Skunks have a chemical in their scent gland spray that makes the smell stick to the proteins in skin and hair for a very long time, including on their own pelt.

Skunk spray permeates clothes, skin and fur, making it last for weeks. Research shows that a skunk’s odor will last at least 14-21 days if left untreated. The longer you wait to wash it off, the harder it will be to be free of that nasty odor. 

You can smell skunk spray from miles away if the wind conditions are right. 

Photo of skunk courtesy of Wikimedia

A skunk’s spray is oily and difficult to remove completely. Other components in the spray cause the smell to stick to skin, clothing, fur, and basically anything and everything it comes into contact with.

The stink of skunk spray is caused by thiols, which are made from sulfur. It is a defensive mechanism to keep predators away from skunks, and does a pretty good job of it.

What works to remove skunk oder

My go to remedy is a pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide, one cup of baking soda, and a few squirts of Dawn dish detergent. This makes an awesome deodorizer against skunk sprays. I have completely deodorized skunk pelts to no detectible odor with this potion. 

Lather up your skunk pelt (or your dog) while the fur is dry, and work it in thoroughly before rinsing off with clean water. 

A quick caution, however. This mixture produces a release of free ozone and should never be made up beforehand or placed in a sealed container. It could have explosive consequences.

Do this outside, especially if you are using it on a live animal, and be careful not to get it in the animal’s eyes. Your dog is going to shake all over you and your furniture or carpet if you do it indoors.

You can also put  2 cups of white vinegar into a clean spray bottle, undiluted, and spray liberally on a pelt if some smell still lingers after the hydrogen peroxide wash. On a live animal dilute 4 cups of the vinegar in a gallon of water. Make sure the animal doesn’t have any cuts or open sores, because the vinegar will sting if it gets in any breaks in the skin, or in the eyes.

One veterinarian recommended using powdered douche. Mix a few tablespoons with water and work into the fur. This worked better than the tomato juice or the skunk remover sold at the pet store.

There is a plumber product called Bio-Clean, which is a combination of enzymes and bacteria for cleaning drains and keeping septic tanks open. This when activated did a pretty good job of killing skunk odor after my dog got sprayed, and, it’s non toxic.

If  you get sprayed by a skunk yourself

Take a bath or shower immediately. The spray easily soaks into your skin and clothes, giving you a body odor no deodorant can tackle. If the clothes aren’t your favorite outfit, it is best to just throw them away.

Use liberal amounts of soap. If you can, use dawn dishwashing soap (or equivalent) which is the best grease cutter available. That’s what wildlife experts use to clean birds that have been saturated with oils when there is an oil spill.

Sulfur is neutralized by chlorine bleach. Chlorine is used in small quantities in swimming pools and hot tubs. If you have access to the powder or chlorine tablets that are used in pools or a hot tub, get your bathtub set up with the proper amount (adjusted to the small amount of water in the tub) and have a bath for a good 15 minutes or so.

Note: Please don’t think of using the chlorine bleach we use in the laundry. It’s very concentrated, highly alkaline, not to mention NOT SAFE to bathe in, or get on your skin. It will completely dissolve hair. Liquid chlorine bleach is caustic and toxic.

Shower thoroughly to rinse after your bath.

The next best thing is baking soda. It is also alkaline, but not caustic or toxic. Baking soda is also a great deodorizer because it is alkaline. Run your bath and toss in 4 cups of baking soda. Make sure the baking soda has dissolved completely.

Have a good soak for 15 minutes. It won’t hurt NOT to rinse after the baking soda bath. As long as you don’t feel itchy or uncomfortable, the baking soda will still be deodorizing.

You should be feeling and smelling better.

You can repeat this process if needed the next day.

What Doesn’t work to neutralize skunk spray

Tomato juice does not work. In fact it can make the smell worse. Tomato juice mixed with skunk smell only produces an Italian herb skunk smelI. Skunk spray can still smell in a dog’s fur for up to a month after a spray, or every time the fur gets wet for months, a hint of the smell will linger unless you treat it.