How to Remove Vomit (and other foul odors) Out of Your Carpet and Furniture

Where to Begin:

First, remove all debris while it is still wet (if it has dried, spray with water, then remove.) Take a wet cloth and scrub out any remaining vomit out of the carpet or furniture. If your child threw up on their clothing or their bed linens, immediately remove the debris then put the clothing into the washing machine with the warmest water the fabric recommends.

Back to the carpet and furniture. Below I have listed a few different methods. Read through them and decide which one is most appropriate for your situation.

Spot Treating:

Create a liquid paste with baking soda and rub into carpet. Allow to dry and then vacuum up. You may need to wipe up with a wet cloth any remaining baking soda after vacuuming.

If you don't like the wet method, try sprinkling dry baking soda into the stain, letting it sit for awhile (up to several hours) to absorb the odor, then vacuum. For more information on cleaning odors out of furniture, I hope you find this article equally informative.

Every now and then, I like to sprinkle baking soda liberally over our carpet and sofa to absorb odors. Vacuum up using a brush attachment to make sure it all comes up.

White Vinegar:

White vinegar is wonderful for sterilizing surfaces from bacteria and removing odors all while being totally safe around your babies. Vinegar breaks down proteins found in vomit and blood for thorough cleaning. We also recommend mopping your floor with a diluted solution; to read more about natural, non-hazardous cleaning methods, click here!

For your furniture or carpet, dilute vinegar in cold water and put into a spray bottle. A couple teaspoons per cup of water is plenty. Spray evenly onto area of vomit and gently rub in with a cloth. After it dries, vacuum the area. It may smell like vinegar for a few hours afterwards, but don't worry, it goes away by itself.

Lemon:

Lemon juice is great for neutralizing odors, but be forewarned that it does have a bleaching quality to it. Test it on an inconspicuous piece of carpet to test it first. If it is safe to proceed, dilute a lemon with equal parts of water. Spray onto the offensive area and vacuum after dry.

Commercial Cleaners:

There are plenty of commercial cleaners you can buy that you can sprinkle onto your carpet and vacuum, or even just spray into the vomited on area. However, I personally don't care for them because of the synthetic smell they leave, covering the odor, not fixing it. Many people are leary of using all of those chemicals around their children. But if it is for you, I have heard that some people really like products like Febreze and Oust, both found at the grocery store.

Cleaning Vomit out of Your Furniture:

If the vomit is on the couch or sofa, check for the label that advises how to launder your cushion covers. One of the most IMPORTANT things you should ask when purchasing furniture is whether or not the covers are machine washable. More delicate fabrics such as microsuede would need to go to the dry cleaner. However, if your covers seem standard, yet you're not sure on its specific recommendations (for example, if you can't find the label that informs you), wash in cold water to prevent from shrinking or bleeding. You can also check for bleeding by taking a damp white cloth and rubbing an inconspicuous spot to see if the white washcloth picks up any color.

If you do need to wash your cushion covers, hang to dry inside out. I like to place them over the backs of my kitchen chairs, covering the chair. Hanging to dry also prevents shrinking.

If the vomit is on a mattress, please refer our guide on cleaning your mattress.

Steam Cleaning Your Furniture:

Steam cleaning is another option for larger areas.

It's an investment of around $200.00, but owning a steam cleaning vacuum (such as a Bissel) is one of the best tools to have in your home. You can clean your carpets, furniture, stairs, etc. with total ease.

There are also several small hand steam cleaning vacuums meant to spot clean that should cost around $30-$60.

You can also rent steam cleaning vacuums at several grocery stores as well as home repair stores such as Home Depot and Lowe's. They may not have all of those nifty furniture attachments, that your own personal steam cleaning vacuum would have, though.

We hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to contact me via email!