Dog got sprayed by a skunk - best way to clean blaze band?

[OffbeatGypsy]

The dog got sprayed by a skunk last night and my blaze band reeks to high hell. I've read the wear and care instructions - I don't think rubbing alcohol is going to cut it. Does anyone have any experience cleaning their bands with vinegar and water? Thought I'd double check before I experiment....

[Odyssey13]

Hello and welcome to the forums @OffbeatGypsy

That must have been quite the experience. Are you and the dog ok?

As for the band, I think that given what happened to it, that anything you do can't be any worse than the current condition. Is the Blaze pebble part of it also reeking?

I know at times people have placed their Flex bands into a storage bag or container with fabric softener sheets, but I'm not sure they are strong enough to help you with skunk odor.

Maybe you could try cleaning half the band and seeing if that makes any difference.

Let us know what happens.

[bbarrera]

@OffbeatGypsy our dog gets sprayed once every other year or so, due to the fruit trees in our yard. This solution:

http://dogs.about.com/od/caringfordogsandpuppies/ht/deskunking.htm

works great for cleaning the dog. Last year I even used it to clean sidewalk and garage door because they got hit too.

Going out on a limb, but I'd probably (carefully) try that on my tracker if the smell was bad. Hard to say what it will do to your band and Blaze. I got some nasty stuff (not smelly) on a smartwatch and cleaned it with rubbing alcohol and it didn't affect the band but the smartwatch is higher build and material quality than my Surge or Blaze.

Good luck!

[OffbeatGypsy]

Well, we're doing ok. Dog is ok, just cowed after having multiple baths forced on her. I did, in fact, come across that particular recipe for deskunking @bbarrera, unfortunately, I saw it AFTER I had already bathed her twice and desperation had set in  Apparently that particular recipe is best used before the dog gets wet. So I ended up dousing her with a mix of water and apple cider vinegar, let it sit on her for a while before bathing her a third time. 

As for my watch band, it still smells 😞 A little less after the vinegar/water bath, but enough that I'll have to pick up a second strap to wear until the smells either fades from this one, or I throw it out 😞

[Rich_Laue]

The home made recipe based on chemistry 

• 1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide (available at any pharmacy)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap

Wearing rubber gloves, wash your dog with this solution immediately after she's been sprayed. DO NOT get the solution in her eyes. (If you don't have peroxide, baking soda, and liquid soap on hand, use vinegar diluted with water.)

[bbarrera]

Yay @Rich_Laue I posted a link to that above. Some years, like 2015, I get to perform the deskunking ritual twice. And for bonus points I had to use the solution on the garage door and concrete. Worst deskunking was in (California) winter when it was 28 degrees outside.

If the dog gets a direct hit, we do a second deskunking the next day.