Why Does My House Smell Like Skunk

August 28, 2019 | Blog, Home & pets, Uncategorized

The smell is overwhelming as it spreads rapidly into the air, settling onto the surfaces that surround the area. Your eyes are beginning to burn, and the odor is taking over your entire senses, leaving you dazed and confused on the next course of actions to take to fight this offending odor from consuming your personal indoor environment. The putrid smell of skunk spray is an odor that every homeowner completely dreads, as the odor can push the barriers of your home and seep deep into all the tiny crevices within this environment.

The smell of skunk spray can enter your home through a number of passageways and sources – from a skunk spraying your body, spraying your pets, or even entering into your home and releasing its aroma into the entire indoor airspace.

In this article we are going to discuss the impact that skunk spray can have on the odor in your home, and how you can properly deodorize this putrid odor from a variety of sources in your personal indoor environment.

What is Skunk Spray?

What is Skunk SprayThe unmistakable odor of skunk spray is a strong aroma that will hang in the air and attach to surfaces for quite some time after its release into the environment. The reason behind this strong-smelling odor is due to the composition of the spray, which contains a mixture of chemicals that can include sulfur like thiols, a chemical that is notorious for its putrid smelling scent. This spray is a liquid that is secreted from the anal scent glands of the skunk and is released instinctually to chase away predators.

Skunks are surprisingly reluctant to utilize this weapon, and this is due to the fact that skunks only carry about five or six uses of this spray in their bodies – and will require some ten days to produce an additional supply for use. A skunk has two glands, one on each side of the anus that will produce this spray, which is said to be enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers. These glands are located next to muscles that will allow the spray to be release with a high-degree of accuracy into the air (and on to the intended target).

What Does Skunk Spray Smell Like

The smell of skunk spray can be contributed to the different construction of chemicals that are used in this spray to produce the strong odor that is capable of warding off large animals of prey. A major component of this skunk spray is a chemical known as thiols, a mercaptan chemical group that is made up of sulfur and hydrogen atoms bonded together – which produces that really strong odor of skunk spray. In the concentration of skunk spray, there are three different types of thiols present in the spray, two of which are the main contributors to the awful smells of the skunk spray aroma.

Skunk spray is commonly related to many other odors such as the smell produced from cannabis, which is identified as a musty strong scent that will infiltrate all aspects of the environment. This sulfur-smell can hang in the air and permeate onto skin, clothing, and other surfaces that are in your home that are exposed to this chemical odor.

Is Skunk Spray Harmful to Humans?

Is Skunk Spray Harmful to HumansIf you are exposed to skunk spray, the noxious odors that are produced from the spray is not the only thing you need to worry about. As the spray is emitted into the environment, it will become exposed to humans and potentially be inhaled into the human body. Absorption of this spray internally can elicit general allergy-like symptoms that can include itchy skin, irritated eyes, sore throat, and other respiratory symptoms.

Additionally, pets that are also exposed to skunk spray can experience certain health effects from this exposure. These specific health effects can include irritation the eyes and face, that may require veterinarian assistance to treat.

How Long Does Skunk Spray Last

A tricky question to answer when it comes to skunk spray is, “how long does skunk spray last in the environment?”. The duration of time that skunk spray can last in the air can depend on the amount of skunk spray that was emitted from the skunk and the conditions present in the home (such as airflow, ventilation, etc.). According to research conducted, it was found that typically skunk spray odor will last anywhere from 14 days to 21 days if left untreated in the environment.

The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Bulletin called, Dealing With Skunks and Odor Abatement, concluded that if you let the smell of skunk air out in your home without the use of additional odor-solutions in the air, that the smell can potentially linger for up to two to four months, and if in a small area the smell can last for up to a year.

How Far Does a Skunk Spray

When it comes to the distance that skunk spray can be emitted, the findings may shock you, as this spray can travel further distances than what many believed. Due to the placement of the muscles, located next to the scent glands – these muscles allow a skunk to spray with a high degree of accuracy and force. When skunk spray is released it can travel up to 10ft from the initial location of emission. As this spray travels in the air it can cause irritation and even temporary blindness, since the human nose can detect this odor from up to 3.5 miles down wind.

How to Get Skunk Smell Out of Your House

How to Get Skunk Smell Out of Your HouseAs we discussed earlier, skunk smell can enter into your home through your pets, you, or from a skunk entering into this environment and unleashing its putrid odor into the airspace. No matter the source, there will be one main thing that needs to be done in the home, and that is eradicate the skunk odor completely from the home and any items that have been contaminated with the scent. Treating the air in your home will be critical to removing the smell, and therefore investing in an air purifier for odor removal will help to eliminate this odor removal in the air – as these devices are designed to clean the air and mitigate odors from the air, including that of skunk odor.

Skunk spray odor can also travel in the air and land on the surfaces of the home, and these items will work to absorb the odor and trap it in its material. Upholstery and carpeting in a home, particularly, are items that will collect and retain these odors, making it necessary to treat these areas in the home in addition to the air of the environment. Often times, people will steer towards vinegar, baking soda and even essential oils for skunk smell removal on the surfaces of their home, however, these items will not work to effectively attack this odor and eliminate it from the surface completely.

The OdorKlenz® Skunk Odor Eliminator is a trusted solution for safe and complete skunk odor removal from your carpets, furniture, laundry, and other surfaces exposed to your pet. OdorKlenz uses a revolutionary earth mineral technology that is able to contain and neutralize/breakdown a wide variety of chemical compounds and noxious odors from sources, without the use of masking agents or chemicals. The OdorKlenz Skunk Odor Eliminator can easily be applied to carpeting and upholstery by applying the product to the contaminated areas and working the product into the material. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before using a carpet/upholstery machine as normal to clean the solution and debris from the surface. This process will easily work to eradicate the odor completely from the surface(s).

Skunk Odor Eliminator

$14.99

Trusted odor-treatment for pets who have been sprayed while hunting, walking, hiking, or playing

Neutralizes the skunk odor on contact

Utilizes a patented earth mineral technology for odor containment and neutralization, without the use of masking agents or chemicals

Can also be used on carpet, laundry or other surfaces in the home that may have been affected by skunk spray odor