Pet Messes: How To Best Clean Up Dog Vomit From Carpet

Wondering how to clean dog vomit from carpet? If your pet had an upset stomach and left you a mess to clean up, you may be feeling flustered. How do you go about cleaning vomit in a way that avoids stains and smells later on? And how do you go about cleaning up cat or dog vomit in the least icky way?

Like other spills, your best bet is to act quickly. When you’re cleaning up vomit on carpet you don’t want to give it a chance to absorb. However, if you’re just discovering this pet stain now and you’re pretty sure it’s been sitting there for awhile, all is not lost.

Follow the instructions below for your specific situation. You got this.

How To Clean Dog Vomit From Carpet

Are you dealing with a fresh pile of vomit? Hop to it and take care of the mess before it sits too long. If you put it off, the mess could sink deeper into the carpet fibers or the padding underneath. If that happens, it becomes much harder to get stains from the carpet out.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• Spoon
• Trash bag
• Rubber gloves (optional)
• Spray bottle
• Your cleaner of choice (more details below)
• Baking soda or corn starch
• An old towel or microfiber cloths

1. Start With The Bulk Of The Mess First

This part can be icky, so hold your nose if you get queasy.

1. If you have rubber cleaning gloves, put them on.
2. Use your spoon to scrape up the vomit out of the carpet and into the trash bag.
3. Make sure you tie the trash bag tightly so it doesn’t tip over.1

2. Soak Up Excess Moisture

1. Sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch directly onto the stain to soak up as much vomit as possible.
2. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

Both of these ingredients can absorb liquid and make stains easier to manage.2,3If your stain is small or already dry, you can skip this step and go directly to step 4.

3. Vacuum Over The Vomit

If you’ve used baking soda or cornstarch to help dry out your stain, go over it with a vacuum.

4. Find The Right Carpet Cleaner (That Is Safe For Use With Pets)

Now you’re ready to start using carpet stain removal products to help you clean up. You can go one of two ways:

1.  Mix together cleaning ingredients you already have in your house.
2. Use store-bought cleaning products that are designed to remove pet vomit and urine stains.

If you’re trying to act quickly, your choice will probably be dictated by what you have on hand. Here are more details on each method.

Mix Ingredients You Already Have At Home

Here are a few combinations you can try for removing vomit stains:

• 1 tablespoon of hand dishwashing detergent (liquid dish soap) + 1 tablespoon of white vinegar + 2 cups of warm water4
• 1 part white vinegar to 1 part lukewarm water
• 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 1 part lukewarm water

Read your carpet care instructions and avoid using bleach, as this can stain your carpet further.

Apply Your Carpet Cleaning Mixture To The Stain

1. Mix your ingredients in an empty spray bottle.
2. Perform a spot test on your carpet by spraying a small, clean area. Check to make sure the color doesn’t bleed.
3. Spray the solution over the entire area of the stain. Saturate it with your mixture.
4. Blot the area dry using your towel or cloth. Once the towel is fully saturated, trade it out for a dry one and continue blotting until liquid is absorbed. Resist the urge to scrub at this stage.
5. Use a damp cloth or towel to sponge up the cleaning solution.
6. Let your carpet air-dry overnight.

Use Store-Bought Pet Stain Remover And Cleaner

If you have a professional carpet cleaner spray or solution on hand, use this spray to cover the area. Then blot the liquid up in the same method laid out above.

How To Remove Vomit From Carpet If It’s Been Sitting There For Awhile

Perhaps your pet got sick and you didn’t realize it until a while later. Cleaning cat vomit and dog vomit that has already dried is slightly more challenging, but not impossible. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Dampen the area with a wet sponge or towel before you use a spoon to scoop up the dried vomit.
2. Repeat step 1 as many times as necessary.
3. Following the instructions above(for cleaning fresh vomit) to complete the cleaning process.

What To Do With Stubborn Stains And Smells

If you followed the above steps and you can still see (or smell) vomit, you’re going to have to take some extra steps.

Here are a few methods:

1. Repeat the process of baking soda, vacuuming, and then treating with a stain remover.

2. Try creating a paste with 1 part dish soap + 2 parts hydrogen peroxide + 2 tablespoons baking soda.5 Apply the paste, let it sit for an hour, and then blot it up with a damp sponge.

3. Some people swear by straight rubbing alcohol for types of stains that are difficult to remove. Carefully pour rubbing alcohol onto the stain and blot it up with a dry white washcloth.6 Always do a spot test first.

4. Use a steam cleaner to do a deep clean of the area. Steam kills germs and bacteria that could be resulting in the foul odor.

5. After a deep cleaning, spray the stained area with a commercial deodorizer or a natural combination of water and a few drops of essential oils.7

6. If you still aren’t satisfied, you can try dry cleaning your carpet. This can be done by yourself or by a professional carpet cleaner.8

Cleaning Up Dog Vomit Regularly? Know When to See Your Pet’s Veterinarian

Pet odors and stains can be inconvenient, but if you’re constantly cleaning up vomit, you may have a bigger problem. There are many reasons why pets vomit. They may have a mild upset stomach due to something strange they ate. No big deal there.

But frequent vomiting could be a sign of a larger problem.9 When in doubt, call your vet and report the symptoms you’re seeing.

Learn More:
Is Your Dog Vomiting White Foam? Here’s a List of 7 Possible Reasons

Sources
1. https://www.merrymaids.com/cleaning-tips/tidy-home/best-way-to-clean-vomit-out-of-carpet/
2. https://www.hunker.com/13420595/how-to-absorb-moisture
3. https://www.readersdigest.ca/home-garden/tips/5-things-do-cornstarch/
4. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a12467/stains-vomit-may07/
5. https://www.momtastic.com/life/cleaning-organization/504059-diy-stain-remover/
6. https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf699600.tip.html
7. https://www.cleanipedia.com/gb/floor-and-surface-cleaning/how-to-clean-vomit-and-its-smell-from-carpet.html
8. https://homequicks.com/carpet-dry-cleaning-process
9. https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/dog-vomiting-vet