How to remove vomit stains and smell from clothes, mattresses and cars

How to remove vomit stains

1. 1

   Glove up and remove the solids

   Wear disposable gloves. Lift solids with paper towels or a spoon and put them in a plastic bag. Don't shake soiled clothing or bedding.

   Why: This keeps the stain from spreading and limits contact with germs, as the CDC advises.

2. 2

   Rinse or blot with cold water

   Rinse washable fabric from the back under a cold tap. On a mattress, carpet or car seat, dab with a cloth dampened in cold water and blot, using as little water as possible.

   Why: Vomit is treated as a protein stain, and hot water sets protein in the fibers.

3. 3

   Break down the residue with enzymes

   Soak washables in an enzyme presoak. On surfaces you can't soak, blot on a dilute dish-detergent solution, then apply an enzymatic cleaner and let it work.

   Why: Enzymes break down the proteins and starches that hold the stain and produce the sour smell.

4. 4

   Wash with a fabric-safe bleach

   Launder with chlorine bleach if safe for the fabric, or oxygen bleach. If someone has a stomach bug, use hot water on the longest cycle and machine-dry on the highest heat.

   Why: Bleach removes leftover color and odor. The CDC's hot, long wash and high-heat drying help with germs like norovirus.

5. 5

   Dry thoroughly and deodorize

   Let mattresses, carpet and seats dry completely with airflow. Sprinkle baking soda on a dry spot to absorb lingering odor, then vacuum it up.

   Why: Damp residue keeps smelling, and baking soda absorbs what's left once the source is gone.

6. 6

   Disinfect hard surfaces after illness

   Clean floors, tubs and other bleach-safe hard surfaces, then apply a bleach solution of 5 to 25 tablespoons of household bleach per gallon of water for at least 5 minutes, and wash with soap and hot water.

   Why: This is the CDC's norovirus guidance. It's for hard surfaces only; bleach would strip color from carpet and fabric.

Why vomit stains and smells

Vomit is partly digested food mixed with stomach acid, digestive enzymes and mucus. Depending on what was eaten, it can carry proteins, fats, starches and food dyes. The Kentucky extension guide classes it as a protein stain, so heat sets it, and the acid can shift some fabric dyes. The sour smell comes from that acidic, organic residue, and it lingers as long as any is left in the fibers or foam.

If the vomiting came from an illness, there's a second issue: germs. The CDC notes norovirus spreads easily and that contaminated laundry and surfaces need hot washing and disinfecting. Do the two jobs in order: cold rinse and enzymes for the stain, then heat or bleach for germs where the material allows.

Vomit on a mattress or car seat

A mattress can't be laundered, so the goal is to remove residue without soaking the foam. Lift solids, blot with cold water, blot on a dilute dish-detergent solution, then apply an enzymatic cleaner sparingly, and dry it completely with fans and open windows. Put a waterproof cover on once it's dry.

In a car, open the doors for airflow and don't soak the seats: vehicle makers warn that saturating a seat can damage it and the passenger occupant sensor under some seats. Wipe leather seats promptly with a mild soap solution on a damp cloth, then a leather cleaner per the maker's directions. Seat belts and car seat harness straps need mild soap and water only; vehicle makers warn that bleach and solvents weaken belt webbing. Follow the child car seat's manual for its harness and cover. See vomit in a car.

Vomit on every surface

The method changes with the surface: fabrics can soak, carpets and mattresses can't. Pick yours for the full steps.

By situation

Dried vomit

Scrape off the crust and use a longer enzyme soak. Food dyes may need an oxygen bleach step afterward.

It still smells after washing

Residue is left. Repeat the enzyme soak and rewash with a bleach safe for the fabric before drying.

Vomit on carpet

Lift solids and blot, then use the Carpet and Rug Institute's order: a dilute dish-detergent solution, a vinegar solution, a warm-water rinse and a spot kit. See vomit on carpet.

Pet vomit

Clean it the same way and finish with an enzymatic pet cleaner for odor. Avoid steam cleaning, which can set protein residue.

Silk, wool and dry-clean-only items

No enzymes or chlorine bleach on silk or wool. Rinse with cool water and take them to a dry cleaner promptly.

What not to do

• Don't start with hot water on the stain. It sets the protein. Save hot water for the sanitizing wash after the solids are rinsed out.
• Don't use chlorine bleach solutions on carpet, upholstery or car seats. Bleach strips dye. The CDC bleach dilution is for hard surfaces.
• Don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or vinegar. The mixtures release toxic gases. See never mix these cleaners.
• Don't soak a mattress or car seat. Liquid that reaches foam is hard to extract, keeps smelling and can damage seat electronics.

Other methods that work

Baking soda

Sprinkle it on to absorb remaining moisture and odor, then vacuum. Iowa State uses baking soda as an absorbent on carpet spills.

Caution: It doesn't break down residue. Vacuum it all up.

White vinegar on carpet

The Carpet and Rug Institute's second step for vomit is a vinegar solution blotted on after the detergent solution.

Caution: Never use it with bleach. Pets may be drawn back to vinegar-scented spots.

Stain still there?

The sour smell comes back after the area dries

Residue is still in the pad, foam or seat. Blot on enzymatic cleaner again so it reaches as deep as the vomit did, and dry fully.

A colored mark stays after cleaning

It's food dye or acid-shifted fabric dye. Soak washables in oxygen bleach. On carpet, call a professional if it persists.

Safety

• Wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
• Use the CDC bleach solution on hard surfaces only, with ventilation.
• Never mix bleach with ammonia or acids.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Other protein stains

• Blood stains
• Cat urine stains
• Dog urine stains
• Milk stains
• Poop (feces) stains
• Semen stains
• Sweat stains
• Urine stains