Does tomato juice really wash off skunk smell?

The short answer

Nope. You're going to need a special potion for that (see below).

The long answer

What are skunks?

On The Tree of Life, skunks hail from the Mustelidae family, one of the toughest families on the block.

Taxonomic tree featuring skunk and lovely cousins.

Notorious members include the badger (best digger in the animal kingdom and spreader of tuberculosis), honey badger (AKA ratel...don't give a f***), wolverine (arguably the bravest animal per pound and best X-Man), and skunk, which is essentially a French badger with chemical weapons attached to its butt.

Um.

Although it’s clear to us humans that these stripey critters shouldn’t be messed with, domestic breeding has eliminated a trait called “common sense” from many of our modern-day fur babies.

They get curious, they chase, and they get sprayed. Then they come inside and want to get in your bed.

Because dogs.

Dog being dog.

What is skunk smell?

So what is that stinky skunky stuff that makes dogs smell so bad?

A skunk’s noxious spunk is primarily made of a foul organic compound called a thiol, with some sulfur attached to give it that rotten egg smell. This is brewed in small pouches on either side of the rectum called anal sacs.

Diagram of skunk anal sacs.

From nozzles in these pouches, skunks can spray 10-20 feet with alarming accuracy—like straight into your dog’s face.

Yes but I already know that!

Okay, okay.

Without further ado, let's answer our main question: Does tomato juice wash off skunk smell?

Does tomato juice wash off skunk smell?

Number one: Tomato juice does not wash off skunk smell. That’s a myth.

Not even this much tomato soup will work.

Number two: Don’t expect to rinse it off with soap and water.

The spray isn’t water soluble even with soap, and water makes the smell worse because it converts some other molecules in the spray into…you guessed it…more gross thiols.

What does wash off skunk smell?

So what's the solution?

A solution.

You need something to neutralize those pesky thiols. For this we turn to a recipe known to wildlife scientists around the world. It was created by Paul Krebaum, a chemist from Illinois.

The recipe:

• 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
  

• ¼ cup of baking soda
  

• 1 teaspoon of liquid hand soap
  

Wash your dog with this solution, careful not to get any in their eyes (or your own), then rinse with warm water.

Today I did a bath thing and got a head massage.

The chemical reaction oxidizes the thiols, converting them into a water-soluble, less-stinky sulfonic acid.

Down the drain it goes.

And voila! Science wins again.

CAUTION: SERIOUSLY

DO NOT STORE THIS SOLUTION IN A BOTTLE BECAUSE IT WILL EXPLODE.

THIS IS NOT A JOKE.

THAT’S WHY I AM USING BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS.