Most of us know to stay as far away from a skunk as we can. However, there may be some times when we have to deal with the smell a skunk can leave behind. Our pets are known to be curious and can get too close to a skunk, we may unsuspectingly come too close to a skunk for their comfort or we may have a lingering smell on our property.

There are numerous cases where the unexpected can happen, and we need to know the myths from the facts when it comes to getting rid of those skunk odors for good.

The myths:

• Take a bath in tomato juice. I know that most of us have heard this old wives tale. If we take a bath in tomato juice, the skunk odor will melt away. However, for those of us who have tried this, we can tell you that it simply does not work. You will still have that lingering skunk odor, so you should skip this misconceived solution.
• Bathe in lemon juice or spray yourself down with some type of citrus juice. The belief is that the citrus scent should overpower the skunk odor, but just as with the tomato bath, this popular solution just does not work. You will still smell like you have been sprayed by a skunk, so you should also pass on this so-called cure.
• You can mask the scent of the skunk with perfume, cologne, febreeze or some other great smelling solution. The cold hard truth is that there is nothing that you can buy that will mask the scent of a skunk. Their odor is too strong for anything to overpower, and, of course, the easiest solution usually is not the best. Therefore, there is no need    to aimlessly walk the aisles of a store searching for something to    rid you of that nasty smell.

The one true skunk smell solution

After looking at all of the myths that many of us thought were truths, you are probably thinking that you, your pets or your property is stuck stinking of skunk smell. This does not have to be your reality because luckily there is one homemade cure that should do the trick.

The secret recipe to removing skunk odor requires simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store. You will need to mix the following ingredients:

• a quart of hydrogen peroxide
• ¼ cup of baking soda
• a teaspoon of dish detergent or other liquid soap

You need to use this mixture as soon as you mix the ingredients together. It is unstable, and unfortunately, this means that you can not make this mixture ahead of time to keep on hand just in case you were to get sprayed. You should put on gloves and wear old clothes prior to rubbing the mixture all over where you or the victim was sprayed. Once you have applied the mixture, you need to let it sit for about five minutes before you rinse it off.

If you find that you or the victim still have some lingering odors, you may need to reapply the solution and rinse again. It can be a daunting task trying to eliminate this repulsive odor, but do not worry. By using this solution, you should be able to get rid of that stinky skunk smell in no time.