Water Damage & Flooded Basement Restoration Services

Skunk Odor Treatment and Removal

By the RestorationSOS Educational Staff

Few things in life smell stronger than getting sprayed by a skunk. It’s one of those odors that once you smell it, you never forget. You’re also not likely to get it out of your clothes or off your dog or anywhere else it has settled in without a considerable amount of work.

Skunks typically go out of their way to not have to interact with humans or animals that they consider as threats, and they will make every effort to move away or warn off any potential interloper into their space. The spraying of their legendary scent is only used as a last resort when all else has failed.

Some of the most common remedies for eliminating skunk smell include spraying the affected area with lemon juice or orange citrus, treating the area with an odor-neutralizing spray such as Febreze, or even more extreme methods like bathing in tomato juice.

Tips for Odor Removal Inside the Home

If your house is ripe with the smell of a skunk, you can use a simple vinegar solution, pouring the vinegar into a saucepan, allowing it to simmer for two hours or so, and then turning off all ventilation and opening all windows and doors. The house will be strong with the smell of vinegar for the next few hours, but once that lifts, the skunk smell should be gone.

You may also want to try baking an average clay brick at a temp of 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, then wrapping in foil and covering with coffee grounds, then place it in the area of the scent. While it sound like an unorthodox approach, it is effective for removing skunk odors.

Tips for Odor Removal Outside the Home

If the smell is in a semi-exterior area of your home such as the porch or garage, a one-part vinegar/four-parts water solution can be sprayed to eliminate the odor. Multiple treatments may be required to fully eliminate the odor.

Keeping Skunks Away

Of course the best defense is always a good offense, which means keeping the skunks away in the first place. A deterrent can be utilized for this purpose consisting of 8 ounces of castor oil, 8 ounces of liquid dish detergent and one gallon of water. A liberal application of the solution around the property will prove most effective when it comes to keeping skunks and other unwanted wildlife at a respectable distance. Use a sprayer for maximum coverage.

If the trial and error approach is more than you care to handle, or if you just can’t stand the smell long enough to work in it, then professional skunk odor removal treatments are available. Hiring professional help is always preferable, since the companies that perform this kind of work have the training, equipment, and most importantly, the experience to take care of the problem correctly the first time through, which means that you can get back to enjoying life in an odor-free home as soon as possible.

Your local restoration professional will offer a wide variety of services, including removal of odors related to wildlife, smoke, mold, and other related problems.

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