Ah, the great outdoors. It’s wonderful to spend time outside in the sunshine and the fresh air. Whether you like camping, hiking, or even just lounging around your backyard, you can always have a great time enjoying the Great Outdoors.
Yet even though most of our world is relatively tamed, there are some outdoor dangers that we need to consider. One of the biggest, smelliest, and most unpleasant ones is the common skunk. These little stinkers pack a punch, and if you or your pet gets sprayed, you’re in for it. Here’s what you need to know about how long skunk smell lasts and how to get rid of it.
Why Does a Skunk Spray?
As far as a defensive mechanism, you can’t get much better. A potent, smelly spray keeps just about everyone away that you don’t want getting close, and that’s exactly why skunks spray. It’s great for keeping away predators and threats… or anything that a skunk sees as one. This means that if you startle a skunk, the likelihood of you or your pet getting sprayed can be very high. This is easy to do, as skunks are mostly nocturnal and it’s hard to spot one in if you’re outside at night. Additionally, your dog is even more likely to be sprayed because, well, dogs don’t know what a skunk is until it’s too late.
How to Remove Skunk Smell
Skunk smell is notoriously hard to get rid of. The chemical compound of skunk spray is highly resistant to being broken down, and this has led to all sorts of folk remedies that supposedly reduce or remove skunk smell. Most of these simply don’t work, though, or don’t work very well. What you do need to remove skunk smell reliably is a skunk smell remover that uses a scientifically-formulated solution to target and neutralize the many different chemical compounds that make up skunk spray. Without such a solution, you’re likely to still have that unpleasant scent lingering on you, your clothes, or your pet.
The Long-Lasting Smell of Nature
Without being treated, that telltale skunk smell lasts a very long time. We’re talking weeks in some situations, which is obviously much longer than you would want it to. Thankfully, most of the time a skunk doesn’t want to spray you and will provide several warning signs before letting loose its characteristic funk. Unfortunately, sometimes you or your dog won’t see or recognize these signs for what they are, and the results can be pretty messy. It’s always better to avoid getting sprayed at all, even if that means being careful when going for walks at night and keeping your dog on a short leash. But if you end up being sprayed despite your precautions, make sure to use a scientifically-formulated skunk spray remover to nip that nasty scent right in the bud.