How to remove skunk smell on vehicle?

[92saturnsl2]

On my way to work ('07 Pacifica) I heard a thump-thump like I'd run over road debris. Once I got to work it was terribly obvious what it was-- I'd flattened a skunk.

Got home and I can't even park it in the garage it smells so bad, it even permeates into the cabin when it sits. I've localized the smell to the inside the rear bumper area underneath the car. I don't see any skunk bits so I'm assuming some of its "spray" has coated the sheet metal in that area. I've had it sitting outside for a few days now and it's still as strong as day one.

Has this happened to anyone else? I'll try high pressure washing in that area now that the weather has warmed up a bit, but any tips/tricks I should know?

 

[hrv]

Had that happened to me.. Took it to a full service car wash that has the undercarrage blast and it took are of the smell..

 

[spasm3]

I hit a skunk good in a 93 ciera. Underbody wash and i still could not drive it for 2 weeks. Took 2 weeks out in the open june sun to go away. 3 days with the windows open, as i permeated the passenger area. Fortunately i had spare cars.

Get it out of the garage, or you and your house will smell.

 

[Brian123]

Had that happened to me.. Took it to a full service car wash that has the undercarrage blast and it took are of the smell..

are of the smell, LOL

 

[oldcodger]

In my experience nothing you try will give immediate and complete results. If you have a pressure washer fill it up with some dish detergent and wash it good. It will take several washes to get most of it off. For the remainder just be patient and it will slowly go away.
What you have is nothing. We had a window that got left down and our cat who had just been sprayed decided to take a nap in our child seat. I tried everything I could think of. We had to scrap the seat and get a new one but the smell never really left the interior of the car, especially on damp/rainy days.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Get it out of the garage, or you and your house will smell.

I figured that out real quick! Thought the drive home from work would do it, but 10 minutes of it sitting in my shop building and the whole place stunk.

Had that happened to me.. Took it to a full service car wash that has the undercarrage blast and it took are of the smell..

We're just far enough outside the salt belt that automatic washes with undercarriage blast are a rarity, I've never seen one. Guess I'll have to look harder!

 

[Passport1]

I got sprayed once. Tomato juice and vinegar bath helps.

 

[spasm3]

If it happens to me again, i'm going to use it as an excuse to buy/try one of these.

https://www.amazon.com/Selkie-Undercarriage-Pressure-Extension-Underbody/dp/B0CJ9BXXXK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=W2P5LJL239VT&keywords=underbody%2Bcar%2Bwasher&qid=1706834226&refinements=p_72%3A2661618011&rnid=2661617011&sprefix=underbody%2Bcar%2Bwashe%2Caps%2C370&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

 

[RDMgr]

The commercial on TV says that POOPH spray neutralizes skunk odor. It's supposed to neutralize virtually any organic odor. Amazon or pet supply stores carry it.

 

[vwmaniaman]

You need one of those ozone generators. It may take a couple weeks but it will take it away. Wife says trade in the car.

 

[dishdude]

Stop hotboxing it lol

 

[Pew]

I figured that out real quick! Thought the drive home from work would do it, but 10 minutes of it sitting in my shop building and the whole place stunk.


We're just far enough outside the salt belt that automatic washes with undercarriage blast are a rarity, I've never seen one. Guess I'll have to look harder!

If you can find one, I will recommend that as well. My mom ran over a skunk in her minivan and I ran over a dead one in the evo that rolled everywhere under my car because it was lowered. Both times a trip to the car wash with interior cleaning fixed it.

 

[vavavroom]

Who can say when the smell goes?
Only time

I enjoy misquoting Enya.

 

[Nukeman7]

Would spraying tomato juice up in the undercarriage help neutralize the odor? That is what is recommended for people and pets to bathe in to neutralize skunk spray. I'd definitely rinse it off afterwards since it is somewhat acidic.

 

[honeeagle]

google baking soda and peroxide, its just a bodily fluid like real strong pee ,you have to break the chemical bond and peroxide will do that.
safe for pets formula is on the net.

 

[jhellwig]

Dawn dish soap foamed all over every inch outside and under. An Ozone generator inside and shampoo with upholstery with the soap used to clean cloth after being smoke damaged.

Had an outside dog get in a fight with a skunk in the bushes next to an old drafty farm house we lived in. The smell woke us up and we had to leave the house in the middle of the night and couldn't come back for two weeks. Paid that lime green disaster cleaning company a ton of money for very slow help and the most useful thing they did was run an large ozone generator and give us the special soap so we could wash every single thing in the house in a laundry mat. I washed the whole outside of the house and bushes with a pressure washer and dawn dish soap to finally get rid of it.

 

[atikovi]

On my way to work ('07 Pacifica) I heard a thump-thump like I'd run over road debris.

Have collision insurance? With the cost to clean it up, it's a total.

 

[wpod]

Run over Skunk smells like victory.

 

[Pablo]

Spray some gear oil all up in there

 

[ls1mike]

I grew up in Upstate NY, they were everywhere. I was always told tomato juice.