De Skunk Your Pet Using a Homemade Cleaning Solution
You've seen them...those little black furry things stuck to the road. The black, white pink mélange that is as sure a sign of the coming spring as the robins in the back yard. The pungent odor that can seep through watertight doors. Yes folks, the skunks are back!
Steps
- Change into grungy clothes.
- Get your significant other to help...put him/her in grungies too.
- Mix the solution (recipe below). And don't scoff at the ingredients. It really works! Leftover can not be stored.
- Plop your dear kitty/poochie/pickapet into the washtub, and scrub him with the washcloth, being careful not to get the solution into his eyes.
- Dunk dear kitty/poochie/pickapet into the rinse tub...ignoring the open wounds that have suddenly appeared on your hands and wrists.
- Rinse him well and transfer to towels.
- Rub him dry and lock him in the boiler room where he can dry off in a warm place, without infecting every piece of upholstered furniture.
- Shower, unless you want to smell Skunked too!
Tips
- Hydrogen peroxide will work best when it hasn't been exposed to light so a new bottle will be most effective
- It works well if your dog rolls in dead salmon, too.
- Vanilla Extract will work wonders with the the smell of skunk. Place it in wide flat dishes around your home and it will take the smell out of the air. Also wash your pet in Vanilla Extract.
- Get plain douche from the drugstore to use around the eyes. Since dogs often get skunked in the face, you will need the douche! Don't use the hydrogen peroxide solution near the eyes!
Warnings
- Try this at home only when absolutely necessary!
Things You'll Need
- Cleaning solution ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 tsp liquid dish washing soap
- 1 qt. 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
- 1 case beer/wine (optional)
- Get one bucket for the solution, one for rinse water, and optionally, one more to wash the little beast in. Get a wash rag and several towels.
- If skunks are common near you and spraying happens often you should buy one or two small kiddie pools while they are in season (Spring and early summer-sometimes in the off season but you may have to drive around to find a store that bought too many). You can find them for about $5-$10 a piece at most discount stores. Most of them are a great size for washing dogs or people. You can wash them in the yard and hose the pools out until the next time.
- The oils easily transfer so avoid spreading the smell into your home, car, etc.
- If you are in a skunk area you should have a supply of remedies on hand. Get enough to treat your family and pets. There is nothing worse than needing a skunk remedy and the local stores are closed or you have to get into your car and drive to an open store late at night.
- Tomato juice is also used to neutralize the skunk odor. Tomato juice can be purchased in large cans (school or restaurant supply size) and they keep for a long time. (OK to keep beyond expiration date as long as you make sure no one drinks it and it is used topically.) Get several cans and store them in your basement or garage so you aren't having to run to the store in case of a spraying.
