Our sense of smell is a powerful tool that helps us communicate with our surroundings. A good smell can attract us to a place, person or thing and bad smells repel us. Odors can also be tricky because they aren’t tangible and can be very hard to identify.

But what happens when those bad odors are perceived inside the home and you just can’t find the source? A dead animal – or even a live one – is one of the main sources of bad odors inside the home. Since these critters crawl into tight cozy places, it’s not always easy to find them, or if you do find them, to retrieve them.

There are many different products created specifically to help you mask or even remove bad odors. Some offer more permanent solutions than others and they all use different methods. There are sprays; bags, Matts, plug-ins, oils and many more and you can find them on Amazon in a wide range of prices.



One of the most popular methods are the odor removing bags. There are different brands for various purposes. Some are designed to eliminate bad or musty odors from bathrooms and closets, other are meant to eliminate bad pet odors such as urine or feces, and still other specifically target dead animal odors. Most of these bags use some form of charcoal and natural mineral and work like a sponge, sucking in all the odor molecules.

Judging by reviews, these bags do work, but they’re not recommendable as a permanent solution to dead animal problem. The bags can be used for up to three months and are most effective in small, closed areas like attics, cars, bathrooms and closets, but they do need some airflow to be able to work in purifying the smell. Most users claim to be satisfied with the results, though they’re not absolute. For some people, it removed the odor completely, for others it merely made it bearable; still others saw absolutely no results.

Even if you do feel the odor removal bag did an excellent job of masking or completely removing the smell of a dead animal or of rodent feces, it in no way replaces a full and thorough cleaning. It is never a good idea to keep living with animal carcass or animal feces in your house (especially if you have small children or pets) as you are in danger of contracting a lethal disease. An odor removal bag is highly recommended as an in-between measure to make the smell bearable and living in your house possible, while you can call in a professional to give the problem a more permanent solution by removing the dead animal, sanitizing, deodorizing and preventing a future infestation.

Read the Pest Wildlife Home Page page for helpful information and to learn more about Do odor removing bags work?

Do odor removing bags work?