Got skunked - any ideas?

I saw a skunk go under my porch a little while ago, and when he encountered one of the ferals, he sprayed. The cat ran away and appears to be fine (didn't get a direct hit), but my house now stinks really bad (the porch has an opening to the underside of the main house and the smell is coming up between the floor boards. I've got all my air purifiers running full tilt and the smell is primarily in the 2 rooms adjacent to the porch (living room and dining room).

Any ideas on how to eliminate the smell in the house (other than call in professionals)?

And any ideas how to keep the skunks out so that the cats can have their warm hiding place for the winter?

Sorry I have no advice for you,but I know what you are going through.I have had skunks do this before under my porch.
Last year(In summer) I walked outside near my truck and something went running under my truck and came out the other side and into some bushes.At first I just thought it was a cat,but then the smell hit me. Yep,it was a skunk.I guess I scared it.Well,the next day I go to get into my truck and when I opened the door the smell almost knocked me down.It was awful.I guess the darn skunk decided to spray at the exact moment he ran under my truck.My truck smelled horrible for the longest time,plus it was summerime so that sure didn't help any.Ugh.I was so paranoid to even go into a store after being in my truck because I just KNEW that the skunk smell had gotten on me by me just being in my truck.LOL.

Anyway,I hope you get rid of the smell very soon.

Sorry no skunk advice here....

Hissy's the pro when it comes to skunky stinch! You might want to PM or email here in case if she misses this thread.

Good luck!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Sorry- just so thankful someone else gets skunked besides me!

Okay there are a few things you can do. One is go to the grocery store and get the greenest white onions or purple ones that you can- they have to be really acidic. Bring them home, cut the tops off and stick them in your rooms- they will absorb the odor IF they are pungent enough.

If you have any peppermint oil, or eucalyptus oil put some underneath your nose, to block off the smell. Another thing that works short term is Fabreeze spray-

I didn't mean to laugh- honest!

Originally posted by hissy
I didn't mean to laugh- honest!

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Yeah, yeah, yeah

The skunk was really very cute but if he continues to hang out by the house we'll have to trap him and move him. I really don't want to shut off the opening under the porch as most of the ferals go under the house when the weather gets bad.

We've had a lot more skunks, raccoons and possums here since our dog Ellie Mae crossed in January. Perhaps it is time to get another dog and re-establish the scent barrier to these little ones. (they have hundreds of open acres to live in around here)

Good thing I just bought that trap with the fast release door!!

Thanks for the tips - the air purifiers are actually beginning to work or I'm already used to the smell.

Hmm...I know how to make skunk smell thanks to my lecturer....let me see if there's something to break it down fast.

Well...this is safe...but ummm....there is a side affect

It turns the chemical into something else so you don't smell the skunk smell.

Mix a quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide (from the pharmacy), a quarter-cup cup of baking soda, and a teaspoon of liquid detergent.

This is if it's on you or a pet but it can bleach the hair if you're not careful.

If it's clothes, use bleach. One cup of bleach per gallon of water used.

Don't try to wash the area or rinse it. Skunks have a back up, other chemicals break down in the skunk spray in the presence to make the wretched smelling chemical.

Most other methods work after your smell receptors become overloaded with the skunk smell so that you start smelling the other things.

I'm not sure what you would want to use for your porch but I leave that up to your judgement.

Thanks Mags! Unfortunately, he sprayed somewhere UNDER the porch and the smell is wafting up thru the floor boards. I have no access to that area without ripping out the porch. There is no cloth or pets involved.

I ran the air purifiers all night and the smell is mostly gone this morning. I haven't tried the onions yet cause it's a livable smell.

Could have been much worse!

I remember seeing a special spray advertised somewhere, but I don't remember what it was called - something skunk or skunk something. I can sympathize - a skunk got me and my mom's two dogs, who had cornered him, and I ended up washing the three of us in gallons of tomato juice, which helps.

Well at least the smell is liveable. Although I know how to synthesise the chemical, I've never done so. So I don't know how it would smell like. An exchange student from USA said that is was a combination of the rotten egg smell, carrion, and 1000 pairs of smelly socks. Not sure what that would smell like but it does sound bad. Doesn't stop the curiosity of all things.

Good thing it's a liveable smell.

The peroxide solution will work, but be carefull putting it on wood...we had to use it to wash down our front door a few years back, and it took the varnish right off the door.

Our dog Hagar passed a few years ago, and we've also had an increase in varmints living close to house. Good luck with the smell.

Living in the UK i miss out on a lot, such as skunks, mosquitos etc...

What does a skunk smell like anyway?

Susan

Living in the UK i miss out on a lot, such as skunks, mosquitos etc...

What does a skunk smell like anyway?

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Hmmmm....the only thing I could compare it to is *really* bad body odor.

Kind of a musky smell - but foul. If you live in an area with skunks, you kind of get used to it. Cars hit them all of the time, so you'll smell it while you're driving. It won't kill you, but everyone will comment, "Ugh. Skunk."

Obviously, the closer the spray, the worse it is.

In that case, i work with a few 'skunks!!' LOL

Susan

Check at a feed store or pet supply store. There are enzymatic sprays, that neutralize the skunk odor. A groomer friend of mine uses them and they work well.

We had a lot of skunks, in Tombstone. They used to let fly, around 3:00 a.m. and the ventilation system would draw the smell in. It was enough to wake me up, make my nose burn and my eyes water.

A skunk pretty much smells like this:

Originally posted by a_loveless_gem
An exchange student from USA said that is was a combination of the rotten egg smell, carrion, and 1000 pairs of smelly socks.

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I'll add that it's as strong as smelling straight ammonia, goes right up the nostrils and lingers there for a long time.

A couple nights later and the smell is entirely gone. Yippee!!

That's great that the smell finally went away.

Hmm...well maybe one day I can find out...but I just sure hope it's not by getting sprayed by a skunk.