Well, I guess that explains the curious flavour

[glenatron]

Good news: Our friendly local plumber came to finalise plans for redoing the bathroom yesterday.
Bad news: We may need to find a different bath to make the room work as we would like.
Good news: Our cold water tank is really well mounted in the attic on a stand made by a proper craftsman.
Bad news: It had a dead mouse in it. The mouse had been dead for some days. Every time we have had baths, or showers or brushed our teeth over the last few days we have been doing so with putrid mouse soup!

Bleh bleh bleh bleh bleh.

Bleh!

So, anyone got any good suggestions on how to clean up a water system in such a way as to minimise the chances of Leptospiridium infection? I mean I guess if we're going to get it we probably have it already, but I'd like to be sure that the water is toothbrush safe before I brush my teeth in it again.

P.S. Bleh!

Comments

[silks-ic.livejournal.com]

Dead mice are good for you

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

You know, I like to think I'm not squeamish? But EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWw.

[fleefloodle.livejournal.com]

Both myself and Steven just made a sudden intake of breath noises at that. Definitely not a good thing :/

[wldhrsjen3.livejournal.com]

:X

(I'm afraid there may be a dead mouse in my laundry vent. But at least I'm not drinking it! :P)

As far as clean-up, lots and LOTS of bleach maybe?

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Maybe a peroxide-based bleach I guess. I think some of the others leave nasty residues that might not be a lot more healthy than mouse juice. I'm wondering if a sterilising fluid like one might use for baby bottles could work as well.

[skiesfirepaved.livejournal.com]

BLEUGH. That is all.
Although, at least it wasn't my partially cannabalised rat in your water tank, eh?

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Well yes, that would possibly indicate tiny water-tank living sharks.

[dancing-crow.livejournal.com]

while tiny fresh water sharks might almost make up for, still eeewww

[stu-the-elder.livejournal.com]

I wondered why you smell funny.

Now I know.

- Crump

[penella22.livejournal.com]

Yuck. Shudder, shiver, ewwww.

BOTTLED WATER IN A MUG to brush yr teeth with, just like yoiu've gone camping. At least until you get the all-clear about the leptosporidium stuff. Welcome to my world; bottled water, all the time. But hey, no dead meeses, at least not that I'm aware of...

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

We're lucky that the kitchen is on a rising main so we do have a supply of water that doesn't go through the tank...

[tom909.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't bother doing anything - take out the corpse and other debris, wait a few days and carry on as normal. I'd certainly need some evidence before polluting my whole water system with deadly chemicals. What is this lepisomething or other of which you speak?

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

It's a bacteria that causes a nasty illness if you get it mildly or Weils Disease ( very serious, possible kidney failure ) if you get a nasty attack. It's transmitted in animal urine and about 15% of rodents are carriers, so the chances are not huge but may be big enough. The bacteria lasts about six weeks in water within normal ranges, so it won't survive in a hot water tank but certainly would be quite happy in the cold water tank.

I may just drain it and wash down with vinegar, though. Apparently it doesn't tolerate acid at all...

[gnapp.livejournal.com]

Ew. (And my husband agrees: ewwww.)

However, I think you'll probably get rid of any physical trace of the mouse much faster than you'll get rid of the trace in your head. Just the thought of it... eww again.

[oifonly.livejournal.com]

bleeeeeeeeeeurgh! Ick! Yuuuuuk!

Look on the bright side. If you can survive that, you probably both have cast iron constitutions and will laugh in the face of the media-hype that is Swine Flu....


.......and I'm so very glad you found it BEFORE my visit....

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Indeed. I would worry about your constitution on consuming putrid mouse soup.

[life-of-tom.livejournal.com]

Leptospiridium.

A word to say slowly, and with great relish.

Possibly when lit from below.


Still, eugh.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

While not drinking from most of the taps in our house.