How To Remove Skunk Smell: It’s Fall And They Stink Up Everything

Skunks are doing what’s called the “fall shuffle” — young skunks are venturing out of their mothers’ dens to establish their own territories, and skunks of all stripes are frantically digging up white grubs to fatten up for the winter. They're nocturnal, but this is such a busy time of year for skunks that they venture out earlier in the day and evening, and all of this combines to increase the chances you or your pet is going to get hit with a pungent blast.

You really don’t want this to happen. But if it does, there are a few home remedies you can use so you and your critters will be fit to be around.

Among the many purported remedies, one of the most common is a bath of tomato juice, but that’s folklore, according to some people who wasted a day's tomato harvest trying it. Basically, you and your pet will smell like a tomato that was sprayed by a skunk.

Instead, try this do-it-yourself remedy made of items you’ve probably got around the house. This solution must be used right away and cannot be stored. For pets and people, thoroughly work the mixture into the fur, hair, or skin, avoiding the eyes and mouth, and leave on for five minutes. Then rinse with fresh water and repeat if necessary. In an open container, combine:

• ¼ cup baking soda
• Fresh 1-quart bottle of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
• 1-2 teaspoons of liquid dishwashing detergent

(Get Across America Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts. Or, find your local Patch here and subscribe. Like us on Facebook. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app.)

That won’t remove the skunk smell from clothing, and you shouldn’t put it on any clothing you don’t want to bleach, according to Iowa State University Extension Service. Regular laundering and exposure to air will eventually cause the smell to fade from your clothing, but you’ll probably have tossed your clothes in the garbage can or burned them before that, ISU says.

Hazel Christiansen, a professional dog groomer and former president of the Idaho-based American Grooming Shop Association, offers a a few more skunk odor removal tips.

Douse the dog with this potion and allow to soak in for 10 minutes before shampooing:

• 1 cup vanilla extract
• 1 gallon water

The total amount you’ll need for the next remedy depends on the size of your dog. Thoroughly wet the dog’s coat,work this solution through the fur, allow to soak in for five minutes and then shampoo and rinse thoroughly, taking care to keep the solution out of the dog’s eyes (it will sting):

• 2 parts water
• 1 part apple cider vinegar

Or, try this folk remedy that has been passed down through generations of dog owners. Apply it just as you would the vinegar solution; this formula should be enough for a medium-sized dog of 30 to 50 pounds, so adjust it as necessary:

• 1 quart hydrogen peroxide
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid

The best thing may be to take a few preventive stops to skunks will go on their sweet, merry way without spraying you or your pets. Along with less smelly woodchucks, raccoons, rabbits, chipmunks and opossums, they’re looking for a place to hunker down for the winter and they may think your deck or patio is just the place.

Your Turn: Tell us your best skunk versus pet/human story. How did you get rid of the smell?

Add a fence below the deck using one-half-inch mesh hardware cloth, attaching it firmly to the deck frame and burying it 10 to 12 inches below ground.

And, here’s some irony: They put off an odor like none other in the animal kingdom, but skunks don’t like odors like citrus, ammonia, mothballs and the urine of predators, like dogs and coyotes. Be careful, though. If you use mothballs or ammonia-soaked cotton balls, keep them away from children.

Skunks also offer plenty of warning before they aim the business end of their musk glands and let out a smell that can travel for a mile or more. Their behavior progresses from hissing, arching their backs and displaying their tale to stomping their front feet to ultimately bending into a U-shape and letting it rip.

Photo via Shutterstock