A pet who’s just been sprayed by a skunk can’t be ignored — you’ll want to do something about the smell right away. There are commercial products for sale at the pet supply store, but you may be able to mix up a home remedy from stuff you already have around the house.

One home remedy I found on the Internet is a mixture of baking soda, dish detergent, and hydrogen peroxide. Its inventor, Paul Krebaum, gives the exact measurements and other useful advice on his site.

Most home remedies for skunk scent use something more acidic than peroxide, though just as common. For example, IdeaOffer reader JAC recommends a quart of vinegar mixed with 1/3 cup of baking soda and two teaspoons of dish detergent.

We’ve all heard of the tomato juice idea, but reader Diana Smith suggests: “2-3 daily baths in concentrated tomato paste . . . Honey mustard comes in 2nd place. If you don’t like those smells you can use strong black coffee . . .” Add garlic or onions if you want, she says — anything’s better than skunk. You’ll probably need 10 to 30 cans of tomato paste each day. One drawback: Tomato can be harmful to some dogs, so you can’t let a dog lick it off.

Okay, but how do you get it on the pet?

Do it outside, says JAC, or everything in your house will smell like skunk for the next two weeks. Also: “Washing just a part of the fur won’t do it; you have to find where the spray really hit.”

Diana Smith says the tomato paste bath takes about four hours to work, so “if your pet is fussy about this idea go in there with them, hold and pet them while they soak.”

She says fresh ground anise, used as a body powder, will also work – and the pet doesn’t have to get wet.

It’s a tough situation, but these remedies may make it a little easier — and save you money.