House Smells Like Skunk In The Winter? (Possible Causes & Fixes)

What looks like a skunk, smells like a skunk, and makes your house smell like a skunk? The answer seems pretty simple…or does it?

Most regions of the country are blessed by these stinky, albeit adorable, little guys. In the winter, though, you’d think it would be less common to see them—and smell them! And you’d be right. But that doesn’t mean they disappear entirely.

If your house smells like skunk in the winter, it may be that a skunk—or a family of skunks—has hibernated in the vicinity of your home. They’ll need to be professionally removed. If you’re certain an actual skunk is not causing the smell, then it’s possible you may be experiencing a gas leak. This, too, is another job for a professional.

Like many animals, skunks make themselves scarce during the winter. Unlike many animals, they don’t enter full hibernation. Instead, they enter a state called torpor. This is a deep sleep that they wake from occasionally, which means they aren’t totally inactive during the winter months.

Skunks den communally in order to keep warm. And while they’re capable of digging their own dens, they would much rather use one that’s already been created. This may lead them to the space beneath your porch. You may also find them hunkering down under steps, decks, sheds, or floating additions.

This should be done ASAP. Be sure to use a deodorizing soap or a grease-cutting dish detergent to wash your body as well as lots of shampoo in your hair. Additionally, you can pour 4 cups of baking soda into hot bath water and soak in a tub for 15-20 minutes. Make sure you rinse thoroughly.

If your pet was sprayed, make a DIY solution to lather on them. Use 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1 teaspoon grease-cutting dish detergent, and ¼ cup of baking soda. Let it sit for no longer than 5 minutes as it can begin to lighten their fur. Rinse them thoroughly with their normal shampoo. You can repeat the steps until the smell is gone.

Fabric can hold a skunk smell for a very long time. If any fabric was heavily sprayed, you may want to just toss it. Otherwise, you can soak the clothes in a bathtub of hot water and baking soda. Then, wash it at a high temperature with anti-bacterial detergent. You’ll want to air them dry because using the dryer can set the smell into the fabric. Repeat this process until the smell is gone.

For any fabrics that cannot be hand- or machine-washed, like a carpet, you can scrub them down with a baking soda solution.

It’s possible that the skunk smell isn’t actually coming from skunks. If you’re certain there are no skunks nearby, then you may have a bigger problem.

It could be a gas leak.

Natural gas is odorless. However, gas companies inject a chemical called mercaptan into residential gas in order to make it easier to detect a problem. It can smell like rotten eggs or skunk. If you believe there’s a gas leak in your house, it’s important that you leave immediately and call the fire department.

Natural gas furnaces see the most use during the winter. You can prevent a gas leak by performing safe practices. Just before you turn your heater on for the season, have your heating company or another trusted HVAC business inspect all heating and venting equipment.

Keeping exhaust vents and gas meters clear of snow and ice is another safety practice. A blocked exhaust vent can cause a build-up of carbon monoxide, which could be fatal. It could also cause the equipment to malfunction.

Check out these other questions people had about skunks smells.

If left untreated, the smell can linger anywhere from 2-3 weeks. The longer you wait to deal with the smell the harder it will be to get rid of it. So, the best practice would be to follow the above steps immediately in order to get that odor out.

The reason is similar to having a gas leak. If there’s a skunky smell in your bathroom, it’s most likely due to a dry p trap (the u-shaped pipe under bathtubs and sinks). Most p traps have a bit of water in them, which creates a barrier from sewer gas or gas from your septic tank.

That type of gas is called hydrogen sulfide and it comes with a sulfur or skunky smell. If a bathroom is used less often, the water will evaporate and the gas can filter into your home.

To combat this, simply run the water in all your sinks, tubs, and showers every few months so there’s always water in the p traps.

Yes! Rather than placing bowls of vinegar in each room, you can also boil it on the stove as a way to remove the odor from the entire house.

For this method, you want to seal off your house the best you can. Close all windows and turn off the fans. In a saucepan, bring vinegar to a light boil. Then, reduce to a simmer for 2 hours or until there’s only ¼ of liquid left. Resume ventilation by opening the windows and turning on fans. The vinegar smell will dissipate after 2-3 hours at which time the skunk odor should be gone. The house may continue to smell like vinegar for several days.

We sure learned a lot about skunks in this article. They may look cute, but skunks give off possibly one of the worst smells in the history of smells. It’s quite the defense mechanism, huh? For as cute as they are, they seem pretty lazy. I mean, using the recesses of your porch as a den? Go build your own, man! But remember, if you have a community of skunks residing near your house in the winter, don’t provoke them. Let the professionals handle their removal.

If there are absolutely no skunks in your area but you still smell them, get out of your house and call the fire department to check for a gas leak.

In either scenario, a professional is required to handle the situation. Only after the source of the skunk smell is determined can you take steps to get rid of it. Find out what you can do if your house smells like skunk but there’s no skunks nearby.