Follow these procedures as soon as possible after a pet has been sprayed by a skunk:
- Mix one quart (945 ml) of hydrogen peroxide antiseptic, 2 ounces (60 ml) of baking soda and a teaspoon (5 ml) of liquid soap or dishwashing detergent in a large container. “Be sure your container is large,” say the editors of Consumer Reports in How to Clean and Care for Practically Anything. “The mixture will produce a great deal of foam.”
- Place your pet in a bathtub, then work the mixture into the animal’s coat well, but keep it away from the eyes, mouth and ears. Leave it in the fur until the odor becomes less noticeable, but keep the coat wet with the mixture.
- Rinse the coat thoroughly, and repeat if necessary.
The Web site PetEducation.com also recommends this method. Apparently it’s more effective than using tomato juice or vinegar since it neutralizes the active ingredient in skunk spray that makes its odor so offensive.