How To Remove the Smell of Skunk from Inside Your Home

We have lived out in the countryside for more than four years and not once have we seen a skunk at our home, until last night. We have seen all sorts of animals, bugs, and insects ranging from deer to birds to turkeys to mice to our three "pet" cats, and even a few snakes. We have seen skunks dead on the side of the road or smelled them going into town, but nothing compares to having one right on your patio deck and inhaling the smell of skunk, thinking that you may be getting high from the smell of weed instead. We eliminated weed almost right away because we don't have any houses around us, and we don't smoke. 

We followed the smell and it took us through our room, Jace's room and even the living room and kitchen. We feed the cats daily in hopes that they will eat the mice that keep coming into our home, but unfortunately they haven't been doing their job. I would even bring them mice that we caught out to them and they look at it as if they were too good to have a solid piece of meat laid out in front of them. So we continue to spend money on cat food as well as mice traps for the dozens of mice we have caught this year. We are finding that switching up the cat food, more and more bugs and animals are eating it too. We have swarms of bees that dig in and the poor cats I'm sure are getting stung through all of the food. And now apparently we have a skunk that likes the cat food. I opened the front door last night and amongst the shadows, I saw the skunk, caught red-handed, eating the cat food before it ran off into the darkness. 

Even through my congestion I could still smell the skunk throughout the entire house so I knew something had to be done. Through my research, I discovered that leaving a bowl of Baking Soda as well as a bowl of White Vinegar throughout the house will remove and soak up the smell. I tested this out. 

I put two bowls in our room - one bowl of White Vinegar and one bowl of Baking Soda.

I put two bowls in Jaces room. 

I put one bowl of Baking Soda in the kitchen. 

It has been about 12 hours and the smell is 90% gone. It is suggested to leave them for about 24-48 hours so that's what I'm going to do. We also sprayed the Febreeze spray but that only covered up the scent for nothing short of a few minutes. If you have any other suggestions on what has worked before or how to get skunks to *not* return to your home, please let me know in the comments below! This is all new for us so I'm willing to try different things!