Whether you have a baby or pet, suffered from a nasty stomach virus or had friends over and things got a bit out of hand, it's essential to know how to get vomit smell out of carpet. At least once in our lives, vomit may have ended up on the carpet and you cleaned it up, but days later you still notice the faint smell. Have no fear, though, you'll be able to get the smell out faster than you can say Thirsty Thursday.
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Clean Vomit Out of the Carpet Correctly and Immediately
It's important to properly clean vomit out of your carpet as soon as the incident happens. After you get over the shock and horror of seeing vomit on your extremely light carpet (while trying to control the urge to puke yourself), you need to act swiftly before it settles into the fibers. If it sinks into the carpet, it will likely cause a lingering smell if it reaches the padding underneath.
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To get rid of the sickly smell (pun intended), you'll need distilled white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide (pick whichever one you prefer or have handy; just make sure you don't mix the two), a spray bottle and microfiber cloths or a dish towel.
You can also grab a garbage can, a plastic bag, dishwashing gloves and a spoon, but all of those items are optional. First, put on the gloves so you don't touch the vomit with your bare hands. Then, use a spoon or whatever you have handy to scoop up the vomit and throw it into the trash. Next, dilute the distilled white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide with tap water. Spray the solution onto the area where the vomit is until the carpet is damp. Blot the area with a towel, and that should handle the vomit odor removal.
Settled-In Vomit Odor Removal
If you have an animal in your house, you'll know firsthand that they're really good at hiding their vomit in inconspicuous places. If you happen to find an area with vomit weeks later, there's still a way to salvage your carpet. Repeat the same steps as above, but dampen the area with your hydrogen peroxide or distilled white vinegar solution before attempting to pick up the vomit. It will have already seeped and settled into the carpet, so if you attempt to pick up dried vomit, it might rip your carpet.
Vomit That You Can't Clean Immediately
Life happens, and sometimes the last thing someone is thinking about is cleaning vomit out of the carpet. If you can't clean it up immediately, you're going to need baking soda, a towel, a vacuum cleaner and the same tools and materials as method one. First, pour baking soda over the area where the vomit is. Then, place a towel over the baking soda and let it sit for 15 minutes or whenever you can clean the mess.
You're then going to vacuum up the baking soda, and once it's all removed, repeat the steps from method one. You may be wondering, will baking soda discolor carpet? Well, it shouldn't. Just don't leave the baking soda sitting on the spot for hours on end.
If you don't want vomit in your vacuum cleaner canister, try using a broom to get up the majority of the vomit, then vacuum the area.