Have you ever experienced skunk spray up close? If you have, then you know it is the most offensive odor. And, since skunk spray is oil based, it is also the worst to get rid of.

Last week I was upstairs in the office organizing notes for my Algebra 2 students. The night was perfect with a light cool breeze coming in through the open windows. All of a sudden I got a whiff of the neighborhood skunk. I yelled, “Where’s Buddy?” My husband yelled back, “Too late!”

Oh, no! Here we go again. Our dog (Peanut) who we had before Buddy had been sprayed also so we knew what it entailed…lots of continuous bathing with solutions of white vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, etc….and lots of deodorizing.

Only this time, Buddy got away from my husband in the den as he brought him in from the backyard. He rolled around on the carpeting in attempt to remove the pungent odor from his back and face. Luckily, we still had the furniture covered to protect it from our granddaughters’ visit earlier in the afternoon.

Needless to say, the carpeting stunk from the skunk oil. Poppy rented a carpet shampooer from our local supermarket. But to no avail, the odor just wouldn’t come out. The den was the only room where we didn’t have the carpet replaced three years ago so it’s time we replaced it anyway. The den gets a lot of use and has started to show more wear and tear lately mostly because the grandchildren are more active – and therefore, the dog is too. They love the fact that they can run in and out of the back door with Buddy following them. The den is also between the garage and kitchen which can show you just how much daily traffic the carpet gets.

With our busy schedules, it’s difficult to find time to go carpet shopping and besides, we use enough gas as it is. To save time and gas, we’ll make an appointment with Empire Today to take advantage of their in-home flooring sales and next day installation. Poppy and I rarely agree on anything when it comes to decorating, but in this case we’ve decided to choose a Berber carpet installed in the den instead of a plush because my research tells me it endures people and dog traffic which we do have coming and going from the kitchen, backyard, and garage. It will also be easier to vacuum up the dog hair.

When the real estate market picks up, we’ll try selling our house again. This time, we plan on having the bedroom wood floors replaced with laminate flooring which Empire Today also installs. Through the years, with three children of our own (and now Kaitlin and Emily) and several dogs, the wood floors have been terribly scratched. We don’t want to bother with the lengthy refinishing process. Another alternative would be to cover them up with more carpeting, but buyers are looking for attractive flooring instead. When we were looking at houses ourselves, It was really difficult to tell the difference. I had to touch the flooring to know for sure. The best part is that it will withstand scratching from our grandchildren’s toys and our Buddy’s claws when he runs around or jumps on or off the bed. That’s always a good selling point, too.

Before I decided on Empire Today, I visited their website and read what others had to say about Empire’s in-home flooring sales and installation. Follow this link to read what their customers had to say:  Empire Carpet Stories.

Nana’s advice: If you suspect a skunk may be visiting…before you let your dog out at night, turn on bright lights and make loud noises…then give the skunk time to leave your yard.

Recipe for washing:

One quart 3% hydrogen peroxide*
¼ cup baking soda
one teaspoon liquid dish soap

1. Wear vinyl gloves and an apron.
2. Rinse your dog completely down to the skin with water.
3. Wash with the above solution and leave on 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Protect yourself – your pet will try to shake off the water.
5. Rinse off with water.

* White vinegar can be substituted, but it is not as effective
*Use a wash cloth for the face area and do not let it get into your pet’s eyes.
*You may have to wash several times but be careful not to cause irritation.
*The odor will still be there, but only faintly. Over time it will disappear.