How to remove skunk smell from a car
To remove skunk smell from a car, wash the sprayed outside surfaces, wheels and underside with soap and water, then air the cabin out with windows open and the ventilation on outside air. Inside, wash removable covers with the peroxide and baking soda mix added to the wash water, but keep that mix off upholstery and carpet because it can bleach them. Skunk spray is oily, so soap has to dissolve it before it'll rinse away.
- Best method
- Soap-and-water wash outside, air out inside, launder removable covers
- Time
- An hour or two of washing; any faint smell fades over days to weeks
- Difficulty
- Moderate
You will need
- Car wash soap or dish soap
- Hose or pressure washer
- Buckets and sponges
- Rubber gloves
- Fresh 3% hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap, for washable covers
- Laundry detergent
Step by step
- 1
Work out where the spray hit
Check whether the skunk sprayed the body, the wheels and underside (if you drove over or past one), or whether the smell came in on a sprayed pet or through the vents.
Why: The spray stays where it landed. Cleaning that spot does far more than treating the whole car.
- 2
Wash the outside with soap and water
Wearing gloves, wash the sprayed panels, wheels, wheel wells and underside with soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Repeat on the worst areas.
Why: Skunk spray is oily. Soap dissolves the musk so it rinses off instead of smearing around.
- 3
Air out the cabin
Open all windows and doors, and when you drive, set the ventilation to outside air rather than recirculate.
Why: Fresh air carries away the volatile thiols that drifted inside. Recirculating keeps them in.
- 4
Launder removable covers and mats
Wash seat covers, pet blankets and fabric mats with detergent, adding a fresh mix of 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup baking soda and 1 to 2 teaspoons dish soap to the wash water. Wash twice and line-dry outdoors.
Why: The peroxide oxidizes the thiols, and diluting it in the wash protects dyes. Keep them out of the dryer until the smell is gone.
- 5
Wipe hard interior surfaces
If a sprayed pet rode inside, wipe hard surfaces it touched with soapy water and then a damp cloth. For fixed upholstery and carpet, use a commercial skunk odor neutralizer that's labeled for fabric, after a hidden-spot test.
Why: The peroxide mix can bleach fixed upholstery and carpet, so a fabric-safe product is the safer choice there.
Why a car can smell of skunk for days
Skunks do spray vehicles, and cars also pick up spray from driving over or past a skunk, or from a sprayed dog riding inside. The spray is an oily liquid full of thiols, sulfur compounds people smell at around 10 parts per billion. It clings to paint, rubber, wheel wells and fabric, and the ventilation system can pull the smell into the cabin.
The spray also contains thioacetates, which release fresh thiols when they get wet. So a car that seemed fine can smell skunky again after rain or a car wash until the oily residue is gone. The skunk smell page has the full chemistry.
Keep the peroxide mix off upholstery
The peroxide, baking soda and soap formula works well on pets and in the washing machine, but Nebraska Extension and the Missouri Department of Conservation both warn it can bleach or discolor fabric. Don't pour or spray it on car seats or carpet. Wash removable fabrics with it diluted in the wash water, and use a fabric-labeled skunk neutralizer for anything fixed. See skunk smell in clothes for the laundry method.
By situation
You drove over or past a skunk
The spray is mostly on the tires, wheel wells and underside. Wash them thoroughly with soap and water, ideally with a pressure washer or an underbody wash, and air the cabin.
A sprayed dog rode in the car
Launder anything the dog lay on with the peroxide mix in the wash water. Wipe hard surfaces with soapy water, and use a fabric-safe neutralizer on fixed seats.
The smell comes through the vents
Run the fan on outside air with windows open. A faint smell usually fades over days to weeks as the thiols evaporate.
The smell returns after rain
Thioacetates in leftover spray are releasing thiols. Wash the outside again with soap and water, paying attention to wheel wells and the underside.
What not to do
- Don't put the peroxide mix on car upholstery or carpet. It can bleach or discolor fabric.
- Don't rely on car air fresheners or tomato juice. They mask the smell while the oily thiols stay put.
- Don't store the peroxide mix in a closed container in the car. It releases oxygen and can burst the container.
- Don't run an ozone generator with anyone inside. EPA warns ozone irritates the lungs and doesn't remove odors at safe levels.
Other methods that work
Commercial skunk odor neutralizer
Products made for skunk odor can be used on exterior surfaces and, if labeled for it, fabric.
Caution: Follow the label and spot-test; don't combine with other products.
Professional detailing
A detailer can wash the underside and deep-clean the interior if the smell is strong inside.
Stain still there?
The outside still smells after a wash
Repeat with more soap and focus on wheel wells, tires and the underside, where spray collects.
The cabin smells faintly for weeks
Keep ventilating with outside air. If a pet rode inside, check for a seat or mat you haven't cleaned yet.
Safety
- Wear gloves when washing off skunk spray, and keep it out of your eyes.
- Mix the peroxide formula in an open container and use it immediately. Never cap or store it.
Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.
Questions
How do you get skunk smell out of a car?
Wash the sprayed outside surfaces and underside with soap and water, air the cabin out, and launder removable covers with the peroxide mix added to the wash water.
How long does skunk smell last on a car?
A washed car usually clears within days. Without washing, the smell fades over several weeks and returns when the car gets wet.
Can I use hydrogen peroxide on car seats for skunk smell?
Not directly. It can bleach fabric. Use it only diluted in the wash for removable covers, and a fabric-safe skunk neutralizer for fixed seats.
Will a car wash remove skunk smell?
A thorough wash with soap, including the wheels and underside, removes much of it. Spray-only rinses may not dissolve the oily musk.
Skunk elsewhere
Other smells in a car
Sources
- Removing Skunk Odor (NebGuide G2100), University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
- Skunk Control, Missouri Department of Conservation
- Sprayed by a Skunk, Penn State Extension
- Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Last updated . Methods are drawn from the sources above; how we research and check our guides.