5,000$! BE WARNED!

My 3 month old whirlpool gas range is in my garage in pieces right now bc of mice. Insulation is easy to replace, disinfecting everything is tedious. I found insulation on Amazon. Take pictures as you disassemble so you have an Idea how to reassemble. Good luck!