The familiar 'cleaning' smell in your living room you must not ignore – it often means rats are already inside

Guidance on urgent checks, sealing entry points and deep cleaning hints at simple steps that stop the ammonia taint and the rodents from returning. They describe how the smell of rats in your home builds from urine and droppings, and list other physical signs that confirm hidden activity. You walk into your living room and a sharp smell seems to hang in the air, a bit like strong cleaning fluid or old urine. For many households that familiar, ammonia-like whiff is not a cleaning issue at all, but one of the first signs that rats or mice are moving inside the home. Speaking to The Express, cleaning specialist Tony Kantzavelos said these odours should be tackled at their source with regular deep cleaning.