Take a deep breath—or actually, maybe don’t—you can remove skunk smell from your house in just a few easy steps
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(Note that materials and tools will vary depending on the severity of the spray and the location)
If a real-life Pepé le Pew snuck into your house and sprayed your favorite chair, you’ll want to eliminate the smell as soon as possible. With a few hours, some simple household ingredients, and a can-do attitude, you can easily remove skunk spray smells from your house.
The first thing you need to do when you notice skunk spray is to open up your windows and run whatever fans you have on hand to ventilate your home. You’ll also want to power on any air conditioning units you have installed in order to get the fresh air flowing. Open up any curtains to allow direct sunlight in the house, which can help oxidize the odor.
If you or a family member has had the unfortunate experience of coming into direct contact with a skunk, you will want to wash thoroughly before attempting any of the below home-cleaning procedures.
Humans will want to shower using deodorizing soap or sit in a baking soda bath for around 20 minutes. For your furry family members, the process will be similar to removing any dog or cat odor. Wash your pets using an approved shampoo or mix together 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide, 1 teaspoon of grease-cutting dish detergent, and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Note: There is a popular notion that tomato juice can be used to get rid of a skunk’s smell, but this is just a myth. Tomato juice can mask the smell but plays no role in chemically eliminating the foul odor.
A skunk’s spray can be lethal when it comes to clothing. Unless the pest sprayed your all-time favorite T-shirt, it may be best to part ways with any affected clothing and trash it. Otherwise, you will want to wash any stinky clothing immediately. Clean these items with the highest temperature setting and use antibacterial detergent. Be sure to air dry these clothes, as machine-drying can bake in the smell (sorry, we know that sounded gross).
Furniture can be difficult to clean once a mischievous skunk has sprayed it. First, pull any impacted items of furniture to the yard to air them out. While they are out there, begin the cleaning process by spraying them with a commercial cleaner designed to eliminate the skunk smell. You may also have to steam clean furniture in severe cases. You can buy a household-grade steam cleaner or rent a professional-grade model.
Small rugs may be machine washed, though the same obviously cannot be said of carpeting. When it comes to smelly carpets, you should use a combination of steam cleaning and scrubbing with a rag or sponge soaked in a solution of baking soda, vinegar, and water. Once cleaned, allow the carpet to dry and then vacuum using your standard household vacuum cleaner.
You may have to repeat this process two to four times until the odor fully disappears.
Next, take some time to clean the hard surfaces of your home. Mix nine parts water to one part bleach and spray hard flooring and walls, wiping down with a rag or paper towels. This mixture should work for wood, ceramic, vinyl, concrete, and laminate, among others. You should, however, perform a patch test to make sure that the color will hold as you clean. If you are uncomfortable using bleach on some surface types, you can create a similar mixture using distilled vinegar.
Fill several small bowls with white vinegar and place them throughout the home. Leave each bowl unattended for 24 to 48 hours or until the skunk’s scent has been fully dispersed. Vinegar tends to absorb and neutralize any foul odors. Be sure to place these bowls out of the reach of children and any of your furry friends. You can also try boiling some vinegar in a pot for a few minutes to speed up the results.
Be sure to clean and change any air filters you have used during the ventilation process. Replace air conditioning filters and don’t forget about any air filters integrated into your furnace, heaters, and dedicated air purifiers. This step will remove any errant skunk musk particles from your home before they settle.
It is important to note (although by now, you’ve probably figured out) that skunk spray is especially noxious and may not be removed in one afternoon. Slow and steady will win the race, so we advise that you repeat each of the above steps until you are happy with the result. You’ll get there, we promise.
Skunk odors in your yard and other outdoor spaces can also be a huge bother, and there are steps you can take if you don’t want to wait around for the smell to go away on its own. When you notice a skunk smell outside of your house, follow these steps as soon as possible to give the odor less time to settle in.
A skunk’s foul odor is contained in the fluids it sprays, so diluting it with water is a good first step toward de-skunking your outdoor spaces. Use a garden hose to thoroughly spray down patios, decks, walls, fences, furniture, rugs, grass, and bushes to water down the smell—literally. This step will help to wash the smelly fluid into the soil, where it can be absorbed.
Fill a bucket with 1 gallon of water, 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, 1 cup of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap, mixing well until the baking soda has dissolved.
This mixture will be safe to use on most structures and furniture without causing fading or discoloration. It is also safe to use on grass and plants without the risk of killing them. However, it’s always best to perform a patch test before pouring it everywhere.
Soak a clean cloth or sponge in the hydrogen peroxide cleaning solution and use it to scrub all affected surfaces. You can also fill a backpack-style garden sprayer with the solution for easier application before scrubbing. The sprayer method also works well for applying the solution to grass, bushes, and other plants throughout your yard.
After washing an area, rinse it again thoroughly with clean water from your garden hose. You can repeat steps three and four as many times as you need until the smell is diluted.
You can save yourself some money by removing skunk spray yourself instead of hiring a professional. Whole-home professional odor remediation near you will cost anywhere from $200 to $1,000, depending on the size of the home and the severity of the skunk’s smell. However, doing it yourself could cost as little as $5 to $50, depending on what materials and cleaning tools you already have.
Additionally, if the actual skunk is still lurking in your home after you take the above steps, you may have to hire a local animal removal service to bid them a fond farewell. This service tends to cost anywhere from $200 to $400.
If you’ve spotted a skunk or know that one of these furry creatures sprayed one of your family members, your answer is fairly obvious. However, a skunky smell in your house that isn’t coming from a literal skunk may be a sign of a dangerous gas leak. If you suspect a gas leak, you should leave your home immediately and call emergency services.
Sewer gas from your home’s septic system can come from dormant or backed-up plumbing that can be deadly if left unattended. If you notice a skunky smell in your house with no signs of a skunk, call a professional plumber near you to assess for sewer gas.
A mild skunk smell in your house can last up to three weeks, dissipating over time with proper ventilation. However, if you leave stronger smells untreated, they can last for months or years, becoming more difficult to remove the longer they sit. This is especially true of odors that have seeped into fabrics such as clothing or furniture or those in your pets’ fur.
