My friend saw a mouse in her bedroom — this is the surprising thing that was attracting them

Mice in hole — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

It’s always unnerving if you’ve seen a mouse or suspect rodent activity in your home. And as temperatures drop, mice are a common active pest to watch out for this winter. Trouble is, once pests settle inside your home, it can be challenging to banish them, which is why it’s always important to remove things that attract rats and mice to your home in the first place.

When my friend recently spotted a mouse scuttling behind her closet in her bedroom, she was mortified. Moreso, she was baffled as to why it was there in the first place — it wasn’t like there were food scraps on the floor or any other welcoming treats.

That was until she learned of a surprising reason that might be attracting mice to her cozy bedroom — her linen basket. Mice love to hunt for nesting materials, and piles of fabric, bed linens and even laundry make ideal items to seek shelter.

Woman carrying a pile of white bedding (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Mindful of this, the first step my friend took was to declutter her closet, getting rid of the clothing pile. She then purchased quality storage, like sealed plastic boxes or bins, to organize her bedding and extra throws and protect them from mice.

In fact, organizing linen is a common storage challenge, as it can be difficult to store numerous bedsheets and pillowcases neatly in a closet. However, I tried this easy hack for organizing my bedding, and it immediately doubled my available storage space.

Of course, prevention is always key, so make sure you seal holes, gaps or any potential entryways with silicone sealant or caulk. Always remove food sources (including standing water) and keep areas clean and dry.

Most of all, don’t forget to clear and store away your linens, blankets or clothes piles — or else you might find a surprising visitor hiding there one day.

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As the Homes Content Editor, Cynthia Lawrence covers all things homes, interior decorating, and garden-related. She has a wealth of editorial experience testing the latest, ‘must-have’ home appliances, writing buying guides and the handy ‘how to’ features.

Her work has been published in various titles including, T3, Top Ten Reviews, Ideal Home, Real Homes, Livingetc. and House Beautiful, amongst many.

With a rather unhealthy obsession for all things homes and interiors, she also has an interior design blog for style inspiration and savvy storage solutions (get rid of that clutter!). When she’s not testing cool products, she’ll be searching online for more decor ideas to spruce up her family home or looking for a great bargain!

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