My brothers wife who is Bulgarian was working her garden and a skunk sprayed her. What to do?

Question

We live in Illinois and I guess she has never seen a skunk before. She was weeding the garden and the skunk got pissed and sprayed her several times. She told my brother " that cat peed on me", He could smell it, so he told her to get he clothes off immediately. She was going to throw them in the washing machine. He called me and I told him to burn the clothes outside. I told him I thought you were supposed to wash up in tomato juice if you are skunk sprayed.
I am about to seizure laughing because this is so funny. My other sister who lives about 3 blocks away from my brother and sister-in-law could smell the skunk smell at her house. She said she wondered where the skunk was.
Serious people only! What do you do when you are sprayed by a skunk?

The Bulgarian thing comes in because she is new to the USA and I think they may not have skunks in Bulgaria. I am in no way being prejudice. It is a whole different world there. She never used a washing machine till he brought her here and had never seen a microwave. She is a very good gardener.

Answer 1

here are some options:

Peroxide/baking soda bath
This is currently the most effective de-skunking bath, but the peroxide can potentially bleach your animals fur. Lemon juice or white vinegar can be substituted for the peroxide, but they don’t work as well.

In the bathtub or a bucket, mix together:

1 gallon water
1 quart hydrogen peroxide ~3% solution
1 cup baking soda
1 good squirt of hand or dish soap
The mixture will fizz. Use a sponge and lather it into the fur/skin taking care to avoid the ears and eyes. Let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse and repeat.

Orange bath
Blend 5-10 oranges in a blender, mix with a little soap and lather up with the resulting liquid. Let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse, then wash with regular shampoo.

Soda bath
Some people swear by bathing their animals in soda. We’ve heard of people using sprite and coke but haven’t yet tested it ourselves. Work the soda into the fur, rinse and then wash with regular shampoo. Repeat as needed and let us know how this one works.

Commercial skunk smell removers
Of all the commercially available skunk odor removers, Nature’s Miracle always seems to get the most praise. Find it in your local pet store.




I learned the hard way to get rid of skunk scent by heavily dousing both my sheltie & myself with tomato juice. Although I felt like a chump when doing this, the acid in the tomato juice
cut the smell quickly & effectively.



Or do a google search

Answer 2

To get rid of the smell use this recipe:

1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon dish-washing detergent

After mixing the ingredients, wash the areas that have been sprayed, taking care to avoid the eyes, ears, and mouth. To finish, simply rinse with water.

Two of the sites confirm that tomato juice works to neutralize the effects of the skunk odor, but it's not as effective as the above-mentioned remedy. In addition, if skunks are a persistent problem, commercial skunk-odor removers are available.

Answer 3

LMAO I just want to tell you that before I actually read your post just the question I was trying to figure out what her being Bulgarian had to do with anything LOL!!!

Now yes tomato juice does work. However it might take a few baths with it. You can also try tomato juice as a base (mostly that) than add some lemon juice and some oatmeal too. The oatmeal to help any irritation her skin might get.

I agree with you burn the clothes it will not do any good to wash them and will just help the smell linger in the house.

Answer 4

Tomato juice,tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes. Put her in the bath with a tomato juice,sauce mixture, then take fresh tomatoes and squeeze them all over her especially her hair, because that it going to be the hardest place to get the smell out of. I am sorry for her, and I can imagine it was hard for you not to laugh, but what if it happened to you, it even is kinda funny, but God Bless her heart, she is not from the U.S. and can you imagine how she feels. My husband was from Mexico City and did not speak or understand alot of English, and some of the things he would do or say, made me laugh, sometimes it was hard to hold it in.You might also call a Vet. and they might have something to help you or can maybe tell you what to use.Good Luck.....

Answer 5

Man do I feel for her, I was sprayed by one of the little stink bugs and it is a nightmare to get the smell off of you, 3 weeks it took to finally be skunk smell free. Burn or destroy the clothing she was sprayed in, never will it be the same!

Answer 6

Tomato juice for the lady. And if you want to try to save the clothing, use baking soda in the wash- And hope for the best.

Good luck!

Answer 7

OK, skunk sprays Oil. It is methyl mercaptan - a sulphur based compound. (same one they use in vulcanizing rubber).

(Bulgarian removing the clothes in the garden and running naked - this I gotta see...........I shoulda been there.......LOL).

Use tamarind juice extract. It is natural. Available in Chinese or Indian grocery stores.

Bury the clothes. Don't burn. The smell gets worse. (not on her, but around the home of course).

You - stay the heck away from her.

Answer 8

If you or your pet are sprayed by a skunk:

Tomato juice doesn’t work
Use a chemical odor neutralizer called Neubroleum alpha (water soluble form for washing dogs)
Or a 50-50 solution or water and vinegar

Answer 9

My cousin has been sprayed 4 times we've always used tomato juice and it worked well.

Answer 10

Tomatoe juice or rub peeled tomatoes over the infected area