Cleaning up vomit is one of the worst cleaning tasks around. When it lands on carpet, you have a double task. Remove the odors and the stains. The key is using the right cleaners to break through the mess and remove it for good.
Table of Contents:
You Will Need:
- Dust pan
- Spoon
- Paper towels or old rags
- Warm water
- Bucket
- Enzyme-based cleaner (ex: Kids ‘n Pets, Nature’s Miracle)
- Baking soda or corn starch
- Vacuum
Steps to Clean the Carpet:
- Start by removing as much of the vomit as possible. Use a dust pan or other scraper to remove as much as possible. For smaller messes, a spoon will work.
- Next, blot the area with old rags or paper towels to absorb the moisture.
- Cover the area with baking soda or corn starch. Either of these products will soak up the excess moisture.
- Allow it to set on the area for 10-15 minutes.
- Vacuum away the baking soda or corn starch with a vacuum.
- Next, you will treat the area for the odor and/or stains that may be present.
- Apply an enzyme-based cleaner. These are readily available in the cleaning aisle or with the pet supplies. These cleaners break down the odor-causing proteins so they can be removed completely. They are effective in removing stains as well.
- Apply a liberal amount of cleaner to the area.
- Blot it with a clean cloth or paper towels to remove the cleaner and the stain.
- Repeat as necessary.
- If these cleaners are not available, water can be mixed with vinegar and dish soap. Use the same application/blotting method to clean the area.
- Once the area is clean, allow it to air dry completely.
- Vacuum the dry surface to restore the texture.
Additional Tips and Advice
- For best results, clean the carpet immediately. The longer the vomit sits, the further it will soak into the carpet and padding and will be more difficult to remove.
- Some cleaners, such as Kids ‘n Pets, are designed to stay on the carpet and air dry as they clean and remove the odors. There is no need to rinse after using these products.
- Dry cleaning fluid is also helpful for removing vomit stains from carpet.
- After vacuuming the area, dispose of the contents and replace the bag. This will help prevent odors and bacteria growth inside the vacuum.
- If a wet vac or carpet shampooer is available, it will make the cleaning task faster and more effective.
If your little one or pet gets sick on your carpeting, don’t use a rag to try to clean it up – it will only push it further into your rug. Instead, use the edge of a butter knife to scrape the mess out and off of the carpeting. With the majority of it removed, you can then use a spot wet-vac if you have one, or try a good carpet cleaning product. Woolite makes a good pet stain product for carpeting that works well for this purpose, too. Try not to soak your rug with too much water – it may not dry fast enough and cause mold to grow underneath.
Cleaning vomit or dog messes off carpet is tricky. Get the majority off with a metal object, don’t push it into the carpet. Then take a damp cloth and scrub the rest of the carpet with just water. Once it has most of the “stuff” off the carpet then dampen with Windex and let it sit for a few minutes and using a clean damp rag, scrub again.
this will take out most stains left behind, and take the smell out.
DO NOT SCRUB YOUR CARPET!!!! Take off the chunks with a spatula or butter knife, then spray hydrogen peroxide or OxyClean. Let sit for 5 minutes and pat firmly with a dry white cloth. Continue multiple times until no stain appears on the cloth. Finish by sprinkling with baking soda for odor removal. After 10 minutes vacuum.
A small dustpan (the kind that goes with a crumb brush or small whisk broom) is handy for lifting vomit off carpet before cleaning. It holds more than a spatula or butter knife, but still does not push icky stuff into the fibers of your carpet. Get one that can go in the top rack of your dishwasher, if you can.
Sprinkle a heap of talc powder over the vomit patch and leave for an hour or so, the talc soaks up the moisture from the carpet, the talc will go crumbly then you can vacuum it up or sweep it with a dust pan and brush. Once you have done this you need to treat the leftover stain and odor. I usually fill a small tub with warm soapy water and add a few drops of eucalyptus oil with a bit of elbow grease the stain is gone and no more smell.
As a student who has cleaned vomit from carpeting on more than one occasion, I have found that the Woolite Oxydeep POD works miracles. They fine you big time for carpet stains in dorm rooms and with this thing you cant tell there was ever anything there. Highly recommend it.
Sometimes when you see a specific product mentioned in a forum like this, you have to be suspicious that it’s a plant. But the information given on the Woolite Oxydeep is spot on (no pun intended). It worked like a charm.
Having 3 cats- I know hairballs… Ewww. I have found them on occasion in a hidden low traffic location dried out. They are so much easier to remove when they have been allowed to dry. Simply scrape the dried mess up and do a thorough vacuum- follow up with any wet cleaning method you prefer to remove odor. Rubbing, blotting or scraping when wet, pushes the material deeper into the fibers, and potentially into the pad. Letting them dry helps keep the mess at the surface…. if you can stand seeing the mess for a few hours or so. Of course this does not apply to large messes (child, dog or adult vomit)- do a more direct approach if the carpet is already saturated.
Shoot. I rubbed too. It just didn’t occur to me to Google “clean throw up out of carpet” in the moments following the upheaval. Although I honestly couldn’t see cleaning it with a butter knife. Not with as much as my 3 year old just heaved up.
Still using the baking soda to soak up the odor. Will probably go get a spot cleaning machine tomorrow.
Sometimes a spatula or butter knife can’t handle the amount of vomit. I use a cup to scoop up the vomit. It scrapes the chunky stuff but if you press down it also scoops up some of the liquid. once most of it is removed, I use a rag and laundry detergent plus baking soda in a bowl of water to clean the area. Dry the area with an old towel as much as I can, then sprinkle baking soda and carpet deodorizer on it. I vacuum it up when it dries. Hope this helps other mommies out there!
Thanks so much for the butter knife and oxi tricks, they worked like a charm!