Throwup or vomit happens for a wide range of reasons, including when you have constipation or feeling sick down to the bowels. If you are not careful, your carpet will suffer the collateral damage of having the sick spilled on it. And that’s where another task starts – getting the throw-up out of the carpet.
While it might seem like a herculean task, considering that you feel tired after vomiting; having the right tools and the know-how will help you fix it faster than imagined. So, in this piece, we will be sharing expert tips on how to clean and get rid of throw-up, a.k.a., vomit out of your lovely carpet.
How To Attend to Fresh Vomit
No one likes dealing with throwing up but when it happens; you will be thrown into a panic. Albeit, the best time to tend to it is when the stain is still fresh – as you can explore some options to fix the surface.
This section talks about how you can get rid of fresh throw-ups on your carpet.
1. Protect Your Hands – and Your Health
The gastric acid in the vomit does not only harm the floor when left for long but could also endanger your health. Hence, practicing the best healthy guidelines helps.
Here are the items needed:
- Face Mask: needed for covering your nose up to your face. This ensures that the oozes from the acid don’t get into your nose or eyes.
- Rubber Gloves: Since you would be using your hands for the cleanup; protecting it is also essential. Wear rubber gloves!
2. Scrape the Pukes out of the Floor
You are almost set to start removing the sick out of the carpet. To make the job easier, we wouldn’t recommend direct contact with your hands – but using a couple of tools.
Here is what you need for the task:
- A Blunt Tool: You need this tool to make the task of lifting the pukes out of the carpet easier. Examples of the tools to use are stiff cardboard, a plastic scraper, a rubber spatula, a spoon, or a dustpan.
- Undamaged Plastic Bag: You need this for packing the sick. However, it is possible to drop the vomit directly into the wash – but make sure the chunks are lifted, so they don’t end up blocking the pathway.
- Paper Towel/Old Towel/Clean Cloth: You can use any of the three, provided you don’t want to use a scraper. In this case, the towel or cloth can help you lift the chunks of vomit from the carpet and drop them in the plastic bag.
Here are the directions for removing the fresh throw from the floor:
a. Scoop the Vomit
In this case, you are using any of the blunt tools – a rubber spatula, stiff cardboard, a plastic scraper, a dustpan, or a spoon. The method of scooping includes:
- Lift as much of the vomit as possible – and have it dropped in the undamaged plastic bag.
- Ensure you are moving from the outer part of the stain and working your way up into the center of the vomit.
- Dab at the area with either a paper towel or a dry, clean cloth. This helps get rid of the extra moisture on the carpet.
b. Pick up the Throw Up
In this instance, you are looking at clearing the carpeted area thoroughly. You see, vomit can be slimy and that makes it one of the toughest stains to remove. Therefore, using a paper towel or an old rag to pick up the rest of the vomit helps.
3. Proceed to Treat the Fresh Stains
Your job is not complete if you have yet to tackle the vomit smells on the floor. A wide range of options can be explored for this purpose, but here are some of them:
a. Use Sodium Bicarbonate to Treat Vomit Smells
Sodium bicarbonate, otherwise called baking soda, is an effective solution for cleaning the smells left behind by throw-up.
Follow our directions to use it and get rid of the smells:
- Sprinkle baking soda on the surface until it covers the stained area.
- Allow the mild alkalinity of the soda to act on the smells, helping to remove it in the process.
- Leave it in the area for about 15 minutes.
- If the sickness is large, you can consider leaving it on the surface until morning. In the morning, get rid of it by vacuuming.
- Once the last traces of vomit have been removed; you will have your carpet shinier than ever.
b. Treat the Remaining Fluid with Hydrogen Peroxide
The remaining fluid left behind can aggravate the smell of the throw-up. Hence, removing it helps to restore the shine to the carpet.
Commercial cleaners are recommended, but if you are unable to get one, follow the steps below to make one:
- Combine equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and tap water in a small bowl.
- Transfer the mixture to a spray bottle and shake thoroughly.
- Spritz the area where the fluid lurks and allow the solution to stay there for a while.
- Blot the moisture with a paper towel or a clean, dry cloth.
4. Remove the Lingering Smells
The fact is that despite the cleaning procedures used above, the smells might not go out of the area for some time. However, you can expedite the process by doing the following:
- Opening up the windows to let natural air into the room. In the process, especially if you cleaned the pukes in the morning; the bright sunlight will also help in taking away the liquid – and leaving you with a deodorized carpet or;
- Turning on either the HVAC or electric fan and directing the flow of air towards the odor. This helps to dry the fluid and create sufficient airflow for the smells to circulate out of the room.
5. Vacuum the Floor
The last lap of getting rid of fresh vomit is to vacuum the area. This does not only help remove the residues but also aids in the redistribution of the cleaning solution, to help fight the rest of the liquid.
The Right Way to Treat Dried Vomit from Your Carpet
While the fresh stains can be simpler; tackling the stick-in, stubborn, and dried variant of the vomit can require extra effort. Of course, you should expect the process to be a bit strenuous because of the following reasons:
- If vomit is not tackled immediately, it tends to sink through the carpet and possibly, get to the subfloor.
- If the liquid is slimy, you can be sure that it will dry faster, thereby, creating extra work for you.
- If the vomit happened in a rarely-used room; the chances of discovery are slim, until the smell begins to ooze.
So, how do you treat and get rid of the associated smells that come with dried throw-up on a carpet? These are the steps to take:
1. Get the Worst of the Mess up
Although you might not see the stains on the surface; they still lurk in the background. Hence, getting the “worst of the mess up” is very essential.
You will follow a similar process as when getting rid of fresh vomit – but with the additional process of making the throw-up damp.
Follow this guideline:
- Dip a clean cloth inside a towel and make it damp by wringing out excess water.
- Place it on the stained spot and dab until a sizeable amount of the throw-up is extracted.
- Scrap the area with a rubber spatula, a spoon, a dustpan, or a plastic scraper. Continue until you’ve gotten a large chunk of the vomit out of the carpet’s fibers.
2. Absorb the Moisture from the Area
As to be expected, moisture has been introduced to the carpet and will remain there except you make efforts to have it removed. This is how to go about it:
- Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the surface and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes.
- After the moisture is soaked up, vacuum the area and prepare to treat the stain.
3. Treat and Finish the Surface
Make a DIY cleaning solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Blot the area with a damp cloth and open up the windows for the area to get air.
Other Ways to Clean Throw out of Carpet
The fresh and dried methods of cleaning and treating vomit are not all there is to the process. Below, we show you some of the additional methods to use:
1. Use White Vinegar
This is one of the popular Do-It-Yourself (DIY) methods, used in place of commercial cleaners. You can make a white vinegar solution to treat the stains left behind by throw-up.
You need the following:
- Distilled white vinegar
- A spray bottle
- Old dish towels. You can also use a clean, old rag.
- A trash bag
- A spoon and;
- Rubber gloves
- Face mask
Method:
- Put on the rubber gloves to protect your hands.
- Wear a face mask to protect your face.
- Scrap a sizeable amount of the vomit out of the area, using a spoon, a rubber spatula, a plastic spatula, or a dustpan. Any of the aforementioned helps to remove as much of the slimy matter from the carpet.
- Dispose of the trash bag in the trash can. Due to the slimy nature of the vomit, it is not advised to leave the bag on the floor, as the matter could seep out into the carpet again.
- Make an equal part of distilled white vinegar and warm water.
- Do a spot-test, by using the solution on an inconspicuous part of the carpet.
- Proceed to use directly on the stain; spritzing the solution on the area and dabbing with a clean, old rag.
- Once the carpet is damp; allow the solution to settle on it for a few minutes.
- Get a clean towel and blot the moisture out of the area.
2. Use an Enzyme Cleaner
If you are not comfortable with working with the vinegar solution; then the enzyme-based cleaner may be a better option. You just need the cleaner and a clean cloth or sponge
This is the direction on how to use it:
- Spritz the cleaner on the affected area to help break down the stain particles.
- After a few minutes, blot the surface with either a sponge or a clean cloth.
- Open the windows for natural air to come in and dry the area.
Tackle the Vomit Smells
Now that you are done removing the slimy matter out of the carpet – a good part of the job has been completed. The other part, which is a bit tricky, is getting the smells out.
We have made a list of some of the materials that can help.
Vodka
Also called rubbing alcohol; vodka helps to get rid of throw-up or vomit from a carpet. Despite the unpleasant (and if you can endure that by the way); it is one surefire way to restore the sweet-smelling air in your room.
Here is how to put it to good use:
- Simply spray a little of the rubbing alcohol onto a piece of clean cloth – make it damp.
- Use the cloth to wipe the floor.
- Allow the alcohol to remain in the area for about 15 minutes.
- Get a paper towel and use that to wipe the residue off the area and blot the stain in the process.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the area, as this helps to soak up any moisture.
- Vacuum the carpet.
Use Club Soda to Tackle Vomit Smells
Club soda makes a better smell-tackling agent. Add it to a spray bottle, fill the bottle with water, shake, and spritz the content directly on the stained area.
After the soda “sets” on the floor for a few minutes; blot out the excess water using a dish towel or a clean cloth.
Final Thoughts
Distilled white vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide are effective homemade cleaning solutions you can use to clean your carpet of vomit and the smells that come with it.
However, if all efforts fail, it is time to call on professional carpet cleaners to add that “professional touch” that restores the shine to the carpet.