My lesson learned on removing skunk odor from a garage: The only effective solution is to physically cut out and remvove the material contaminated by the skunk's spray. I'll spare you the long version of the story but there were no detergents, disinfectants, deodorizers or other chemicals that would eliminate the odor. Even after a three-day, $250 professional ozonator rental the scent remained. Neither were painting or applying polyurethane as sealers effective. After several months with no mitigation and the garage basically unusable, I took a Sawzall and cut out all of the contaminated wood flooring, sills, studs and siding, and replaced them all with new lumber. That was a big job but solved the problem. I wasted a lot of time trying many recommended remedies before ripping out the affected material.
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Skunk Odor
- Thread starter redpost
- Start date
coolreed
Well-known member
Try Vinegar?
coolreed
Well-known member
There was an episode on the "Turtleman" where he got sprayed by a skunk and bathed
in some household liquid and it took away the smell.
I feel your pain as I trapped two skunks last summer that were vandalizing my yard. I was forced to shoot them as I could not get near the traps once they got into them. They sprayed everywhere near the trap. It was awful.
in some household liquid and it took away the smell.
I feel your pain as I trapped two skunks last summer that were vandalizing my yard. I was forced to shoot them as I could not get near the traps once they got into them. They sprayed everywhere near the trap. It was awful.
djkeev
Well-known member
My Sister In Law just outside of Indy lives on the old family farm in the old..... Really really old and more than tired farm house. It only has a crawl space and a poor one at that. The footings for the house are simply a few large rocks unearthed when plowing the fields. They have settled, ground hogs have dug so the house tilts rises throughout.
Really a poor example of a home in modern America.
Anyway, about a year or so ago a skunk got under the house and sprayed, the insulation, the heating ducts, the soil, the wood ..... All saturated in the perfume.
The physical home smelled Of skunk, the furniture smelled of skunk, their clothes smelled of skunk, the food in the pantry smelled of skunk as well!
They cleaned and they scrubbed and the smell abated......to their nostrils at least. Others would immediately pick up the odor! The children went to school thinking they were "clean" but in reality.....they weren't!
They are largely odor free now but what a hellish adventure! On the most humid and warm of days the smell returns and probably aways will. They should just burn the place down! Sadly, I imagine the smoke from such a fire would probably reek of skunk!
Dave
Really a poor example of a home in modern America.
Anyway, about a year or so ago a skunk got under the house and sprayed, the insulation, the heating ducts, the soil, the wood ..... All saturated in the perfume.
The physical home smelled Of skunk, the furniture smelled of skunk, their clothes smelled of skunk, the food in the pantry smelled of skunk as well!
They cleaned and they scrubbed and the smell abated......to their nostrils at least. Others would immediately pick up the odor! The children went to school thinking they were "clean" but in reality.....they weren't!
They are largely odor free now but what a hellish adventure! On the most humid and warm of days the smell returns and probably aways will. They should just burn the place down! Sadly, I imagine the smoke from such a fire would probably reek of skunk!
Dave
Last edited:
diggerrick
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2010
- Messages
- 996
I feel your pain as I trapped two skunks last summer that were vandalizing my yard. I was forced to shoot them as I could not get near the traps once they got into them. They sprayed everywhere near the trap. It was awful.
If you shield yourself with an old blanket or sheet of plastic so they can't see you, they won't get scared and spray. You are supposed to "dispose" of them rather than relocate them anyway because of their rate of rabies.
Dickey
Well-known member
In the past, I've used a bottle of hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda and a teaspoon of dish soap. Worked well for removing the funk from a dog's fur but I wouldn't bet that it would do much for wood details. The trouble with skunks is that they are nocturnal, so when you are likely to have an issue with one is when all of the stores are closed.
zsuperbee
Well-known member
In the past, I've used a bottle of hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda and a teaspoon of dish soap. Worked well for removing the funk from a dog's fur but I wouldn't bet that it would do much for wood details. The trouble with skunks is that they are nocturnal, so when you are likely to have an issue with one is when all of the stores are closed.
what he said ^^^^^
dartsportsteve
Well-known member
In the past, I've used a bottle of hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda and a teaspoon of dish soap. Worked well for removing the funk from a dog's fur but I wouldn't bet that it would do much for wood details. The trouble with skunks is that they are nocturnal, so when you are likely to have an issue with one is when all of the stores are closed.
That is what the Mythbusters confirmed worked:
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/db/animals/skunk-smell.html
I'll give a BIG second to the hydrogen peroxide/baking soda/soap solution. It works very effectively on our dogs when they have been sprayed. And this was after we'd tried almost every other solution we could find, including the tomato juice which helped but still left the classic skunk smell. The hydroden peroxide was immediately effective.
Don't know how it would have worked on wood, but I don't know why it wouldn't.
We try to keep a couple bottles of hydrogen peroxide stashed away just in case.
GGB
Don't know how it would have worked on wood, but I don't know why it wouldn't.
We try to keep a couple bottles of hydrogen peroxide stashed away just in case.
GGB
retrolane
Member
I'll third or fourth the hydrogen peroxide/baking soda/soap solution. Tried everything on our dog after getting sprayed and then came across that mixture online and it worked really well.
ct71rr
Well-known member
Don't laugh and please don't flame the hell out of me but, years ago when I was about 14, we had a 180lb Great Dane. One night while I was walking him, (I weighed about 120lbs soaking wet at the time), he darted after something while leashed and, of course, took me with him. Long story short, it was a skunk and we both ended up getting hosed.
My parents tried everything to get the smell of me and my dog, tomato juice, dish soap, vinegar, etc. We called the Vet and he recommended powdered douche....yes, that's what I said. My stepdad bought some and mixed it with water using two 5 gal buckets. It worked like a charm.
My parents tried everything to get the smell of me and my dog, tomato juice, dish soap, vinegar, etc. We called the Vet and he recommended powdered douche....yes, that's what I said. My stepdad bought some and mixed it with water using two 5 gal buckets. It worked like a charm.
6768rogues
Banned
I borrowed a friends car and hit a skunk. I simply parked it in his driveway and waited for him to get pissed off. He did.