How to Clean Vomit From Carpet and Get Rid of the Smell for Good

A child with a stomach bug, a dog that ate something strange, a late night out. Vomit on carpet is awful, and what you do in the first few minutes decides if you are still dealing with a stain and a smell next week. The method below works on most synthetic wall-to-wall carpet. Check the manufacturer label first if you have wool or silk, and read the last section before you start.

Step 1: Lift the solids

Wear gloves. Use a spoon, a dull knife or a stiff piece of cardboard to lift the solid material, working from the outside edge of the mess toward the middle so you do not spread it. Do not press down. Put everything in a bag and tie it. If you scrape and then use a paper towel, lift it straight up instead of dragging.

Step 2: Blot, never rub

Press clean white cloths or paper towels on the wet area to soak up the liquid. Use a fresh section each time and keep pressing until the cloth comes up mostly clean. Rubbing grinds the mess deeper into the fibres and frays the pile, and the deeper it goes, the harder the smell is to remove.

Step 3: Rinse with cold water

Lightly dampen the area with cold water and blot again. Repeat a couple of times. Keep the water cold. Vomit is protein, and hot water can set protein into the fibres and make the odor worse. Do not soak the carpet. The goal is to dilute and lift, and the more water that goes down, the more can reach the pad underneath.

Step 4: Use an enzyme cleaner

An enzyme-based cleaner made for pet accidents or organic stains is the right tool, because it breaks down the proteins that cause the smell instead of covering it. Test it on a hidden corner first, apply it according to the label, give it the full time the label asks for and then blot it up. Some people stop at dish soap and water. That removes the visible stain but often leaves enough residue to smell on a humid day.

Step 5: Deodorize and dry

Once the area is damp but not wet, sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda over it. Leave it for several hours or overnight, then vacuum it up. Open a window or set a fan nearby so the carpet dries fully. A spot that stays damp is where the smell returns, because damp is what bacteria need.

What not to do

• Do not scrub. It spreads the mess and damages the pile.
• Do not use hot water or steam on a fresh protein stain. Heat can set it.
• Do not mix cleaning products, and do not use bleach on carpet. It can strip the color and some combinations give off dangerous fumes.
• Do not mask the smell with air freshener or scented powder. The source is still there.
• Do not soak the area. Water that reaches the pad takes a long time to dry.

Why the smell sometimes comes back

Carpet is only the top layer. Underneath sits a foam or fibre pad, and below that, the floor. When liquid goes through the carpet, the pad holds it like a sponge. The surface can look and feel clean while the pad stays damp and keeps giving off odor, especially in summer or whenever the radiators are running. If the smell returns after you have cleaned and dried the spot, that is what is usually happening.

When to call a professional

Call for help if the vomit soaked through a large area, if it happened on wool, silk or a rug with delicate dyes, if the smell is still there after a day or two, or if it was on a bedroom carpet where you spend a lot of time. Professional steam cleaning extracts far more moisture and residue than a household method can. We come to you anywhere in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx, Long Island and Westchester, and our estimates are free.

Rooms up to 250 sq. ft. are $95 and larger areas are $0.75 per sq. ft. The details are at carpet cleaning, or call (888) 919-2393.