I hadn’t pulled out my old winter clothes in a long time. They had been sitting in the back of the closet for several years because the previous winters had been mild, and fashion had evolved as well.

But I recently decided to clear out my closet and donate these good, almost-new items to charity. I examined a stack of sweaters, which appeared to be in wonderful condition with no holes or stains. I opted to wash them before giving, and then I spotted some unusual reddish oval lumps on one of the sweaters.

At first, I thought they might be berries or seeds that the kids had brought in sometime, or something that had fallen from above. To the touch, they felt like small stones, and the odor was pungent.

Curiosity overcame repulsion, and I went online to find out what it may be. When I discovered the solution, my heart nearly stopped. Those unusual “lumps” turned out to be mouse droppings, tinted red by the rodent poison I’d put in the closet years ago and then completely forgotten about!

I felt terrible simply thinking about how these clothing had been sitting in the center of a mouse infestation for so long. I instantly discarded not only the sweaters, but also the old scarves laying next to them.

I had to clean the entire closet with soap and disinfectant, cleaning it numerous times before the odor went away. I also observed a little hole in one of the sweaters’ sleeve. Apparently, the mice attempted to make a nest there. I even found bits of padding and thread in the closet’s farthest corner—they had brought in rubbish to insulate their nest!

Now I understand how important it is to examine and air out closets at least once a season, rather than leaving clothes in there for years. Since then, I’ve set traps and stored everything in airtight containers.