My wife hit a skunk,

[Ddub]

Mazda 1 Skunk 0 No visible damage to the car and everyone except for the skunk is ok. The problem - car smells like a skunk (inside and out) that has been run over. First step - I took it to a coin operated high pressure wand place and blasted soapy water in every crevice I could safely do so, then rinsed. Step 2 - ran through an automated gas station car wash (I know, blasphemy, right?), and then let it sit outside all day on a windy day with the hood, windows, and doors open. Further visual inspection in the engine bay and underneath car reveals no obvious skunk remnants. Step 3 - Ran it through a nice, long, and very extensive automatic car wash with the blasters that do underneath and wheels and tires. Since the car was now super clean, I detailed inside and out and it now has its summer coat of DG 105. Even though it is getting better, it still smells. I think driving it at highway speed during a significant rain event might be what finally gets rid of it, but I'm really not sure at this point. Anything I've missed, or any other ideas? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[domer10]

wash it with vinegar or tomato soup lol. All joking aside i think acidic things kill off the smell.

 

[Andy636]

Ozon generators are cheap. Buy one and let it sit in the car for a couple of hours...that should neutralize the thiols

 

[Turk]

Febreeze Auto.

 

[mattwithcats]

2-4 cups tomato juice in a gallon garden sprayer. The thiols are activated by water and humidity, so the smell may return on a rainy day... Tomato juice is acidic, so add 1-2 teaspoons baking soda to the mix... Spray outside and underneath of car, let set 15-20 minutes, wash off...

 

[bigt61]

Just give it a few weeks - the smell will go away. You've already done more than enough.

 

[Drew99GT]

That stinks.

 

[RN89]

Originally Posted By: Turk

Febreeze Auto.

Then your car can smell Lavendery-Skunky fresh!! Febreze doesn't remove odors (regardless of their claim). Only covers them up for about 10 minutes with some raunchy chemicals that will make everyone sneeze.

 

[440Magnum]

The good news is that skunk stink is organic material- it'll break down given time. The bad news, that's about ALL that will really get rid of it. Detergents and acids help, but time's the only sure-fire fix.

 

[Ddub]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT

That stinks.

Thank you, I'll be here all week! Try the veal.

 

[FastEddie]

Originally Posted By: Andy636

Ozon generators are cheap. Buy one and let it sit in the car for a couple of hours...that should neutralize the thiols

Ozone generators are either cheap or good, not both. I built a large one (wasn't cheap) and it would still take much more than a couple hours to remove strong odors.

 

[turtlevette]

Step 4: Park it for a couple of years. Come back after that and you won't smell a thing.

 

[Kuato]

Obvious point: the smell is not originating from the inside, so anything you do there will be wasted time in short order. I like the tomato juice (milk works also) wash for the underside. Overall though, time is your friend here.

 

[Kira]

I thought the tomato juice thing was debunked years ago. The formula I found online featured hydrogen peroxide and a tiny bit of DAWN (to cut the oiliness of the skunk's secretions) and one other thing. "Thank you. I'll be here all week! Try the road kill" Kira

 

[mattwithcats]

Find a used car dealer with a head cold....

 

[RTexasF]

This will work positively. You will need at least the 32 oz spray. I had a business removing smells in the past using this product. You need to hit every single area that was sprayed in order for it to work. If you miss one it will come back. It's possible that you may need a gallon. The stuff is beyond amazing. https://www.nokout.com/Odor-Eliminator/

 

[gofast182]

The smell should abate on its own, eventually. Last summer I re-ran-over something dead in my TSX. When I saw I couldn't avoid it I expected a 'bump bump' well it wasn't, it was a 'squish squish' it literally felt like running over a bag of pudding. Whatever it was was there for a while in the hot summer sun! Needless to say there was a gag-inducing odor within 10 feet of the outside of the car. Despite my best attempts at cleaning in the wheel wells, under it, etc, it took about a month before the smell completely went away. Just hang in there and keep the interior open to fresh air as much as possible.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

You will get used to it after a while.... Park in the far corner of the parking lot. The walk is good exercise. (It's ok to leave the shopping cart way out there, the lot boy needs the exercise. ). You have my sympathy, really. Skunk oil is, well oily. The spray is very finely atomized, it sticks to every thing, it's in your ventilation system. It will eventually oxidize. In hot weather, it will smell worse, but will go away quicker. I once had to de-skunk a cat, a big indoor cat with no sense of humor.... Wayne

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: Kira

I thought the tomato juice thing was debunked years ago. The formula I found online featured hydrogen peroxide and a tiny bit of DAWN (to cut the oiliness of the skunk's secretions) and one other thing. "Thank you. I'll be here all week! Try the road kill" Kira

:dunno: about the tomato juice debunking, but I do know it helped when my dog was sprayed

 

[dickwells]

Oh, you must be smelling my new tires!