How to get rid of skunk odor on you, pets, furniture

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Skunk mating season is in full force, which means you and your pet are more likely to come in contact with the pungent odor of a skunk spray.

“Skunk spray is annoying, to say the least,” Alli McDonough, owner of pet day care and groomer Fido and Stitch, said. “Skunk spray is actually an oil, so it does stick to the fur (and skin and fabrics). Obviously, water and oil don’t mix, so that’s why it’s hard to get it out with water, and sometimes water can help set it in as well.”

DO HOME REMEDIES WORK?

When most people think of trying to get rid of skunk spray, they think of a bath in tomato juice. Sadly, the tomato juice remedy doesn’t work because “it simply introduces a new smell into the space, tricking you into believing the skunk smell has been removed,” according to commercial cleaner SERVPRO.

“If you were to shampoo a dog, you have to rinse it down first. That is the most detrimental thing that you can do,” McDonough said. “So never put water on your dog first.”

She said the most effective method of removing the skunk spray oil and odor from fur is a mixture of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and dish soap. The Human Society of the United States recommends this recipe:

• 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap

“Douse it over the affected area, typically it’s the face because dogs are nosy, and then let it sit for a while… let it really draw those oils out. Then you’re going to rinse with water,” McDonough said, adding that it is helpful to do this multiple times.

If a person is exposed to the oil or sprayed in the eyes, Poison Control says, it can cause short-term stinging, burning, redness and tearing, making it difficult to open the eyes. Breathing can also irritate the lungs or worsen asthma symptoms. Poison Control recommends the same baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and dish soap recipe to get rid of the smell.

If the oil gets into the house and on furniture, carpet or anything else, Brent Griffioen, owner of SERVPRO of Northeast Grand Rapids, Big Rapids and Fremont, and Ionia and Montcalm Counties, said some home remedies work but it depends on the severity.

“If a dog gets sprayed and it runs through the house, typically you can just open windows and just air it out yourself,” he said. “However, if the dog comes in and rolls on the carpet, or jumps on the couch or a bed or something like that, then you have to wash those materials…”

SERVPRO’s website recommends using laundry detergent to remove residual odor in fabrics and hanging them outside to dry. For items that can’t be washed or dry-cleaned, SERVPRO recommends hanging them outside to air dry.

“If it’s hardwood flooring or tile flooring, just wash it with a typical detergent. You could use a dish detergent, like a de-greaser would be fine,” Griffioen said.

PROFESSIONAL HELP

If you want to bring in a dog to Fido and Stitch for a de-skunking treatment, how quickly you could get in varies depending on the location, McDonough said.

“We don’t bring in freshly skunked dogs. We tell them, ‘Hey, do it at home first, whatever that solution might be’ or if they come in and grab a solution that we have on our shelves. We just ask that they do that first since we are a small space,” she said. “Typically we will do that second, third or fourth bath to really help. We do have the tools and the solution mixtures to really get it in there.”

If you do the DIY de-skunking treatment and think the odor is gone, McDonough says it might be hiding.

“We even see pups that come in for grooming that it’s been two months and we get water on them, and we’re like, ‘Ope, he’s been sprayed by a skunk recently,’” she said.

If you’re not lucky enough to catch your pet before they come inside and get the oil everywhere, there are several services that professional cleaning companies offer to get rid of the odor on things that are tricky to clean. If your carpet has the oil on it, Griffioen recommends getting it professionally steam-cleaned and shampooed.

“Same thing with upholstery, you can’t put your couch cushions in the washing machine, but there are companies that can come in and shampoo it and steam your upholstery too,” he said.

There are also air filtration devices that scrub the air to help remove the odor.

At SERVPRO, cleaning crews can get to your house usually within two to four hours at any time of day.