
You’ve done this. Admit it. Bleaching your way through the floors, the kitchen countertops, and through your walls. Hoping that this will work as rat repellent and will stop other pests as roaches to invade the spaces at your home when you do this.
Good news! Using bleach is quite effective for keeping away pests, especially mice. Reads on today’s post and get answers to your rat repelling queries such as:
- How does bleach keep rats away?
- How can you use bleach to repel rats from your homes?
- Will using bleach kill rats?
- Is it safe to kill rats with bleach?
How Does Bleach Keep Rats Away?
Bleach is a strong-smelling product. Even humans keep bleach away from their noses. Also, when you inhale bleach, it stings not only your nose but also your eyes.
Imagine rats who coral on the surface and get direct contact with the chemical. YES! It irritates them.
What is bleach, and why use it?
Bleach is a common household item used for cleaning in general. Its primary use is stain removal, especially for white clothes. Aside from removing dirt from textiles, the product also has multi-purpose use for cleaning hard surfaces like floors and walls.
The Smell of Bleach
You know newly cleaned kitchen tiles or bathroom floors when you sniff and smell the chlorine. That is also the reason why a clean and disinfected area prevents rats from entering in.
What Scent do Rats Hate?
Rats have poor eyesight, so while they follow mouthwatering scents from cheese or peanut butter and chocolate, they step back when they smell chlorine-like substances. So, for an effective trap, know what do rats eat. For control and repel, let them sniff bleach.
Bleach is readily available at homes. So for a DIY pest repellent, mix bleach into anti-rat sprays. It is as effective as rat repel sprays found in commercial markets. Moreover, the disinfecting power of bleach also helps rid away other house pests.
How to Use Bleach to Rid off Rats
First, learn the four common ways to use bleach. Next up, see how you can safely and properly use it to disinfect and repel and kill pests from your homes.
1- Anti Rat Spray

Use bleach as a rat repellent—mix water and bleach on a spray bottle. For hardcore rat hubs where the stench of filth overpowers your noose, use a 70:30 ratio of bleach and water. The trick is to make sure that the bleach defeats the rat fumes. You can also opt to use pure chemicals. But to use it as it is, you need to wear protective items such as eyewear and gloves.
Here are tips for using it among different mouse hubs:
- Spray it on mouse entry holes
- Spray it on rat nests
- Spray it on windows and doorsteps
- Spray it over surfaces where you suspect the mouse might have crawl on
2- Kill Rats with Peanut Butter Bleach
Bleach may repel rats. But when you want to use it to kill the rodent directly, it may be tricky. The reason for this is that rats tend to run away from the smell of chlorine, so if you want to mix it as poison on food baits, it might not be the best idea.
But here is a tip for you to do it:
Mix a tablespoon of bleach with two spoons of peanut butter to hide the scent. In this way, you make the chemical smell pleasant for the mouse to get close to it and eat it.

3- Disinfectant
Bleach is the main product used as a disinfectant against viruses, bacterias, and germs in general. When you disinfect your place, it will be sure to keep rats away. Having them smell no trace of their urine makes them leave you pretty. Animals like rats behave like your feline or canine friend, they leave their scent to mark their territory.
So for you to make yours, disinfect with bleach. Do this after cleaning with detergent or another soap solution.
4- Rat Balls
If moths have mothballs, rats have rat balls.
Here is how to make it:
- What you need:
- Pieces of cotton balls
- Bleach
- Gloves
- Long handle scissors or tongs
- Pestle or shallow container
- How to make rat balls:
- Pour five tablespoons of bleach on a shallow container
- Put the cotton balls in
- Soak the cotton with bleach and let it absorb the chemical
- Place the rat’s balls or distribute them on corners of your homes
If you are unsure where rats or mice often roam in your homes, it is better to put them in rooms in your cabinets, behind the trash bin, etc.
Use rat balls where no pets will enter. If you will use it, it is better not to let the cheems stay with you in the bedroom or prevent them from entering your kitchen.
About Author
Noah Thompson
Noah Thompson is an expert in rat relief, providing invaluable tips and advice on effective rat control. With extensive knowledge in rodent behavior, he simplifies complex concepts, empowering readers to confidently tackle rat infestations. Through workshops and seminars, Noah equips communities with practical skills while advocating for humane treatment and control of rats.