Removing Skunk Smell From House

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Julie (Guest Post) (08/29/2008) Oh My Gosh! 5:30am, felt like a smack in the face awakened me....oh, so bad!! My poor blue heeler got nailed, ran through the doggie door and boy does my house reek! My vet opens in less than an hour, I can't bathe her, (just had neck surgery) so I'm very limited as to what I can do. She's locked outside now, and I put that arm and hammer pet carpet stuff on the carpet and furniture and let that set and vacuumed it up. Helped for about 10 minutes. Then I sprayed the heck out of the house with "air neutralizer" and that helped a little, but I'm thinking I'm in big trouble. Supposed to have a small social gathering at my house this morning and already canceled it. Any hope to get that stench out of the house? I live in Arkansas and it's in the 90's with major humidity, so keeping the house open is out of the question. Thanks in advance and God bless! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Dave (Guest Post) (08/27/2008) My lab got skunked directly in the face! This was in the middle of the night, of course, and with his access to a dog door, he came inside and the stench woke me up. He got nailed a few years ago also. The best thing for your dog is to find a pet grooming place ASAP and have him professionally cleaned and de-skunked. It may cost you $30-$40 bucks but it's worth it! Buddy smells wonderful now. As for furniture, I washed everything that was washable 3 times each. As with other suggestions posted here, fresh air is very good. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Britani Eaton (Guest Post) (08/26/2008) My dog just got sprayed by a skunk! It is 12:11 A.M and we have been cleaning for almost two hours! The smell is still in the house! We have been using the peroxide and it seems to be working we also but vinegar around and we also boiled some coffee grounds and so far it is starting to go away! The dog is in the garage and I don't even want to smell the garage in the morning! Well My mom is done so now got to go get more vinegar! I HOPE IT WORKS! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Kelly from NY (Guest Post) (08/26/2008) THANK YOU to everyone on this site! My CAT wrestled with a skunk on my front porch. Before I knew what was happening I opened the door and Sullie ran in and hit every room in the house in a panic! My house, clothes, curtains, furniture reeked for 2-3 days! I used the baking soda/peroxide/dawn on the cat (Well- to anyone who has ever tried to bathe a cat---I TRIED) To no avail- he went to the groomer and had to be shaved and bathed several times. The baking soda on everything helped as well as the Orange Citrus Natural spray. BUT-- the only thing that really works is fresh air. I have bowls of baking soda and coffee in every corner of the house!! I am still doing the 25 loads of laundry and my daughter moved to her father's for the week!! It is devastating to say the least. I cried for 24 hours while washing, cleaning and bit&*(%$!!! If this ever happens again---it will be easier to sell the house and MOVE! But I do see the light at the end of the tunnel as I grabbed a Coors light and tackled the rest of this laundry. Hang in there! Misery loves company! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Rebecca (Guest Post) (08/26/2008) My dog got skunked like all the other ones a week ago. I tried the tomato juice but it just made my dog smell like skunk and tomatoes and she looked like a pizza (she is a blonde lab)! The peroxide remedy seems to dangerous since it sprayed my dogs face. Honestly, with all the cautions that come with that solution, I don't feel safe using it on "my baby!" I actually ordered that BioWorld Odor Neutralizer from a comment below and it worked the best! After a couple of bathes with it the dog didn't smell at all! She got in the house so I had to shampoo the carpets but I added that solution to the carpet cleaner and it got the smell right out! It took a couple of days to get shipped to me but luckily it hasn't been to hot the past few days so I just left all the windows open and avoided the house! I had even tried febreeze but that didn't help either. The odor neutralizer is a true blessing! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Smelly Cat (Guest Post) (08/23/2008) Well, here I am just like everyone else, wide awake at 0100am, quitely reminicing about the "PEPE' la PUE" smell that my collie beheld 2 hours ago. We have lived here for 8 yrs and never a problem. However, tonight as I was having a "boo hoo moment" thinking "it can't get any worse," in comes my collie smelling like burnt garlic. At first (as she is running about the room) I thought my neighbors were BBQ-ing, then I realized the smell was skunk. It's doesn't smell like the dead ones on the side of the road either. The house smelled terrible. Thank goodness for internet. I googled this problem and luckly found this site. Full of helpful information, I tried all the suggested remedies, the baking soda/vinegar/H3C02/dishwashing liquid worked the best. I did not have tomato juice so I added water to crushed tomatoes and added an apple to white vinegar. So far my house still smells but is getting better. My collie wasn't too fond of the cold midnight bath, and she looked humiliated doused in tomatoes, but she now realizes the consequences of playing with that cat, and may not be so eager next time. :) The positive out of all of this is the smell is gone, my mood is lighter and now I think I will have myself a Bloody Mary and call it a night. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Sally and Tim (Guest Post) (08/23/2008) OMG thank you everyone for the suggestions! my Saturday to sleep in and at 6A my husband heard a scuffle in the back yard and a YIPE and saw the little skunk running along the fence line. The two pups promptly jumped in bed with me :( The peroxide, baking soda, dish soap works wonders. So far in the house 3 hours later the vinegar dishes in every room, fans going with open windows is working as well. Thanks for the VICKS suggestion, hubby has been puking all morning. With that picture in mind, pup #3 puked all over in the excitement too! Is 9A too early for a cocktail? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Katie (Guest Post) (08/20/2008) This has been the worst experience of my life. I think I have handled seeing my husband off to war better than I have handled the past 24 hours. I went out with the dog, as I have been doing ever since they shot a cougar in the city, and she was darting in the bushes, I hear the strangest noise and it was instantaneous random horrible stench. I was scared and brought her in the backdoor but it only took a few seconds for my husband to yell SKUNK and take her back out. We called the emergency vet and got the magic solution and I hit the store at 11pm to get everything. We did the wash 2 times, and she was miserable with the cold hose water. We did the bath again today, and added the beer and a dash of vanilla extract as recommended way above, and it seems to have helped except for the one spot we think was the hit spot. The best thing for the house was just to air it out all day. We both stayed home from work to take care of it all. I've also been boiling the vinegar and my friend just came over and said all she could smell was vinegar. VERY IMPORTANT - IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE WITH YOUR DOG AT ANY POINT OF THIS, DO NOT WEAR THE SAME SHOES IN THE HOUSE. This is how we think the smell really got in, but cleaning the tile floors with the same solution and lots of air freshner. The dog will definitely be on a leash at night for a good while. Too scary! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By lollipops mom (Guest Post) (08/19/2008) Used tomato juice as a first response. No good. Peroxide, dawn, and baking soda...great! For the rancid garlic smell (which was odd, we smelled skunk when we didn't see our dog for 10 minutes, but once inside, garlic.) coffee and vinegar around the house are working so far. I have a Lab, and I have noticed that there is a history of labs doing this, so be aware! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Vicki (Guest Post) (08/18/2008) Thank you all so much - we also found ourselves with a skunk stinky JRT headed back in the house. He got as far as the laundry room, and we knew something was wrong. That was around 10pm. We used the 1 quart Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and a splash (5ml) of Dawn and washed him first with Dog Shampoo in the laundry room tub. It helped, but even though Bandit did not rub on anything - the house smells AWFUL! We boiled coffee ground, and lit a bunch of candles. Started getting queezy from the multitude of smell, but as soon as we shut off the boiling coffee, it started to stink of skunk again. Poor dog is in his crate out in the garage. I feel so bad for him, he was so scared. I just did the boiled vinegar (did not have cider vinegar, so used regular with a cut up apple in it); walked around the house with it, and then poured it into bowls. Seems to be working pretty well. It's now almost 1am. This is worse than I ever imagined - thanks for this "support group" I feel like we will get through it. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Mike (Guest Post) (08/14/2008) We have caught 7 skunks and we still smell them. I have ripped up our deck replaced it with a brick patio. Spent over $700 dollars using a trapping service and last night wham, the suckers are back and filled the house with their oder. I have decided to declare war at this point and take them down by any means possible. I know I must sound a little psycho but once you have battled this much you can smell a skunk for miles. I feel like you have post dramatic stress dis-order and become totally paranoid each night wondering if it will happen again. I am off to the fronts wish me luck. Capitola, Ca. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By (Guest Post) (08/12/2008) I have been doing a lot of research online about this. This site has the information all together. http://www.adbio.com/pet/skunked.htm The tomato juice and vinegar have been methods for a long time but they are not very good ones. They only mask the odor, they do not get rid of it. There was another homemade remedy online I found but it said it could explode and to avoid the pets face, where it most likely got sprayed. I don't know about you but I would not want to use a product like that on my dog. BioWorld Products has a great product to ELIMINATE the skunk odor. It works on everything. You can even add it to your wash when you do your laundry. You can spray it all around the house and your pet. It is natural and very safe! You should keep this product around your house in case it ever happenes again. It would even be worth it to get it now for your pet, even though you would have to wait a couple of days to get it because most products will reduce the smell but this one will eliminate it. So you can use the other products to get you through the worst of it if you don't have this product on hand and then use this product to eliminate the smell! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Elaine (Guest Post) (08/09/2008) Just came home from a party and let my dog out and your guessed it, there was a skunk in the yard and he got it and so did my house! I have bathed him twice and I think I got him de-skunked and hopefully my house will be OK tomorrow. Thanks for all the advice. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Pauline (Guest Post) (08/05/2008) When I was dog-sitting this weekend, she got sprayed. This was my first experience of this, & the house smelled sooo bad, I couldn't figure out if it was the dog or just the air. An hr later, we figured the dog was still smelly, so we did the special things to bathe her - HOWEVER, for about an hour prior to this, she sat on her blanket, on the couch. I put the blanket outside overnight, then washed it, and it's fine, but now the couch stinks!! I've found suggestions for the "air" or "clothing" - Anything out there for furniture? P Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Pauline (Guest Post) (08/05/2008) When I was dog-sitting this weekend, she got sprayed. This was my first experience of this, & the house smelled so bad, I couldn't figure out if it was the dog or just the air. An hr later, we figured the dog was still smelly, so we did the special things to bathe her - HOWEVER, for about an hour prior to this, she sat on her blanket, on the couch. I put the blanket outside overnight, then washed it, and it's fine, but now the couch stinks! I've found suggestions for the "air" or "clothing" - Anything out there for furniture? P Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By stinkyinAZ (Guest Post) (08/05/2008) Do we all have one thing in common? It seems that labs and retrievers are the ones who continually repeat this process. I have one of each. Must say my retriever is 10 and never been sprayed while my 3 yr old lab has been saved many a time from cats, skunks and snakes. Last night at 10pm my little chiweenie came in (without being sprayed) while we heard commotion and bolting in the door (rubbing the carpets, wood floors, couches, dog beds, my bed,etc) comes the lab. It took me a while to realize that she had been sprayed. I was looking around for something burning and couldn't find the source. Once we figured out it was the dog, I got online to see what to do. I asked my daughter to put the dog outside. Well 20-30 minutes later while had found the peroxide/baking soda/soap mixture and begun to mix it, I realized that my daughter never put the dog outside!! So...my in-house smell is extreme! The dog seems to be fine after 2 washings, but I have no idea what to do with my house. It is 100 degrees and we cannot leave the house open. I keep spraying neutralizer and washing but the smell is only masked for a little while. How long will all this last? This is my first (and I'm sure not last-do labs ever learn?) experience with the dog having a direct spray to the face. By the way since everyone seems to have in house pets, peroxide is the best stain remover (and cheapest) you can use on your carpets, clothes and floors too! Luckily, I keep 4-6 bottles on hand. Costco sells 2-32oz bottles for $1.65. You can't beat the price for this home remedy. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Pauline (Guest Post) (08/05/2008) When I was dog-sitting this weekend, she got sprayed. This was my first experience of this, & the house smelled sooo bad, I couldn't figure out if it was the dog or just the air. An hr later, we figured the dog was still smelly, so we did the special things to bathe her - HOWEVER, for about an hour prior to this, she sat on her blanket, on the couch. I put the blanket outside overnight, then washed it, and it's fine, but now the couch stinks!! I've found suggestions for the "air" or "clothing" - Anything out there for furniture? P Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Pauline (Guest Post) (08/05/2008) When I was dog-sitting this weekend, she got sprayed. This was my first experience of this, & the house smelled so bad, I couldn't figure out if it was the dog or just the air. An houyr later, we figured the dog was still smelly, so we did the special things to bathe her - HOWEVER, for about an hour prior to this, she sat on her blanket, on the couch. I put the blanket outside overnight, then washed it, and it's fine, but now the couch stinks! I've found suggestions for the "air" or "clothing" - Anything out there for furniture? P Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Cindy (Guest Post) (08/02/2008) Coffee works! Our dog got skunked for the second time just now and although I only let him into the house for about 5 seconds before I realized what had happened, the house STUNK to high heaven. I cooked some coffee grinds on the stove for a few minutes and immediately noticed a difference in my kitchen. I put a few bowls around the smelly areas of the house and just a few minutes later my husband and son came in. They couldn't smell any skunk smell in the house! The baking soda, vinegar, and detergent solution worked wonders on the dog, too. Pain in the ... neck ... but at least there's something that works well and quickly! One thing is crucial - attack the smell IMMEDIATELY. The first time I wasn't there and my son let the dog in for a few minutes. Doggy darling rubbed the skunk oil an anything he came in contact with and it left the house stinky for days. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Andrea (Guest Post) (07/28/2008) Thank you so much for this site. I am currently trying the vinegar and coffee remedies. The vinegar already smells better than the alternative. I am dog/house sitting for a friend and at 3 this morning let the dogs out and well...I am sure you know the rest if you are on this site. Good luck to all because this is one of the most foul things I have ever come across! Thanks again! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By skunked in PA (Guest Post) (07/25/2008) My 2 labs were sprayed by a skunk last night, and it happened right on my back porch and all my windows and doors were open to the house. The dogs came running in immediately and began rubbing their faces on the ground. IMMEDIATELY I smelled a HORRIBLE smell, not the regular skunk smell. Like burning rubber or the strongest garlic smell ever, so bad I was gagging and my eyes were all red. I quick came online and found the peroxide/baking soda/dawn solution, and it worked great on them. Took the smell away. I washed them both twice with it, and let the solution sit on them for about 10 minutes before washing it off. NOW the big problem is...my entire home smells. I have no idea how to get rid of it. I am going to try the vinegar and coffee grounds. I hope it works! I was so paranoid to come to work today thinking everyone would smell me. Oh and I got no sleep last night because the smell was stuck in my nose.THIS was a HORRIBLE experience :( Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Amy (Guest Post) (07/24/2008) Our Golden Retriever got skunked last night around midnight. When she came running in the house my husband asked me to come smell the garage, because there was a strange smell. Then we started darting all over the house trying to locate the source- it smelled like something was burning and my 9 mo. old daughter was sleeping upstairs, so needless to say I was paniced. Then it started to smell like garlic- weird! Finally we figured out that it was the dog! Is this what it smells like when your dog gets skunked? YEP! So we confined her to the garage- called the emergency vet to make sure the peroxide mix was safe and went to the store to buy a bunch of peroxide. We mixed 3 batches of the solution (she is a big dog) soaked her twice rinsing in between and then washed with her regular soap. Worked great! We also used coffee grounds in the house and opened the windows- also seems to have worked! Anyway the recipe for one batch is: 1 quart hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon dish soap (I just squirted some without measuring). Good luck! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by JoniB (7) | (07/23/2008) Profile | Contact There is a product called Odor Neutralizer that can get rid of skunk smells and it is safe on animals. I use it all round my house. I have never personally used it on skunks but I did read there customer comments and there was a customer who got rid of the skunk smell using the product! http://www.adbio.com/odor/odor-control.htm Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Brenda (Guest Post) (07/22/2008) My dog got sprayed last night. What happened next was she raced into the house and dragged her face and body across the carpet. Unbelievable, can anyone help with getting the smell out of the carpet, I have used baking soda and shook it all over the carpert. I already washed my dog with the Dawn, baking soda and Hydrogen Peroxide. That was wonderful advice. Thank you Report Spam or Abuse Thank You Post By Cheryl (Guest Post) (07/18/2008) My dog was sprayed again about an hour ago. The first time we tried the tomato juice. It worked temporarily but then the smell got worse. Almost like rotting tomatoes so off to the groomer we went. This time I was prepared I used the peroxide/soap/baking soda mix. It worked great. The problem was she had made it into the house. She rubbed on her bed so I immediately washed that. I boiled a pot of vinegar and put a bowl of it in each room. I also put dryer sheets under each vent. So far so good. I will let some fresh air in tomorrow to help. At least I can sleep. The smell at first was unbearable. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by aggiesteve (1) | (07/09/2008) Contact Thank you all for this tips. I put a bowl of cider vinegar in each room then I put the organic ground coffee on a pan. I heat it up on the stove for 2 minutes and the house smells like coffee right away. I let out my 2 girls(yellow lab) last night at around 11pm, which we don't normally let them out at this hour, but when one of them came back inside the house, she smelled terribly awful. My husband knew right away that she got sprayed by a skunk so he panicked and asked me to bring her outside the garage, which I did. I also learned from a dog spa to give your pet a bath once they got sprayed and so I did. I washed her with a "pearl of milk bath" for 3 times and the "skunk-smell" on her face is gone. When I dried her I could still smell her a bit on her right cheek, so i wiped it with a cider vinegar and it works wonders. Thank you all for this awesome site and thank you all for your "organic-tips". God bless on this site. aggie/steve 070908 3am Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Tricia (Guest Post) (07/08/2008) I'm so glad I found this site. I thought I was the only person that had this problem! My house was impacted on July 4 when a skunk sprayed my air conditioner. The odor came through the vents all at once. I had a cookout the next day and got through it with Fabreze and lots of air (neither one is working today). Baking soda alone is working somewhat on the carpets, but I'll try the mixture I see on this site for the walls. Coffee grinds sound interesting too. I'm on my way to the store. I'll post my results. Thanks! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Tricia (Guest Post) (07/08/2008) I'm so glad I found this site. I thought I was the only person that had this problem! My house was impacted on July 4 when a skunk sprayed my air conditioner. The odor came through the vents all at once. I had a cookout the next day and got through it with Fabreze and lots of air (neither one is working today). Baking soda alone is working somewhat on the carpets, but I'll try the mixture I see on this site for the walls. Coffee grinds sound interesting too. I'm on my way to the store. I'll post my results. Thanks! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by Mystic-B (1) | (07/04/2008) Profile | Contact You HAVE to try this! Vicks on your Nose! After experiencing this first hand, my husband let me in on a little trick.. He's a fireman first responder and when they have a scene that is a little rancid (body been there a while, etc) They use Vicks Vaoprub in their noses. He got tired of me tossing and gagging last night and suggested I try it if I could deal with the Vicks smell.... Ya darn right I can... I slathered it on the end of my nose and I was able to get some sleep Finally! I had to refresh it a couple times but that was so much better than smelling the putrid stench of a skunk's back end! Hope this helps someone... Torry Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post By Karen (Guest Post) (07/04/2008) My dog got sprayed and he killed the skunk right outside our living room window. The house reeked! Luckily I found this site. The unused coffee grounds worked for me. The vinegar didn't seem to do anything. The dog also needs a redo. I mustn't have cleaned him good enough the first time. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by WildIrish (60) | (07/02/2008) Profile | Contact If worse comes to worst, and you just can't get rid of the skunk stench via the regular means, check the Yellow Pages for one of those cleaning companies that gets rid of the smell of fires, etc. They have ozone machines they can leave running, which will get rid of just about any smell. Good luck...just driving NEAR where a skunk has been is bad enough. I can't imagine a direct hit. Gag!! Report Spam or Abuse Request: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by lewis_admin (1320) | (06/30/2008) Profile | Blog! | Contact My 2 labs were sprayed by a skunk 3 days ago and my entire house and everything in it smells like skunk. My father-in-law is coming for a visit in less than a week and I don't know how to get rid of this smell. Clothes, coats, purses, book bags. Are all of these things ruined? Shelly from Worden, Illinois Answers: RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Febreze works well in the house for skunk odor. It may need a repeat spraying. Wiping a pet's face with vinegar water helps remove skunk odor. (03/01/2008) By takelababy RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Skunk spray contains an oil which is why it clings so well to whatever it touches. Washing items in a combination of soap and vinegar wter usually does a good job, then air dried. (03/01/2008) By takelababy RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Thanks for the helpful hints. Two suggestions: The Hydorgen Peroxide-Dawn-baking soda works well; and also place bowls of coffee grounds - unused is better but used is ok. The coffee grounds absorb the smell. Better to have your house smell like Starbucks than skunk. (03/01/2008) By Louise RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House 4:00 this morning I awoke to a horrendous odor. A skunk must have sprayed outside my open bedroom window. I tried burning candles, but worried that if I fell aspleep again the house would burn down. And if you burn incense, make sure it isn't under a smoke alarm, or being tired and cranky will be the least of your problems. I have vinegar boiling on the stove, and a baking pan of coffee grounds in the oven. 5 minutes, all gone. And I used the yucky old flavored coffee that everyone gives me as gifts (that I abhor!) so it smells like Chocolate and Coffee. Yummy. (03/07/2008) By AuPouvoir RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House and dog This is the second time it's happened to us at 2-4:00 am and must I say, I never wanted to smell that awful, gag reflex smell again, and I'm sure neither did our Austrian Shepherd, Duke, although this time he wasn't just curious, he was doing his duty to protect us, and the bag of trash outside. This time wasn't as bad for him because he must have realized his error at the last second and turned, because this time instead of receiving the blessing in the eye, he got it on the tail end. Go figure. The skunk either had bad aim, or Duke's reflexes have improved. Anyway, my husband let him in unknowingly again, just like I did before, until he began rubbing himself on the carpet, just like last time right under my nose. Immediately we went into De-skunking mode. Duke ran to the tub, and my husband starting getting the supplies, the vinegar, the shampoo, and the baking soda. As I deskunked Duke, he worked with carpet supplies on the carpet, lit candles, and put vinegar and coffee grounds in EVERY ROOM. This does work although it does take up to a week depending on how bad your animal and house were penetrated. A COUPLE MORE TIPS-- I found the last time that using Hazelnut Popourri helps to highlight the coffee smell in a little more appealing way, as well as, using fabric sheets in your furnace heat vents. Every single one of them, will put off a wonderful fragrance when your furnace runs, and they are made for heat because you use them in the dryer. So if you have floor vents just pick your favorite fragrance, and put 1-2 between the floor and the vent, this definitely helps deodorize from the skunk, the coffee, and the vinegar. Because if your not careful, you'll go from skunk to that wonderful vinegar smell throughout your house in a week or so.. Just remember it does get better and will eventually go completely away until the next time. It makes me literally sick thinking about it. One more thing that helped me was chewing gum or a cough drop the night of, because after you've been that close to the natural oil of a skunk, you have it, in every pore, every sinus crevis, every taste bud, and it's there for a couple of days, unless you take action, and the action I took, was using a strong cough drop w/ vapors to help cleanse my sinuses, and mouth, as well as a strong flavored gum. Good Luck, and God Bless, (don't think I haven't questioned God on "Why Skunks anyway, Lord?") (03/15/2008) By Michele, OH RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House We had a a skunk attach last night and after reviewing all the web info we ended up using a mixture of mouthwash and laundry detergent. Threw in a bit of vinegar right on the spot where she was hit, used an oatmeal dog shampoo with a touch of my eucalyptus oil & dried her. Smelling the spot this a.m. you cannot tell there was ever an incident. (03/20/2008) By Nancy RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Thank God for this site! Just came home from a rare evening out with the hubby (3 have three little kids) and as soon as we pulled into the driveway I could smell it. Then came in the house and the smell was worse! The babysitter let the dog in after he got sprayed! His bed is in our room so of course that is the worst of the whole house. This happened one other time at our old house and it was miserable! Anyway, it is 1:17 am and I too am making a list of everything to buy tomorrow. Will spend the day cleaning everything I guess. I'll post again to let everyone know how it went. Someone else said it best - this is like a support group. It really does feel so much better to know that you all have felt this pain! (06/27/2008) By Shannon RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House The Peroxide/Baking Soda/Detergent recipe works great on dog, our family has been using it for over 10 years, BUT, after the last attack I am having difficulties getting the oil/smell out of the carpet. The smell in the house has lessened after putting baking soda on the carpet. Any ideas on how to extract the smell totally from the carpet? (06/27/2008) By Sharon RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Thank you all! This site just saved my sanity! It is 3:00am...four hours ago our dog took several steps outside and met a skunk head on. He was skunked full face...Riley was frothing at the mouth, eyes almost shut. We were able to grab him as he tried to barrel back into the house so he only got two feet into the back entry, but the skunk was directly under the kitchen and bedroom windows (all wide open of course) and the dog was left in the garage, so like many of you, I am dealing with the dog and the house...called Emergency Vet...she had us rinse his eyes with contact saline solution. She also suggested peroxide bath, it does work (thank goodness for 24 hour Walgreens)! The dog is in better shape than the house. Thank you for all your tips! The house at the moment, is bearable. I have vinegar and cinnamon, candles, cofee grounds all at work. Have also put out bowls of vinegar and baking soda. We will see what the morning brings! (06/27/2008) By deb RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Ok, I posted before and now I am again to say that the peroxide/baking soda/dishwashing detergent bath really works! I will say that if you have a bigger dog, do a double recipe. Our dog is 75+ lbs and it took 2 baths and then another dose right on the chest where he got hit and now he is happily back in the house with the family. Still working to get rid of the smell in the house by where the attack took place. (06/28/2008) By Shannon. Report Spam or Abuse Request: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by Laurel_admin (468) | (02/25/2008) Contact I need advice for ridding skunk odors in the home. Cinda from Clyde, Ohio Answers: RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Because this is so long, I'm reposting the Peroxide, Baking Soda, Dish Soap mixture: The only thing that really works is a quart of peroxide with a quarter cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of dish soap. Mix it up and use immediately on pet. Around the house this solution may bleach some things so be careful but walls and floors should be okay to wash. (02/27/2006) By Zoe(/quote) (06/27/2007) By ThriftyFun RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House To order over the Internet or by telephone, X-O ODOR NEUTRALIZER CALIFORNIA VETERINARY SUPPLY www.calvetsupply.com 1800-366-3047 (06/27/2007) By BABBIE RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Put some vinegar in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Then go all through the house with the pan. This works pretty good for me. Joanie (06/29/2007) By Joanie RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Seems like the best way to get the whole-house benefit of using coffee would be to roast some. When my Mom roasts her coffee, she buys green coffee beans and then roasts them for a (couple hours?) and it fills the house with heavenly coffee smell. You could buy lightly-roasted pale coffee and roast it to dark. I don't even drink coffee, but I keep the grounds on hand and put some in a dry pan, to roast on the stovetop for a few minutes, just because I totally love the aroma! Sorry to hear all the really painful stories, I had no idea what that was like! God bless every poor dog and owner out there! (06/29/2007) By Kim Ch RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Our yorkie attacked a skunk at three in the morning. I previously heard that cinnamon mouthwash worked great for removing the smell. Well it worked wonders! My yorkie doesn't smell at all. We just washed him in the cinnamon mouth wash. (07/07/2007) By henry RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House I did the boil vinegar and walk around the house thing while making coffee... and burning candles.. so far so good! (07/23/2007) By cristina removing skunk smell The baking soda/peroxide/dawn mixture is the only way to go!! I work for an animal shelter and we recommend this all the time. You may also want to consider putting an eye ointment in to protect the eyes, not only from the skunk spray, but also from the bath. My lab/hound mix got hit right in the face, I applied the mixture very carefully by using a wash cloth so as not to get in his eyes. When I rinsed him I covered his eyes so it wouldn't run in. Unfortunately, he did get in the house so we are still working on that. The candles, incense and coffee grounds are doing the trick. As for myself, I had to bath with the mixture after I wrestled with my 80 lb. dog in the tub! Good Luck to everyone with this problem! (09/07/2007) By Annie Luczkow RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Our house got sprayed underneath the porch. The smell was so bad that we were forced to move out of the house for 3 weeks. This happened in early Feb. and was during an absolutely cold cold period. Windows were not an option. Vinegar in bowls with coffee grounds in each room was definitely the best solution. It took time but finally the house was rid of the smell. (09/30/2007) By Chili RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House MUST READ: What everyone says here absolutely works. My dogs got sprayed tonight and I immediately checked this page for ideas on how to get the smell out of my dogs and house. FOR DOGS: Use rubber gloves and get into some old clothes that you don't mind getting the smell on. Get a metal bowl (large) or any other container to mix the ingredients in. Use hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap. I also threw in a tiny bit of vinegar. You dont necessarily have to measure out parts of the ingredients, i just threw in enough stuff to be sure it covered my dog. I slowly poured it over the back of the neck of my dog and going down his spine using all the ingredients in the bowl. By the way if you have someone to help you it will go easier. Then I scrubbed the dog for around 5-10 minutes. I then washed off my dog with warm water. Then I did the above step all over again. After rinsing the second time I used some dog shampoo, gave a good scrubbing and rinse and VOILA! The smell was gone! I will check again tomorrow for smell on them and if so I will repeat one more time and that should surely get rid of the smell. I couldn't believe how effective and quick this worked! It was really unbelievable. FOR HOUSE: Set oven at 250 and keep open the door just a crack. Use a metal cookie sheet and put cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger all over sheet and let roast in oven. Soon your house will smell great! I don't know yet how the house will smell tomorrow (if there will be skunk or cinnamon smell) but this is definetely a quick and easy fix. ALSO -- boil some vinegar in a pot and throw in some cinnamon and apples and this helps out a ton as well. Again, I couldn't believe how quick and fast and effective this worked in getting the smell out of my house. Tomorrow will be the true test on both of these, but all signs are that they work great and I HIGHLY recommend these methods in getting skunk smell out of your house and off your dogs! The good thing about these methods are that they are inexpensive, quick, easy, and most houses already have the ingredients in them! Take care and good luck everyone! (10/19/2007) By Coopa20 RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Holy goodness that worked great! Cinnamon and coffee grounds baked at 250. Boiling cider vinegar with a cinnamon stick. And don't forget to walk the steaming pot around the house to release the vapors everywhere. I'm gonna do this more often! even when a skunk hasn't sprayed. It smells so good. (10/25/2007) By Kristen RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House My geriatric, arthritic dog was sprayed in the face during a 2 am bathroom break. I was not about to bathe her (temperature in he 30's, and she was already stressed). I rinsed her eyes and mouth with cool water, wiped her with a wet towel, and worked Nature's Miracle enzyme solution well into her coat, wiping it off with a dry towel repeatedly -- spray, massage, rub with a dry towel. Most of the smell and all of the visible skunk spray was removed, and I repeated the process the next morning. I just lived with the mild residual smell until she could be washed comfortably (that is, with no stress, and with proper drying conditions). Nature's Miracle is a great product to keep on hand and is a much more humane way to deal with a middle-of-the-night skunk attack than harsh hydrogen peroxide (incidentally, per the earlier posting, there is absolutely no scientific basis for adding vinegar to the peroxide/baking soda/soap mix...that mix exists as such for a chemically based reason). I lit incense and sprayed natural air freshener, stripped off all clothing that got near the dog and gathered all towels and washed them in hot water with Oxy Clean -- which removed the odor completely. I get upset hearing people going on about how awful it it is have a dog skunked, and then they go on about how they ran around and did this and that to the dog and the house...and I feel horrible for the poor animal feeling that they are the object of all that stress and anger. My advice is to calmly deal with it in as noninvasive a way as possible (Nature's Miracle), then go back to bed, tuck in your dog, and address the bathing and washing in the morning when you aren't angry at your beloved pet. It's just a smell. It goes away. (01/25/2008) By Consider the dog! RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House My hound dog Dylan was sprayed by a skunk a week ago today. After cleaning the carpets and airing out the house for nearly a week. My kitchen still smelled really bad when I opened a cabinet door. It finally dawned on me that my shelf paper was odor absorbent. OMG - when I started peeling up the contact paper, I just about passed out! I had to remove all the dishes, pots & pans & everything from the drawers too. I pulled up that paper from everywhere and then scrubbed the wooden cabinets with XO odor removal. It still smells a bit but so much better. Now I'm washing all the dishtowels and pot holders. The odor is clinging to my wooden rolling pin and wooden bowls too. They are airing out in the front yard along with all the bedding from the "doggie den". My neighbors thought I was having a yard sale. I've tried the cinnamon and coffee and citrus candles. I think this odor will take a really long time to go away, but it's getting better. As far as my dog, he got the tomato juice bath right away but his nose and ears still smell and his breath is horrible. He is eating and drinking his water and seems to have plenty of energy so I guess time will help him smell better too. (02/25/2008) By Pat in Texas Report Spam or Abuse Request: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by jess_admin (687) | (06/27/2007) Profile | Blog! | Contact My children got sprayed by a skunk. we used the peroxide solution and they don't smell, but the garage, car, and bathroom do. How do I get rid of the odor? June from Middle Island, NY Answers: RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House We set out bowls of baking soda and apple cider vinegar in every room. We also used citrus scented candles. Be sure to change your air filter so the old one doesn't keep recycling the bad smelling air. It takes awhile. Just keep renewing the soda, etc. If you can open the windows and get fresh air, that helps so much. Good luck. It isn't an easy problem to solve! I wish you the best. By Glenda RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Well, my dog has been sprayed 3 times in the last two years. Twice, he was sprayed very badly, and once, just got it a bit. So, I have learned all about skunk remedies. The peroxide mix is a blessing. Thank God for something that actually works!! By the way, when you buy large quantities of peroxide at Walmart, the cashier will look at you funny! As for the house smell, fresh air, and time are your best bets, though I will definitely keep the vinegar and coffee solutions in mind next time! As for the smell on yourself, it's usually not as bad as you think - we swore that we stunk, but the smell was actually just burned into our noses. For sleeping purposes, Vicks vapour rub rubbed around your nose helps to block out the smell so you can sleep. By Bugly RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Absolutely Positively do everything in your power to keep the dogs from entering your house once they get sprayed. Not even the garage! My St. Bernard just killed a skunk last night and he stunk to high heaven. Even though it was 11 at night, we put him on a tie out outside, got rid of the skunk, and then began washing with vinegar, then tomato juice/puree/paste mixture I concocted, then normal shampoo.. it is best to try to clean them up as best as possible before letting them in. The house task is much larger than cleaning the dog! By Steph RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Oh my goodness!!!! Early this morning my husband and I smelled skunk in our bedroom. He said that he hoped our dog Charlie did not get sprayed. About that time Charlie scratched to be let in. I opened the door and literally had to push him back out after smelling that horendous smell. He took a direct hit in the face, right where I was pushing. I had it on my hands and bathrobe. I used my husbands Orange Pumice Hand Cleaner and washed my hands right away. It really helped, the smell was gone. However, for Charlie, I have not seem him yet but I am going to take everyones advice and try the peroxide/baking soda/dish soap remedy. The smell was so strong on my hand that I have a very sickening taste in my mouth from it. Wish me luck. By Paula from Montana RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Thanks, you all. You saved us after our first skunking ever. My son let the dog back in the house and sneaked back to bed after a 1:30 AM spraying! After the peroxide/baking soda/dish liquid, my husband bought a skunk shampoo from the vet and washed the dog again. Now he smells worse! It really was a "skunk shampoo!" Back to the peroxide. We are still ridding the house of the odor after a week. We did the apple cider bowls and the fresh ground coffee. I'm off to Wal-mart for Ozium Spray. It was just a few minutes but I don't know everywhere the dog may have rubbed against until I got him out. Is there a skunk odor detector out there? By Lilycat Report Spam or Abuse Request: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by lewis_admin (1320) | (06/10/2007) Profile | Blog! | Contact In July '06 a skunk sprayed under our house. The house still smells 5 months later. I am at my wits end. Can anyone help me? I have boarded up the holes where the skunk came in. They could not survive this long. Is it possible they are dead? The smell is not from rotting vermin. It is a fresh smell, sometimes stronger than other times. Nuala from San Francisco, CA Answers: RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Thanks for the help! Our dog was sprayed for the third time last night in 4 years. We immediately did the peroxide bath but she had already been inside the house rubiing in the den and bathroom. I have never experienced as severe a smell as we have now. Everyhting in the house reeks including us at work! We put out some coffee before we left for work today. We also purchased the Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover and ordered some of the ZO (too bad no stores carry it!). It hasn't worked too well on my hands but hopefully it will do better on my dog. Going to try some of the remedies listed here tonight in the house...I'm hopeful the stench will start to fade tonight. (02/15/2007) By Tracy RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Thanks for this website. A house that we use for a shop was sprayed and I was frantic as I have customers coming in and out. I poured a bowl of apple cider vinegar and left it over night. I also sprayed with a citrus spray. The skunk smell is gone. I have a vinegar smell but the skunk smell is gone. I think in a day or two the air will be clear of the vinegar. I can endure the citrus and vinegar smells. Thanks again for a great site. (02/26/2007) By Martha RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Another tip is to Burn Candles. The fire burns the skunk smell. (03/01/2007) By Conor RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Use Ozium for the house. You can pick it up at Wal-mart. The odor is gone in seconds. Literally! My neighbor brought over a 1/2 a can and a one second spray in each room knocked out the skunk odor right away. So now my house smells like... air. (03/07/2007) By Tim RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House My girl got sprayed so bad her white fur was yellow! The peroxide-baking soda-dish soap mixture really worked on her. We rubbed it into her skin and let is soak for about 10 minutes. We put cereal sized bowls of apple cider vinegar and some baking soda in every room to get rid of the smell and after only 2 hours, the smell is really neutralizing! Hope this works for anyone else! (03/12/2007) By h8thestink! RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House The vinegar and coffee is working. It is an odd smell, but way better than the skunk. (03/25/2007) By Terri RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! Whoever first posted the use of coffee grounds to deodorize the house... I love you! We were fortunate enough that the dog didn't come in when he was first sprayed, but the smell inside has still been just horrible. I placed saucers of coffee around the rooms, along with dishes of cider vinegar. Within minutes I was able to breath again! I even ground a bit of vanilla coffee to make the smell even more pleasant. The dog however is another story. I have used tomato juice, "skunk off" product from the pet store, the peroxide and baking soda solution, even fresh lemons rubbed into his ruff. Everything seems to work, for a while. after four baths, the smell is mostly gone. I tend to think anything will work if you bath them at least four times! Poor baby is really wiped out. I am having a problem because he was sprayed in the mouth, and you really can't use most products on their faces. I did use a wash cloth and washed his face carefully several times with the peroxide solution. We are doing much better now. So take heart if you are just at the start of this situation!! It will get better. Thanks everyone. (04/18/2007) By Jet~ RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House Oh thank you for the coffee advice. it worked within minutes to get the smell out of the house! (05/15/2007) By Billy RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House A few weeks ago we woke up in the middle of the night choking from the most foul wretched smell of burning rubber. It was so intense we called the fire department. Turns out a skunk had sprayed the front of our house and every square inch of the inside of our house reeked with skunk odor. It was so intense it was hard to breath. I went to this website and tried every tip: Skunk Off, cider vinegar in bowls all over the house and washed the house down with the peroxide mixture. Nothing worked. I called animal control and they gave me the best advice: to immediately open the house, open every window and door possible and air out the house. Then we bought Fabreze plug ins to mask the odor. It didn't eliminate it but it did a good job of masking it. After 2 weeks, the odor has dissipated (though it's not completely gone) and animal control has set up traps to try and catch the skunk. So my tips are 1. Open the house and air it out. 2. Change the filters on your furnace (you don't want to recycle the skunk air throughout your house). 3. Call animal control to trap this animal dead or alive!! (05/16/2007) By Leslie RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House I don't know about removing a skunk smell, but if the skunk is still under your house, call your local ASPCA and they'll check it out and remove the animal for you. I think you may have to contact your homeowner's insurance agent and see if there's a professional cleaning service that deals with that level of industrial strength stink. (05/21/2007) By sylviecyn RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House I am now a member of the skunked club. Last night our dog katie managed to acquaint herself with a local polecat, I awoke to ask my husband what the stinky oder was, he told me what had happened and thankfully had not let Katie in the house, but that did not stop our cozy home from becoming a stink pod of horror. After lighting overpriced yankee candles and running a tub of bleach in the bathroom, i tried to go back to sleep with my nose next to a box of fabric softener sheets. i was so nauseated, so finally I got up and found this site. I have now placed all my little trays of apple cider vinegar and coffee grounds here and there, thanks for all of you stinkers out there who have nosed around before me and posted these solutions. I am going to remember this experience a long time. i really feel for those of you who had the misfortune to let the dog into the house after it was sprayed. Katie looks so pitiful, she is out under the shade tree, after my husband bathed her, she still is a stinker. i bet she can't even smell herself, lucky her. (05/30/2007) By Stinky aka Rebeka RE: Removing Skunk Smell From House About that homeowner's insurance claim... A CAUTION! These days insurance companies are looking for any reason to refuse homeowner's insurance. We made a $2,000 claim to our company and, when we sold our home several months later, we found they would not insure our new home. For two years, we had to purchase high-cost insurance from the state in order to cover our new home. They can't cancel your insurance while you are in the same home you originally insured, but if you plan to move anytime soon, beware of cancellation as soon as you try to get the new home insured. It may be cheaper to suck up the cost of skunk odor removal. (06/06/2007) By Susie Report Spam or Abuse Request: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by lewis_admin (1320) | (01/16/2007) Profile | Blog! | Contact How do you remove skunk smell from inside a house? Karen from Farmington, Maine Answers: Thanks What a God-send this site has been! Thanks so much to "La La" for your description of the direct hit smell. When our St. Bernard entered the house this morning at 4am after barking furiously, an overwhelming, choking smell of burnt rubber and garlic filled the entire downstairs. We had no idea it was skunk because it didn't smell like it! Now we know. We have bowls of vinegar all over the house, and it seems to be helping. Now we'll try the peroxide/baking soda/soap bath. Thanks so much to everyone for your help. (09/08/2006) By Chris from Montana Coffee COFFEE! I used the vinegar first to fight the skunk smell; then the vinegar smelled so bad I had to lysol my house, I used both neutra air and a scented one. Next, I went thru and saged the whole place- every nook and cranny! I finished it off with a wonderful grapefruit essential oil! I finally felt fresh!! Until a friend walked into the door and scream, "EU It smells like Skunk!" I have since added baking soda on little paper plates all over the house. But I believe it is the fresh ground coffee I tucked underneath my cabinets that has made a world of difference! I knew coffee worked to cure bad refrigerator smells, but I think it works wonders for Skunk too! GOOD LUCK! (09/14/2006) By shaszc Lemon Juice Removing skunk odor from a room: I don't know why it works but, simmer some lemon juice right in the room for about an hour. I use my crock pot without the lid on and it works like magic. Also, a great thing to get the smell out of a pet is a product called TKO. It's a orange citrus cleaning product. (09/18/2006) By Peggy Coffee Thank you so much, I came home from work and walked into the house, a skunk had climbed under my mobile home and sprayed. I read all the entries, and didn't have any of the other ingredients, except coffee and lots of it. I dusted my entire house with coffee and in seconds the smell was almost gone. At least I can breath. I would rather clean up coffee from the floor than live with that smell. (09/25/2006) By Kelly Day One Oh my goodness! We got skunked last night! My husband let the dog out and she no sooner got outside when he saw the skunk. My husband called the dog in, but too late. Poor little Misty! Poor little house! The skunk sprayed right by the BBQ grill on the patio. Misty ran in and straight to me. I bathed her in Scope (which I had heard to do) and it helped a little. My house is another story. We barely got any sleep last night because of the smell. I have Misty on the sunporch while I'm at work, so at least she won't spread the smell that remains on her. I took a shower this AM, but I still smell awful! I had to take my jacket out to the car as it was stinking up the office. I can barely stand myself. My husband said he isn't smelling too much better, and I have a feeling my kids stink too. I didn't notice this morning cuz everything stunk. I am going to try the vinegar in bowls when I get home. Any idea how to get the smell out of the clothes? I think every single item of clothing and bedding must stink! I think I'm going to just take everything I can fit in the car to the Laundromat and do it all there at one time. Just fill up every washer. I just hope I don't stink up the washers for everyone else. But, I could never do that much at home. We've had problems before, but nothing like this. I opened the windows before I left the house this morning, and it's only around 50 degrees. I can just imagine the heating bill I'll have. We're so busy at work that I can't take off to get home and take care of this. Help! (10/17/2006) By Lori Thank You THANK YOU for this site! I feel like I just joined a club I never wanted to become a member of. 2 days ago one our dogs (thankfully only one) got sprayed in the face by a skunk. He came barreling through the door and before we knew what happened, he flopped down and wiped himself all over our carpet, throw rugs, etc. Once we realized what happened, we immediately ran for paper towels and wiped the dogs eyes in case any of the spray got in them. Then (still in panic mode) my brother ran to the market and bought large quantities of tomato juice, dog shampoo and dawn dish soap (he called a friend on the way for a recommendation). Meanwhile, recovering from bronchitis, I stood outside in the freezing cold with the dog because I couldn't take the smell in the house nor did I want him to spread anymore of the "wealth" (ugh!!) After several large cans of tomato juice, dawn and shampoo we got the bulk of the smell out of the dog, but not the house!! (No one ever mentioned the house odor when I've heard dog-skunk tales). Late into the night we steam cleaned the carpets, washed clothes and blankets and despite our best efforts, the house still smelled AWFUL. Yesterday we found this site and I set off to the market and bought gallons of cider vinegar, baking soda, carpet freshener with baking soda, peroxide, etc. The vinegar bowls seem to help (I still have them out), I'm not thrilled by that smell either, but it beats that burnt tire/skunk smell that permeated nearly every room of our house. The carpet freshener with the baking soda (I used at least 6 of them over the course of several hours yesterday) also seems to help, though I think it's important to clean the oils out of the carpet first. Now that the lab has had a day to recover from the skunk and bathing traumas, we're going to try the remedies mentioned on this site to get rid of the faint smell that remains on his muzzle. I think I've done at least 12 or 13 loads of laundry since this whole ordeal began. I used bleach on the whites and though it's risky, I poured a small amount of bleach into the cap from the clorox container (a little less than full) on the dark loads (it was a risk I was more than willing to take). I also used 2 fabric softener sheets for each dryer load. Everything came out smelling great and my darks were not damaged at all, but again, it is risky to put bleach on darks. I waited until the water was filling in the washer before adding the cap full of bleach. Thanks to all for sharing their stories and remedies. It really does help to know how others dealt with this horrible experience. Whoever said "If it hasn't happened to you, it's impossible to convey the horror!" was right on the money. Good luck to anyone else who is unfortunate enough to go through this experience. (10/17/2006) By Sandy Day Two A day has gone by and things are getting better. I'm no longer in panic mode. I'm feeling much more optimistic. My husband rented a couple of electronic room deodorizers. They produce ozone. They weren't terribly expensive (38.00 each per day) and they helped a lot. We put one each on the first and second floors - the basement wasn't too bad, so we just put vinegar bowls out and some carpet deodorizer on the area rug we have there. One tip on the electronic air cleaners - DO NOT turn it up to "high" unless you plan on getting out for the night. We were warned about that by the rental company. The air cleaners can give you some grief if you are prone to headaches or sinus trouble. We kept it low enough that we were OK. But, do be careful if you use one. Vinegar helped so much too. I was sure glad to read that tip. We put bowls out everywhere. I also wiped down the counters and sinks and my purse and other objects that picked up the smell with it. It became my new best friend - that and baking soda for the couches and chairs. Just sprinkle on, wait about 15 minutes and vacuum. Also, another product that helped is Downy Febreze fabric softener. We have many afghans and throws so using that in the rinse cycle sure helped get those smelling better. It's also great for sheets, towels, etc. I sure am glad I saw the tips about the peroxide, baking soda and dish soap for Misty, our dog. I was doubtful so I tried some expensive stuff I picked up from the vet first. It barely helped. The inexpensive method seems to have worked much better. Another product that helped is Carpet Fresh No Vacuum Foam Carpet Refresher. But, use sparingly - it has a strong smell. The best advice I can give to anyone who is going through this is that it will get better. You can get the smell out. It's no fun, and I wouldn't wish getting skunked on my worst enemy, but it can be done. Also, unless you can afford it, don't bother calling one of those professional cleaners. My husband called one and they wanted $1,200.00 to get the smell out of our house. We could have put it through our insurance, but still, it would be way too much. With the help of this website we're just about odor free around here. This website is wonderful! It sure helped to know that others had gone through this and survived. Thank you so much to everyone who has posted here. (10/18/2006) By Lori Vinegar We had just moved into our new home and did not have a fence up yet. Your two dogs had gotten sprayed by a skunk. We panic'd and brought the dogs into the house and put them in the basement. Before we knew it our whole house smelled. I put bowls of vinegar everywhere and that seemed to work. I also took a pot (you can throw out) and put coffee grounds in it. Do not added water or any liquid. Cook the grounds on the stove until it starts to give off a smoky scent. Then take the pot into every room and let the room take in the incense. (10/20/2006) By Gia It Happened Again I don't believe this! It happened again! You know what they say, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." Well shame on me. I thought what happened a few days ago would never happen again, but it did. The skunk seemed to have left. We had no sightings or trouble, so I didn't think too much of it when I let Misty out the back porch door again. She was begging to go out and since it was a little after 9PM, I thought I'd better let her out one more time for the night. I let her out and then saw her look towards the BBQ grill and as soon as I realized the skunk must be there, it was too late. Here we go again. This time I did not let her into the house. I have her on the back sunporch. I immediately put out vinegar and some coffee in every room. We are doing better this time I think. Unfortunately though, my vacuum cleaner is out on the porch as I was vacuuming it when Misty wanted out. I think the vacuum cleaner is toast. It's plastic and probably really absorbed the stink. I called Misty in and immediately closed the door to the porch so she didn't get in the house. But then my son was worried that she could die of skunk smell, and I started to worry too, so I went out there and opened a few windows for her and sprayed Odor Off around. It seems to be getting a bit worse in here after that, even though I was so careful to open the door just enough for me to get on the porch to open the windows. Maybe I just got such a strong whiff of it, that I notice it more. I did change clothes since I went out there. On Monday we will make phone calls to see if there is a humane way to trap the skunk, or at least keep him or her out of our yard. I may try putting moth balls around. I don't understand why it's hanging around the BBQ grill. Tomorrow morning I am going to have to make up some of the stuff to bathe her in and bathe her outside. At least this time I do have a plan of action. Does anyone know of some skunk-free place where we can all pack up and move to? Maybe a no-skunk zone somewhere? (10/21/2006) By Lori Keep Peroxide Out of Eyes Do not allow Hydrogen Peroxide in your animals eyes, nor your own for that matter. It is toxic and quite painful. (I am an Ophthalmologist.) Our dogs get sprayed from time to time, the little boneheads never learn! It always happens late at night on that that last trip outside, doesn't it!? You're really tired and ready for bed and it's 30 or 40 or 50 degrees outside. Now the house smells like holy hell, you open all the windows, freeze your a.. off, can't sleep, the dog is rolling all that stink into the rug, or worse your couch or bed, what a nightmare! You can't decide whether to put him back out and maybe get sprayed again or keep him in. You can't win! Stay up half the night shampooing the dog and trying to de-stink the house, or just roll over in bed and suffer. After so many times, we just go to sleep and worry about it the next day. (10/24/2006) By Michael Guerra Happened to Me Too Second times a charm. Dog came in stinking to high heaven and rolled around on the carpet. Of course it's late at night. Came here after trying incense, house sprays, baking soda, essential oils. What really seems to remove the odor from the house is the dishes of vinegar and sprinkling coffee all over the house. Now my house smells like a coffee shop instead of a skunk house!! Much, much better. Wonder what the husband will think in the morning seeing ground coffee all over the carpet. And that's the way you use it, just sprinkle ground coffee all over areas that smell. And my heart goes out to all that are reading these hints. Welcome to the club. (11/01/2006) By Jocelyn My Experience My cockapoo got skunked yesterday morning. Like many others, I didn't know until I let her in and got blasted by the smell when she ran past me through the house. I put her in the garage while I searched for the cure, not remembering my car was in the garage! My dog, my house, and my car smelled like skunk! Fortunately, it wasn't too cold and I opened doors & windows to "air out" the house some. I bathed the dog first in the dishsoap, peroxide, baking soda mix and it helped some. Next I went to the petstore and got Natures Way and rubbed it into her face as best as I could and gave her bath #2. Still smelling in her face, I doused her head in vinegar. She still smells a bit, I admit I'm not great at bathing her. We had to go to a hotel and take the dog to the kennel @ our vets office. Today, our carpets were cleaned and it is quite a bit better but still smells some in the house. (11/07/2006) By Melissa Peroxide Solution Our Westie got sprayed by a skunk last night. Her whole side was a bullseye for that skunk spray! I was in a panic. I immediately got on the internet to find a solution. No way could I wait till morning with that smell! I found this site and the peroxide solution worked wonders. No more smell at all on her. It was after midnight and I had to get up for work at 3:30 am. The odor was still in my house and it made it impossible to sleep. I put vinegar in bowls and somehow managed to get a couple of hours sleep. When I woke up the smell was mostly gone. Thank You so much for this site! (11/26/2006) By Debbee My Experience Our boston terrier got into it with a skunk the night before last. I hollered and stamped my feet like crazy but I couldn't stop that tail from going up and ruining my holidays. I picked her up and put her in the laundry tub but this was after she ran by me, into the house and rubbed her muzzle all over the living room. We contacted the vet about this and after examine the dog the vet reported the incident to the Disease Control Center. Ripping through the records it showed her rabies vaccination had lapsed. We were told the animal had to be quarantined for 6 months in house with only 1 person to be in contact with her throughout. We're in the process of building a barrier to confine her to one room as per the directions given. The one year we forget and this happens. Back to the house, we have bowls of cider vinegar out and it seems to be working. It's 5ºC outside and we have all the windows wide open. Our 1year old son is staying with his grandparents. Everything smells like skunk butt. Things I have learned: Tomato juice to cure skunk smell is a myth. Hydrogen Peroxide and baking soda with dish soap WORK 100%. White vinegar isn't as amazing as cider vinegar. Fresh air is the only cure for a skunky house. Vaccinations must be kept up to date. I love my dog. My advise to anyone who goes through this. When your pet gets sprayed don't let it in the house. The hydrogen solution will fix the smell right way, of course if you're reading this it's probably too late.. OMG TIME TO PANIC! No just get anything it touched out of the house !RIGHT NOW! If you know your pet isn't vaccinated try to capture the skunk. I know this sounds dangerous but going through what I am now,(the prospect of quarantine), I would throw a blanket over the skunk and wrap him up in a jiffy. Rabies can only be ascertained through examination of the suspected animals brain matter. Animals don't live through this so it's either Spot or the damned skunk. Unless you like confining your pet for months on end... When you prepare the hydrogen solution try to make it in a container that you can handle easily like a water bottle. We used a tupperware bowl and it was kinda messy, had we made it in a bottle it would have been easier to administer. Don't do it in a sealed container as there is a chemical reaction (FIZZES!) when you make it. Have cotton balls or a small washcloth on hand to work on your pet's face. This solution will harm your pet if it travels into eyes or mouth. If your pet was bugging the skunk it is more than likely the spray is on the muzzle. And I'm not sure on this but it seems synthetic fabrics are holding the smell more than others. We have a coat rack and some coats stink and others don't. My wife is on the phone with the whole world right now asking about cleaning solutions for everything.. I think it's safe to say we won't be participation in any new years parties this year. (12/29/2006) By Paulo Note About Peroxide Bath One note on the peroxide bath: if you or your scruffy little pal has any cuts or open sores and the peroxide, baking soda and dishsoap mix hits it, it will sting a lot. Something to keep in mind. (01/08/2007) By Steve My Experience My white dog, Maya, took it right between the eyes at close range last night. By the time I got out to the back yard to investigate, my other dog Auggie was chasing the skunk around the yard and got it cornered about 5 feet from the door. There it stood, tail raised and aimed right at me and Auggie. Luckily for us (and unluckily for Maya), it must have been out of "ammo", and amazingly we all got inside without further incident. Although Maya was squinting, she didn't appear to be blinded. However her beautiful white fur was badly soiled with the yellow substance. I called the emergency vet and got the hydrogen peroxide recipe. Unfortunately I didn't have any HO in the house so I had to go out and find an open store that sold it. It was close to midnight, and it took me a couple of tries. (I will now keep the supplies for skunk odor removal on hand for future late night incidents...). I was actually glad to escape the house and the smell for a while, despite the late hour, but I was rather self conscious in the stores of my perceived "aroma". When I got home I bathed Maya three times with the solution and the odor was reduced. The problem is that she has a lot of the oil around her eyes. I was afraid to get too close to her eyes with the hydrogen peroxide, so the smell is still very bad in that area. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to treat that very sensitive area? I dread going home tonight because I'm sure the house still reeks, but I'm going to pick up gallons of cider vinegar on my way home. It was very entertaining to read the other stories - especially so many that closely resemble our experience. Thanks for the camaraderie! (01/10/2007) By Lisa M Report Spam or Abuse Request: Removing Skunk Smell From House Post by lewis_admin (1320) | (09/05/2006) Profile | Blog! | Contact My dog got sprayed by a skunk, then ran into the house. My whole house, upstairs and down, smell so horrible. How can I get rid of the odor? Connie777 from Coventry, RI Answers: Tomato Juice The age old cure is tomato juice add it to the laundry 2 cups a load wash in cold water no soap then wash again with your soap no more smell to get it out of rugs and carpet spray with two parts water and one part tomato juice in a fine mist over rugs and furniture then wait 5 minutes to remove any tomato stains just wipe with cold water let dry no more smell or stains. (02/26/2006) By barbaglia This Works The only thing that really works is a quart of peroxide with a quarter cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of dish soap. Mix it up and use immediately on pet. Around the house this solution may bleach some things so be careful but walls and floors should be okay to wash. (02/27/2006) By Zoe Call Your Insurance Call your insurance company. It may be a good claim. I have a friend that had a skunk get in their car and the company totaled it--the car, not the skunk! At the very least, you may be able to hire a cleaning service. Good luck. (03/01/2006) By sylviecyn House Insurance Our home was sprayed by skunk(s) in Oct. Since that time I have tried everything and anything anyone has recommended. I have smelled just about every air freshener on the market. We even rented an ozone generator. The smell is still present, not as strong but still very noticeable. I would like to have a company come in to treat but it is very expensive. My insurance company states skunks are rodents and therefore not covered under my policy. The company I want to hire states skunks are not rodents and it is an act of God which would make it covered under my homeowners insurance. Have any of you tried using your insurance for this? If so how did you convince them. Thank you for your input. (03/26/2006) By Francine Not Rodents If your insurance company says skunks are rodents they are 100% wrong. Skunks are not even closely related to rodents. They are more closely related to ferrets, lions and bears than any rodent. Skunks are actually in the order Carnivora and family Mephitidae or Mustelidae depending on which classification you're using. So look at your insurance policy carefully and see if this makes a difference. Hopefully them not being classified as rodents may make a difference. Good luck! (03/28/2006) By Michelle Zero Odor I have this wonderful little cat named Jack AKA, Jacky Legs and the Jackal, depending on his mood. Jack went out at 2 am to play with the pretty kitty and from his pattern of smell he pounced him from behind. When the assault happen it was as though he had been shot thru the pet door, sitting in my bed wondering what happened to him to cause him to behave so frantically it hit me. Driving by skunk smell is not what skunk smells like up close and personal in your bed room. Jack rolled and wiped himself on everything in site before being confined in the bathroom. I used all of the home remedies I could find that night and the next day all of the pet store products, nothing helped and every time he got wet it was as strong as the first night. Long story short, Zero Odor. I had ordered it for a spraying problem one of our cats had and thought I would try it on everything that Jack had rolled on. Within an hour the house smell was gone. Understand that Zero Odor does not state to use this on a pet but something had to give (it is a natural product). I covered his head and went to town, after treatment I rolled him in a towel until he dried so he wouldn't lick himself and no more smell. I use ZO for everything in my home and recommend it highly, it will take the smell out of anything. However, I don't recommend it to put it on your pet, it didn't hurt Jack at all but you would have to decide how bad it is and what you would do to r