Of all the many messes that can land on a carpet, a pile of dog or cat vomit on the carpeted floor can make us queasy. Pet vomit may consist of solid food particles, water (saliva), acid, and other materials like mucus. Depending on the concentration level of the pet vomit, the acid found in it can discolor the carpet fibers and eventually dull it.
Cleaning up pet vomit is one of the most unpleasant tasks on the planet, especially if the vomit stays on the carpet for an extended period. Fortunately, you can tackle the job easily with the right tools and supplies. In this guide, we unveil a few important tips and tricks on how to get vomit stain out of carpet.
Table of Contents
What you’ll need:
- A trash bag
- A spoon or spatula
- A spray bottle
- Latex or disposable gloves
- Microfiber cloths or dish towels
- Distilled white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide
- Salt
- Dishwashing detergent
- Rubbing alcohol
How to Get Dog Vomit Out Of Carpet – Steps
Remove the solids
First, put on your latex or disposable gloves and remove the solid materials from the vomit using a plastic spoon or spatula. Gloves serve to cover your hands and protect them against unpleasant substances like germs. A typical kitchen spatula helps scoop up the solid substances on the pet vomit.
Make sure to scoop as much of the solids as possible before moving on to the next step. Dog and cat vomit contains the mucous-like consistency which makes it pretty easy to scrape off or scoop up the surface. Discard the solid material into a trash bag and dispose of into a dumpster.
Pick up the excess vomit
After removing the solid material, pick up the excess vomit from the carpet using a cloth or paper towels. A couple of dry, folded paper towels can do wonders when it comes to picking the remaining vomit from the carpet. However, you need to exercise caution to avoid squashing the vomit particles down into the fibers of the carpet.
For this reason, take care not to rub the stain with paper towels as you might end up forcing the vomit further into the carpet, making it twice as difficult to clean. After picking up as much of the bulk of the vomit as you can, place it into the trash bag and discard. You can as well use a wet/dry vacuum in this step once you’ve gathered all the vomit into the towel.
Spray cold water on the vomit stain
It is important to clean the affected carpeted area with cold water before proceeding on to the next steps. Fill a spray bottle with cold water and directly squirt the liquid onto the stained area. Using a clean cloth or towel, blot the vomit to remove the chunks and moisture.
Continue blotting and dabbing the vomit until no more chunks and moisture are visible on the carpet. And with every other blot and dab, make sure to use a clean section of the cloth or towel. You might need to use a couple of cloths or towels depending on the size of the stained spot.
Prepare you cleaning solution
Now that almost all of the vomit stains are gone, start preparing your homemade carpet cleaning solution for spot treating the stain. Warm up about 2 cups of water and pour it into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir the mixture until the salt dissolves completely.
Mix together 1 tablespoon of hand dishwashing detergent (Dawn Liquid Dish Soap), ½ cup of distilled white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol. Mix all of these ingredients with the salt and water mixture and stir to blend fully. Then, apply the solution onto the stain and blot up the stain with a clean white cloth or sponge until the liquid is dissolved. Rinse with cold water and blot dry to get rid of the vinegar/detergent solution.
Cover the stain with baking soda
Baking soda stands out as the most potent product for cleaning vomit spots. Not only does it soak up as much puke as possible, but it also dries up the excess moisture. Spread a liberal amount of baking soda or cornstarch over the vomit stain. Place a towel over the baking soda and allow it to stay there for at least 15 minutes.
The baking soda does soak into the stain and turn it into clumps. For best results, we recommend leaving the baking soda on the stain to stay overnight, or until all the clumps have dried up. Then, vacuum the affected area to blast away all the clumps. Repeat if necessary, and be sure to use the hose tube to vacuum up the clumps rather than the ordinary vacuum head.
Wipe the rest of the vomit stain away with a clean rag or sponge and plain warm water
Work out the rest of the vomit with a clean rag or sponge and warm water to completely erase the stain. Start by spraying or pouring warm water onto the stain, and then blot out the moisture using a clean rag or a damp kitchen sponge. Work in small strokes, and use a clean section of the sponge with each stroke and dab.
Try not to scrub the area because you might end up pushing any residual debris deep into the carpet fibers. Simply press down the sponge with some force, but remember not to scrub. Also, rinse the sponge with warm water as soon as it becomes saturated with the dirt to avoid transferring any patterns to your carpet.
Leave the carpet to dry
Once the carpet is clean, allow it some time to dry. Keep pets and kids away from the area until the carpet has dried completely. You can keep your pet in a different room for a while until it dries and is ready to be walked on again.
To speed up the drying process, open all doors and windows to let in the air. You can also turn on the air conditioner to help expedite the process. Under normal circumstances, carpets take no more than 24 hours to fully dry.
Wrap-up
Getting throw-up out of carpet can be an unpleasant ordeal, but the task must be undertaken anyways to keep your home clean and to prevent your family against sicknesses. With our quick-witted techniques on how to get cat vomit out of carpet, you can effortlessly clean your carpet right at the comfort of your home. These tips will help you reduce the amount of germs that typically hover around your home during cold and flu seasons.
When all is said and done, we recommend taking your pet to your veterinarian for checkup. Regardless of the color, regular vomiting indicates some underlying health issues which need to be addressed to stop the problem once and for all. If your dog or cat vomits several times each month, or if the vomit is consistently bright yellow in color, know that there are underlying medical issues that need to be treated by a qualified veterinarian.
