Sidebar by Lynda La Rocca
Wildlife – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
For humans, wash the skin with tomato juice, vinegar, or carbolic soap and water. If spray gets into the eyes, flush the eyes liberally with cold water to ease irritation. Clothing may be cleaned by washing in vinegar, but your best bet may be to throw skunked clothes away.
For skunk odors in the home, air the house thoroughly, using fans if necessary at the point where the odor originates. Spray diluted vinegar solution, or use chlorine bleach or ammonia to clean inanimate objects. According to the Evergreen Animal Protective League, Massengill douche and several drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls is also effective!
Here’s an all-purpose solution for people, pets, clothing, or residential areas, courtesy of the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension:
Mix one quart of three-percent hydrogen peroxide (from a drugstore) with ΒΌ cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap. Rinse yourself and your pets well with tap water after using this solution, which is best applied while the mixture is bubbling.
To eliminate odor from pets, clothing, and household possessions, you can also use a solution of two-percent vinegar and 98-percent water. –L.L.
