How To Get Rid Of Skunk Smell From Your Dog, House & Clothes

February 27, 2019February 28, 2020

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How To Get The Smell of Skunk Of Your Dog, House & Clothes

I know exactly why you want to know how to get rid of skunk smell.

There’s nothing worse than a frightened skunk. When a skunk is afraid or feels threatened they will spray people and pets. This is for natural protection and their way of defending themselves from a perceived threat. But what happens if you or your pet are unfortunate enough to come across a skunk and get sprayed?

Do you know how to remove the scent of a skunk?

There is plenty of bad information on the market about how to remove skunk odor from your dog, house, and clothes. It’s very likely you will have a hard time removing skunk odor if you follow some of the recommendations I have read on the internet.

Tomato juice does not work.

There is a widely accepted belief that tomato juice can successfully neutralize skunk odor. People believe that if you take a bath in tomato juice it will get rid of skunk smell. But this is not the case. The truth of the matter is while you are bathing in tomato juice your nose blocks out the skunk order in favor of the smell of tomato. If you have tried this type of remedy you will notice that after the bath the skunk odor will return.

Do not worry if you have been duped by the tomato bath myth to gets rid of skunk smell. At some point, we all fall victim to misinformation. There are many other tried and true methods to get rid of skunk from your dog, clothes, and house too. What you will read below are some of the most effective and what we recommend you do if you ever have to remove the smell of a skunk.

This Home Remedy Will Neutralize Skunk Odor

A chemist named Paul Krebaum discovered a solution which I believe is the most effective way to counter skunk order. Paul developed a homemade solution that you can prepare at home using a few simple ingredients you most likely already have on hand. This solution works better than anything else I have tried or heard about.

Here is the formula if you’d like to prepare this solution at home yourself.

1-quart 3% hydrogen peroxide (unopened bottle)
1/4 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
1-2 teaspoons liquid dish soap

You should mix the ingredient together in an open container and use immediately. The solution should be prepared just before use since you are using hydrogen peroxide. It’s also important to note the chemical reaction between peroxide and baking soda could explode if the solution is placed in a closed container.

The solution can be used on most people and pets without issue, assuming no allergic reactions to the ingredients. Do not use this on clothing because it could cause fading and discoloration.

Check out below to

How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell on Dogs

Dogs love to explore and sniff around. Because of their curious nature, dogs sometimes find themselves on the receiving end of a skunks aggression. A skunk encounter can be very painful if the dog is sprayed in the eyes, not to mention the awful smell that comes with skunk odor.

I know of at least one pet owner who lives in Somerset Pennsylvania. His dog has been skunked at least 4 times in the past three years. Through trial and error, he has learned what works and what doesn’t work. This pet owner recommends the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda solution as the best way to get rid of skunk smell. So give that a try first.

Watch the informative video below to learn more about how to use the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda solution to eliminate skunks smell.

One of the biggest takeaways you will get from the video is to isolate your dog as soon as possible. You do not want your pet running around the house freely rubbing his face and body all over your furniture, rugs, and floors.

How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell on Humans

Looks like you or someone you know had a run-in with a skunk.

I’ll tell you upfront urban myths like beer or tomato baths will not work. If you want to get rid of skunk smell you’re going to have to wash your body and clothes with a hydrogen peroxide solution. The recipe and ingredients can be found above under the section titled, “This Home Remedy Will Neutralize Skunk Odor”.

How to get skunk smell off your body

If you have been exposed or sprayed, it’s imperative that you avoid rubbing up against or touching any items in your home. If you do you will likely contaminate and transfer the smell to whatever you touch. Be careful not to unintentionally come in contact with furniture and other items inside your home.

The hydrogen peroxide solution works best in its most concentrated form so do not wet your body first. Apply the solution to the affected areas of your body and allow it to sit for a few minutes, 5 to 10 minutes.

After waiting the allotted time go ahead, bather or shower to remove the solution from your skin. At this time you can go ahead and use your normal bath or shower products. Repeat the process if necessary.

How to wash your clothes to remove skunk smell

To remove skunk smell we recommend you wash your clothes with borax and strong laundry detergent. You do not want to use the hydrogen peroxide solution because it will fade or lighten the color of your fabric. Instead of machine drying, it is also best to let your clothes hang dry outside under the sun’s rays.

How to Get Rid Of Skunk Smell in Your House

So how exactly did the scent of skunk get into your home?

Maybe your dog got sprayed by a skunk and rubbed their head and body on your furnishings before you had a chance to de-skunk them. Or maybe it was you who got sprayed and brought in the scent. Whatever the case you want to get that smelly scent out of your home as quickly as possible.

Here’s how to get the smell of skunk out of your home:

Immediately get fresh air circulating in the house
- Open up the windows to let your home air out
- Turn on the ceiling fans to let the air circulate
Wash all removal fabrics that have been contaminated
- Clothes, pet bedding, furniture covers, etc
- Let these items hang dry outside
Boil some vinegar and place it in open containers around the house

Steam clean your carpets if needed
Finally, change all of the filters in your furnace

How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell in a Car

Did you run over a skunk? Or maybe your car is smelling a mess now that you have taken your dog to the vet to get treated after having a run-in with a skunk. Whatever your case, you want to take care of this smell right away. If you don’t deal with this issue as soon as possible you could end up with a very unpleasant long term car smell.

Remove skunk odor for inside your car

The last thing you want to do is take a ride in the car after you have been skunked. But sometimes, it is unavoidable and if you do your car with reek with the scent of skunk. The scent can be so strong that it might be difficult to drive without having the windows down so fresh air can circulate inside. You want to work to get rid of this smell asap.

You should mix up a solution of distilled vinegar and water. Spray your automobile upholstery with the solution from a bottle on the mist setting. You want to spray seats, dashboards, windows, doors, spray the entire inside of your car with the solution. Using a clean cloth or towel wipe up the spray.

The vinegar and water work best for fabric, but if you have leather or vinyl interior there is a substitute. Use a solution of equal parts linseed oil and vinegar. Rub the solution in using a clean cloth.

Treat your carpets with a carpet deodorizer. Depending on the extent of contamination you may need to repeat the process a second time to completely take away the smell from the inside of your car.

Remove skunk smell from your car’s exterior

Don’t waste any time, you need to wash/spray the outside of your car soonest with a solution of distilled vinegar and liquid dish soap. You should wash the body, tires, and undercarriage as well to remove all smells. Hand dry your automobile with towels and check to see if the outside of the car still smells. If so repeat the process until there is no more smell.

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