Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
What should I use to wash my car that will help get rid of skunk smell?
By Jessie
Vinegar and baking soda remove skunk smell, as well as urine stains. Spray a 1:1 Mix of vinegar and water, spray area heavily, and swab up as much liquid as possible with a cloth. Sprinkle the wet area with baking soda and wipe then vacuum when dry.
Hi, kumarihpx. That sounds easy enough. A few follow-up questions for you:
1. My dog was skunked, then got in my back seat. Will your solution be strong enough to solve my extreme problem, too?
I know I have a lot of questions, but I would really appreciate any additional comments you would be willing share. Thanks so much for your help!
All you have to do is just put up with it(mask with air freshener) for a couple weeks, max. It will eventually dissipate on it's own. Just leave car windows open.
Or you can also buy a plug in(cig lighter or wall) Ionizer. If you get one of those, roll up all windows and let run for several hours(ideally overnight). The Ionizer adds an oxygen molecule to the air. Effectively changing the molecular makeup of the odor itself. And eliminating it.
How to get the smell of skunk out of my car? The seats are leather.
By Cathey Sides from Huntsville, TX
Get a non oil based tomato paste and soak a rag in it then rub/dab lightly on the leather. Then take a a soapy rag and dab/rub that on the leather and finally rub it clean with a wet rag
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I ran over a skunk on Saturday night. I thought it was a possum, so I opened up the windows to see if it was a skunk or not by the smell. Of course, it was a skunk, and now my car reeks of skunk. I am unable to drive it, because the smell is so unpleasant that it actually makes me gag.
I know that there are posts on here for removing it from the outside of a car, but does anyone know any ways to get the smell out of the interior of my car? I've had the windows open for the past 2 days, and the smell hasn't dissipated at all.
By Stacey from Paramus, NJ
This sound crazy, but when I was a child living in the country my grandmother used tomato juice. She said that the acid in the tomatoes neutralized the odor.
Carla (11/05/2009)
By carla
My husband said to get something called Dead Down Wind Spray. It's an odor neutralizer that hunters use. You can get it at sporting goods stores. (11/07/2009)
Try putting coffee (new dry coffee from a can) in a pan (like a kitty litter pan or dish pan) in the car. Close the windows and let it sit in the sun for a couple of days. The coffee should take the smell out. (11/07/2009)
By anne
Go (or drive) to your local fire station/ambulance station. They have stuff that is used in automobiles that cleans the air out from when people die in their cars and have not been found until they have been in the sweltering heat for a couple of days. I do not know what the name is of the stuff, but they do. So go ask them to help you, after all they are "public servants" in other words they work for you not you work for them, and I am sure they will help you if you ask. Let us know how you turn out on this. (11/07/2009)
By Paula Jo C.
BON-CC-41. My father-in-law owns a car detailing shop and this is what they use. He also runs it though foggers because it gets the product where they can't physically go, like the cracks of the car, vents, etc. I even use it around the house and I know for a fact that it works on skunk odor from experience.
Good luck.
bioworldusa.com (12/16/2009)
By JB
My husband hit a skunk on the way home last night. This morning he has washed the car with everything he could think of, but nothing helps. Does anyone have some suggestions?
By miss penny from Greenwood, Canada
At many Walmart's and Target Stores they sell a special Skunk Remover. You can't miss it, it says Skunk Remover in big letters on the front. I found it in the Cat Litter and pet cleaner area of both Walmart and Target stores. This is an Enzyme product that helps to neutralize and quickly make the smell biodegrade naturally. You'll want to keep this wet after you apply it so it can do it's job. Also, there;a product called "Veterinary strength Outright Stain and Odor Remover" sold at may vets and online. It works the same way, but may be stronger.
After you have used the Enzyme product twice and let it sit for at least 12 hours each time while wet, you can also use Peroxide on the area. Do not use the Peroxide first or it will kill the good bacteria and enzymes in the other products. Always do a spot test for colorfastness before using peroxide. It usually works best on light colors.
Lastly - Follow with 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water if you have any lingering odors. (03/10/2010)
By Cyinda
Also try using activated charcoal pellets that you can get at a hardware store. Put in plastic container. Cut hole in top. It works to absorb odors. Had to use it when hubby brought home mulch in the back of my car that smelled like manure. Took some time but it did absorb the smell. (03/11/2010)
By Amy3e