Earth & Sky

How do you get rid of skunk odor?

Can you really use tomato juice to get skunk odor out of a pet’s fur?

The major molecules that make skunk-spray stink are sulfur compounds – they’re closely related to other unpleasant odors such as rotten eggs. You can use tomato juice on a pet that’s been sprayed by a skunk – and you might even think it works – but there’s no scientific evidence that tomato juice really does work on skunk spray.

Here’s a reason people might think it works. Some experts speculate that at high doses of skunk spray, the human nose stops smelling the odor. So if you then bathe your pet in tomato juice – the odor of the juice becomes stronger than the odor of the skunk. So thinking that the tomato juice worked to get out the odor is an olfactory illusion – an illusion for your nose.

So how do you get rid of skunk odor? Some experts suggest a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide – followed by a tap water rinse. This solution is odorless, but be careful – it might bleach your pet’s fur. Here’s one recipe that Dr. William F. Wood of Humboldt State University recommends:

Make a mixture of “1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (drug store variety), 1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and a teaspoon of liquid detergent. After 5 minutes rinse the animal with water. The mixture cannot be stored as it readily becomes ineffective. Also, IT MUST NOT BE STORED IN A CLOSED CONTAINER. It releases gas so the container may break and pose an explosion hazard. It is best to mix it in an open container and use it immediately. One final caution, the recipe may bleach the pet’s hair.”

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