Whether or not you have mephitophobia (fear of skunks), there’s nothing irrational about not wanting a skunk to make itself home in yours. Getting the skunk out of your space is only half the battle; getting rid of the odor it leaves behind in your house is the rest.
When the appropriate measures are taken, removing any traces of skunk from your home can be an almost painless experience. You might want to breathe through your mouth for this one!
There are two generally accepted solutions for removing a skunk: wait until it leaves or call a professional animal control service. Skunks are docile creatures and would not intentionally wander into human territory, so keep this in mind before doing anything else.
It is essential to know how to safely deal with a skunk that has found its way inside. Once the skunk’s visit has ended, you’ll want to take care of the aftermath. If a skunk sprays you, a pet, or a room in the house, you will want to treat the smell in a relevant way appropriately. This is how to get a skunk out of your home and mind!
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Getting Rid Of A Skunk In Your Home
If a skunk is holding you, hostage in your home with the threat of a foul odor, you have two options: waiting or paying.
1. Wait Until The Skunk Leaves
Waiting is the cheap way to get a skunk out of your home. Skunks are notoriously shy creatures and will rarely intrude on your home. However, it is essential not to let them feel threatened when they do. If you do, you risk getting sprayed!
A skunk sprayed you, or a pet could cause temporary blindness. It will help if you use caution in evacuating them from the house. If possible, block off the room or area of the house that the skunk has found itself in. Open any relevant windows and doors and wait for the skunk to find its way out of your home.
Creating a route for the skunk to exit without confronting it is the best (and cheapest) thing you can do yourself. It would be best if you never tried to use force to remove a skunk from your home. If you do not wish to wait, instead call a professional.
2. Hire A Professional To Remove The Skunk
Too afraid of that smell? Hiring a professional to safely remove a skunk from your home is always an option. Depending on what time of the day or night you find a skunk in your hallway, a professional could cost a bit. However, once you’ve paid up, you can rest assured that you’ll relax in a skunk-free home.
There are wildlife control experts who specialize in this possibly stinky situation. These professionals are trained to remove wild animals from your home for a fee safely. They will do this in the calmest manner possible, saving your possessions from the risk of damage.
How To Get Rid Of Skunk Smell?
While the skunk may be out of sight, its scent isn’t always out of your nostrils. Here are some tips for getting that smell out of your house!
Use your nose to figure out where the smell is coming from. This will allow you to address the cause of the odor directly. This could be difficult if the skunk’s smell has spread, in which case multiple areas may need to be targeted to remove the stench. Make sure to leave the windows open once you’ve located the smell. This will allow the scent to air out partially.
You can use warm water and heavy-duty laundry detergent on infected carpets and upholstery. Where possible, try to dry and affected items outside in the sun. Using a tumble-dryer, significantly when the smell has not yet been removed, could worsen the scent and permanently make it permanent! Please do not attempt this on items you cannot wash at home; instead, take them to a professional.
While airing the house out, you may want to speed the process using strategically placed fans. This will aid the ventilation of rooms. Aircon systems can be used, too. However, you may wish to purchase new filters for them. This is due to the skunk’s smell that they are absorbing into the filter, which could then, in turn, filter back into your home.
Getting Rid Of The Skunk Stink On You & Your Clothes
Getting rid of the skunk smell in your house isn’t done if you haven’t gotten it off yourself! Here are some tried and tested ways to cleanse yourself of a skunk’s spray!
It is essential to wash your clothes after contact with a skunk as soon as possible. We cannot predict when we will get sprayed by a skunk, so chances are you’re wearing a favorite item of clothing when this happens. If you want to rescue it, use the same heavy-duty laundry detergent to get the smell out of your carpets and upholstery.
With a diluted solution of water and ammonia, you can successfully remove a skunk smell from your clothes. Use a 1:6 ratio of ammonia to water, respectively. It would be best if you did this for at least a half-hour, depending on the severity of the spray your clothes came into contact with.
As with drying upholstery and carpets, you should dry your clothes outside in the warm sun.
What To Do When Your Pet Gets Into Contact With A Skunk
If a skunk finds its way into your home, you know that you should be cautious and not make the skunk feel threatened. Unfortunately, your pet does not understand this. If your pet has a run-in with a rogue skunk in your hallway, it’ll get sprayed.
A skunk’s spray can be blinding, so you’ll first want to check that your furry friend is alright. Ensure to rinse your pet’s eye in case of exposure to the spray and consult your vet for the correct medical advice.
If you’re dealing with a pet that stinks after a skunk run-in, you’ll be able to treat them at home. You’ll want to keep the smell out of your house, so keep your pet outside for this. You should also wear gloves, so you don’t get the scent on yourself.
You can use a de-skunking shampoo, either found online or at your local vet, or a homemade mixture. If you opt not to buy the shampoo, you will need one quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, readily available, a quarter cup of baking soda, and a spoonful of dishwashing liquid.
Whichever solution you use, rub this thoroughly through your pet’s fur. Please do not leave the hydrogen peroxide solution on your pet’s skin for too long, as it could bleach their coat. Once you’ve rinsed your pet off, rewash your animal with pet shampoo. Once you’ve rewashed them, your pet will hopefully be deskunkified.
Conclusion
Once a skunk has entered your home, getting your home free from any trace of a skunk can be tricky. Remembering that a skunk would never intentionally wander into your home is essential. Do not act with any hostility towards a skunk unless you want to get sprayed! You could either wait for the skunk to leave or pay a professional to remove it.
Once you’ve gotten rid of the skunk itself, you’ll want to rid yourself, your pet, and your home of its scent. You must follow appropriate steps carefully to do this successfully and without the risk of a lingering odor.
Get FREE quotes from licensed pest control technicians in your area today. Whether you need spraying for ants, roaches, spiders, ticks, mosquitos, or bed bugs, We Can Help! All technicians are screened, licensed, and insured.
