How To Remove Skunk Smell from Your Garden

Skunk smell is one of the most common nightmares for homeowners, largely since skunks are quite common in most areas of the US. And while skunks are generally less likely to spray than people assume, their stench is still mighty, and usually something to be avoided. In this article, we look at what you can do, not to prevent skunk smell, but rather, how you can remove it, once it’s been unleashed.

How To Remove Skunk Smell from Your Garden

Remove Skunk Smell

Obviously, it would be much easier if you could prevent the skunk from spraying you or your yard in the first place. In order to do this, you might want to consider taking measures to make your yard unappealing to skunks (e.g. removing food and water sources, installing a fence, removing hiding areas, like bushes).

How Can You Get Rid of the Skunk Smell?

Unfortunately for you, skunk smell can travel up to 12 feet or so, which means you don’t need to have a skunk directly in your yard in order to “enjoy” the smell of skunk spray. Even worse, skunk smell has a way of embedding itself into the porous surfaces inside your yard, like sponges, wooden decks, or stone walkways. So the sooner you address your skunk problem, the better.

Now, you’ll want to do your due research beforehand, so that when a skunk “hits”, you’re ready to jump into action. We recommend getting your information from certified, professional sources, and that you visit skunkpestcontrol.com to learn more about removing skunk odor.

At-Home Remedies

One of the most efficient, at-home methods of getting out skunk smell involves bleach. Bleach has an excellent ability to neutralize strong odors, though bear in mind that it can also be quite toxic, irritating, and well, bleaching. So use with caution.

Here’s how you do it: mix up a gallon of water with one cup of bleach, and use a sponge to scrub the affected area (depending on the situation, a mop or a cloth will also work). Work in small sections, and make sure to rinse thoroughly. Don’t let the bleach mix sit for more than five minutes, since it can have permanent discoloration effects.

Obviously, when dealing with skunk smell, you also want to make sure you’re not dealing with a live skunk on your property, as well. To handle the animal itself, we urge you to call First Choice Wildlife Services, to rid you of your skunk problem. Not only that, but many skunk removal services will also handle the clean-up part, and work to remove the skunk smell from your yard or your home, ridding you of a problem.

If the skunk has also sprayed fabrics in your yard, or clothes, your best DIY bet would be to launder these fabrics in hot water, combining laundry detergent and baking soda. Another potent bleaching ingredient, baking soda also has the enviable ability to neutralize smells, and can effectively remove skunk stench from most affected clothes and fabrics.

However, bear in mind that the less you allow the skunk stench to sit, the more likely you are to fully get rid of it, so speed is of the essence in removing skunk stench.

Is Skunk Stench Dangerous?

While the spray emitted by a skunk is not dangerous per se, it does contain main sulfur components which may cause a temporary itching or burning sensation, if they come into contact with sensitive parts of the body, like the eyes, nostrils or mouth. So make sure you do what you can to protect yourself, and avoid direct contact with areas directly sprayed by a skunk.

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How To Remove Skunk Smell from Your Garden