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If you've ever had the misfortune , as I have recently, of your dogs running back happily into the house from the final potty outing of the evening only to discover they are dripping some kind of material from their coats onto your carpet. A few seconds later, your sense of smell kicks in... it finally occurs to you... they've been SKUNKED! Don't panic. There's something you can use to neutralize the odor, from products you may already have at home.

FORMULA:

• 1 quart Hydrogen Peroxide 3% (fresher the better)
• 1/4 cup Baking Soda
• 1-2 tsp liquid soap (preferably Soft Soap or Ivory Liquid)
• Add tepid water if needed for larger dogs

Credit to Paul Krebaum, The Adhesive Doctor

Steps:

1. Place pet in easy to clean area (ie. bath or laundry room) or, ideally, keep  them outdoors to minimize the odor damage  to your home and give you time to prepare the formula.
2. Don a pair of rubber gloves (or you will be smelling it on yourself for days afterwards!)
3. Inspect your pet for wounds or other signs of trauma.  A visit to your vet to address these issues may be in order once he/she is "deskunked" (your vet will appreciate you, believe me!)
4. If eyes appear irritated, red or teary, they can be flushed with a saline solution or any eye wash/rinse solution you might have (if you're a contact wearer).  You can also apply an eye lubricant prior to bathing  to protect your pet's eyes from further irritation.
5. Rinse coat with tepid water and apply formula generously, work deep into entire coat with your fingers. Let formula sit on coat for 5-10 minutes before rinsing. Try not to get water  or solution into  your pet's ears or eyes if possible.
6. Repeat as needed.  Some badly skunked dogs require 2-4 washes.
7. Towel or air dry.

Precautions:

• It's important to use the solution right away for maximum effectiveness!
• The formula produces a chemical reaction, therefore, DO NOT place in a closed container!
• The formula can temporarily lighten the coat of your dog or permanently lighten any towels or materials that come in contact with it.

Other hints

• I've had no personal experience but have seen  OxyClean  may be of help to tackle lingering odor on carpeting, towels or other household items that have come in contact with skunk material.  Just know that lightening of those material may occur.
• To rid house of the odor:  try warming apple cider vinegar on the stove.
• Tomato juice doesn't work!
• Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover works pretty well. Can be picked up at many pet stores and vet hospitals.

The experience of a skunk encounter is right up there with having a root canal, but take heart, you'll get through it with this formula and a little sense of humor. After my incident occurred, I walked into work the next day and announced first thing "You'll never guess what happened to me last night!" Every one in the room looked at me, took a whiff and said in unison "Skunk?!" If you have your own formulas or take on experience with this one, I'd love to hear from you.