Getting skunked is an unfortunate event. If you ever confront that furry animal, the irritating and loud smell can linger for weeks and trouble you. But, there are certain easy tips that you can follow to get rid of the skunk smell within a day. You can have the smell from your clothes, furniture, or even from your pets if those come in contact with a skunk. The cleaning process is different for each object. Today, we will discuss tips to get rid of the skunk smell from different materials. Read on to know more.
How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell on Clothing?
Have you got encountered a skunk in your backyard? You must have that strong smell in your clothes. How to get rid of that? You will need simple materials that can help you here. Have a look?.
Things You Need
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Wooden Spoon
- Large vessel
- Baking soda
- Clothes washing detergent
How to Apply the Method
- Dilute hydrogen peroxide with water. Take one part of the chemical and mix it with six parts of water in the large vessel or bucket.
- Soak your clothes for an hour or two.
- Once soaking is done, place the clothes inside the washing machine.
- Add half a cup of baking soda and detergent and wash it normally.
- You will get freshly smelled clothes within a few hours.
Special Tips to Follow ?
- Hydrogen peroxide can damage the fiber of the clothes, especially if it is expensive and delicate.
- You can use vinegar instead of hydrogen peroxide as it is smooth on the fabric.
- In this case, you need to soak the clothes for more hours like for 3 hours in a vinegar solution.
- Then wash normally as you do after soaking in hydrogen peroxide.
Once you are done washing, let your clothes dry under the bright sun’s rays. The UV rays can remove any further smell if it remains.
How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell from Your House?
Now, this may seem difficult as many of you start washing everything in your house and still don’t get success. No more worries if your house gets de-skunked with the following tips. These are simple and you can follow these tips easily.
- Make sure your entire house gets enough ventilation. Keep all the windows open and run the fans at high speed.
- If you have an HVAC system to control temperature, you should run the fans on high speed until the smell is gone completely.
- Let the sunlight enter every part of your house enough as it will oxidize the odor and make it neutral.
- Place bowls of vinegar in every room of your house for longer hours say for 21 to 48 hours. If the smell still lingers, you can continue changing the bowls and keep it until it goes. If you have kids or pets in the house, place the bowls out of their reach.
- You also need to change the filters of heaters, air conditioners, and the furnace so that the smell never reintroduces to your house once it is gone.
- If the stone or tile countertops stink, you can use a solution of bleach to remove the smell. Take 10 percent bleach and 90 percent water and make a solution to remove the smell. If you are using it on a wooden top or ceramic, you can try a patch test to know if the solution is changing the colors of your furniture. You can also make a vinegar solution with the same quantity to keep your furniture and floor in good condition.
- You can also buy the solutions available at the market to remove the skunk smell from carpets, flooring, walls, and upholstery.
How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell from Pets?
The first thing you need to do is to get rid of the smell as quickly as possible. Else, you have to go for a repeated bath and if it is your pet, things can get messy. So, if you or your pet gets de-skunked, you should avoid going inside the house or stop your pet from doing so.
Things You Need
- Baking Soda
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Wooden Spoon
- Bucket
- Dishwashing detergent
How to Apply the Method
- Make a good amount of solution with a half cup of baking soda, a quart of three-percent hydrogen peroxide, a teaspoon of detergent, and water.
- Mix all the ingredients well and dip a towel into it.
- Now rub your body or your pet with it.
- Avoid sensitive areas like eyes, mouth, etc.
- Once you are done, have a good bath
- For pets, you can use pet shampoo for bathing. Certain pet shampoos are made for removing skunk smells. Use that in this case.
Additional Tips to Follow ?
- Open the windows of your house widely so that the air circulation is good.
- Run the fans of your house and HVAC at high speed.
- Spend some time under the sunlight.
- Dump the solution as soon as possible as it can explode.
How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell from Car?
The stinky smell in your car can take your heart out! Are you washing your car repeatedly? But, maybe you are not getting a good result. Follow the right tips and stay away from too much effort. Have a look
- If you find the smell in your car, let all the doors and windows open so that your car gets enough light and air.
- Keep the car at the part of your house where it gets direct sunlight as it oxidizes the smell.
- You can also place a bowl of vinegar inside the car for certain days until the smell goes off.
- You can use a bleach solution (90% water, 10% bleach) or a solution of water, baby shampoo, and hydrogen peroxide to remove the smell from the seats, carpets, and interior of your car. Don’t forget to have a patch test to make sure whether the fabric is getting discolored by using these solutions.
- You can also use any commercial products if you want.
- Wash off your car with a hose thoroughly to clean the exterior of the car including the tires
- Finally, you can place some pieces of charcoal in a plastic bag and make holes in it. Place the plastic bag inside the car for a few weeks. The charcoal will absorb if any smell persists.
The Final Word
So, here you get a detailed account of removing the skunk smell from you and your objects. You need to act quickly as the smell spreads quickly and anything comes closer to get the stinky smell instantly. Also, staying in contact with this smell can cause certain physical issues, like runny nose, nausea, watering eyes, etc. Such conditions can sustain for longer if the smell is not removed quickly. Besides, it can cause more problems for kids and pets. So, follow these tips and you can get rid of the skunk smell easily.