Advice on How to Get Vomit Smell Out of Carpet

Updated on January 22, 2009
C.S. asks from Lewis Center, OH
19 answers

So we were dealing with some stomach sickness over the weekend, and we are having a very hard time getting the vomit smell out of our carpet. My husband and I have used Nature's Miracle, a carpet steam cleaner we have at home, and used vinegar. Any other suggestions on what might get rid of the smell? We may just have to replace the carpet, but I am hoping there is something else out there that we haven't tried that might work.

Thanks!

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A.S.

answers from Columbus on

Use Spot Shot stain remover, it removes any type of spot/odor (I wish I could by this by the 55 gal drum!!) You can get it at Lowe's, Home Depot, Sam's...it's a bright blue can with a bright orange lid and lettering. I swear by this!

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M.W.

answers from Terre Haute on

We too had this problem and I remembered reading on this site one time about a product from Sam's called OdoBan. We thought it was worth a try and it worked. We have used it several times for vomit as well as pet accidents and it has never let us down.

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T.L.

answers from Indianapolis on

Ammonia, is the best.
You must leave the room, close the door, and open a window in the room. If the odor is in a open area that you can't avoid for a few hours then you probably should vacate the house entirely for at least an hour. Heres what I do, get a spray bottle and saturate the affected area of carpet with plain ammonia. I bundle everyone up and have them at the door, or outside the door and we leave for a while it's still good to leave a window open if you can. Another way is to just take your mop bucket or a small trash can and mix it with half ammonia half warm water (maybe a small amount of dish detergent) and use a brush or a broom and dip the brush/broom in the bucket/trash can and just sweep the area to your standards. BUT YOU SHOULD PROBABLY WEAR A MASK OR SOMETHING AND BE VERY CAREFUL, this stuff will burn a hole in your nose and cause you to have a terrible headache, and never mix it with any other type of chemical. If there is a stain peroxide is great for stains, just pour over entire stain, and FYI regular rubbing alcohol is great for removing blood!!!

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C.W.

answers from Cincinnati on

C. you could try something that is sold at pet stores to remove pet order. It's call Nature's Miracle or maybe something sold online called Odor X it. I also heard on the radio it's now sold at Big Bob's Used Carpets. Give it a try. Maybe even some baking soda and let it sit forever the vacum the carpets. Might help some.

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K.C.

answers from Cleveland on

I just went through this at my house. We have a carpet cleaning spot remover machine and that didn't work so we rented a carpet cleaning machine and that didn't work. We then had it professionally cleaned and it helped, but the smell was still there. Eventually over time it went away. We tried Fabreze too. I have read afterward that baking soda and vinegar helped, but never tried it. Good Luck!

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D.K.

answers from Indianapolis on

Might try baking soda. That takes odors out. Also.....carpet fresh. What about RESOLVE? At least it has a decent smell to it. Clean as if you were re-cleaning the spot. You may have to do it MORE THAN ONCE to get it completely out.

I'd leave the baking soda on it overnight before I vacum. Just make SURE you get the soda INTO the carpet, not just the surface. You'll have a better chance of getting it out.

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K.Y.

answers from Canton on

5050 listerine and water.borax 20 mule team soap and lemon juice mixed together even helps rid the house of pet odors if you have pets

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D.G.

answers from Columbus on

First off I would take a box or 2 of Baking Soda and pour it on the spot then let it stand several hours . I should absorb any unpleasant smells. Then Vacume real well and try some fabreeze on it. Worked at my house .

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C.B.

answers from Columbus on

Hi C.~

I am a SAHM of 4 and I also work at home ~ with a wellness company. With kids and pets there are always funky smells to get rid of! The company I work with has several safe, non-toxic cleaning products available but one in particular is truly amazing. It has multiple uses...from deodorizing, cleaning, disinfecting. My little ones even clean up their own messes! My website is: www.KidsNeedMomHome.com ~ just fill out the "get info" form and it will come straight to my inbox so I can call you and share the free info with you. You can then decide if you would like to switch stores and shop with them for safer/healthier products for you and your family. They even have a money back guarantee on all products if you aren't 100% satisfied. Hope I can help ~ C.

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D.T.

answers from Muncie on

You can try something for pet stains, something that deals with the smell. Since animals are very "nosey" those products tend to be very effective at eliminating smells. They should be at pet smart or any other store that has a pet section. Petsmart might have a larger selection and have people working there who might know the products.

It could also be possible that it's just you. Sometimes if you know there was a certain scent in an area your brain sorta misfires and makes you think you still smell it. I call it a phantom smell. I'm like that with our cat. Once you've cleaned the spots with the pet cleaner and if your family is healthy enough, leave the house for a little while, opening a window or two with your heat off could help too. While you're out the phantom scent should clear out of you memory and you'll be able to "smell" your house with a "new nose".

Good luck.

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P.R.

answers from Indianapolis on

The cheapest and quickest way I know to get nasty odors out is White Vinegar. Yes, it smells like a salad for about 20 minutes but the vinegar scent fads quickly and it will also take out any left over stains.

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S.Z.

answers from Cleveland on

Try baking soda and water. I use that with all my laundry because my kids get into the weirdest smelling stuff.
Good luck
SZ

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D.J.

answers from Indianapolis on

I would get a product called Nok-out. You can order it over the internet. It gets rid of all odors. You might try a carpet cleaning service and ask them for any ideas.

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J.A.

answers from Cincinnati on

If you've tried all the suggested things (baking soda and nature's miracle worked for me) and you still have an odor, it may not be in the carpet but in the padding. If that's the case, the only way to get rid of it is to cut the carpet and remove the soiled padding. Once everything is dry you can replace the padding and carpet. Good luck!

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P.H.

answers from Cleveland on

My first choice would be vinegar. Second choice would be baking soda.

I had some Arm & Hammer 'Carpet Fresh' and used it up.
I think that was the correct title. It was a dry powerdy mix that I sprinkled on the carpet and it had a nice floral scent. I keep the two male dogs in my daughter's room at night and sometimes it smells like doggy BO(Body Order)in there.

I would buy this Arm & Hamer baking soda based product again.

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S.F.

answers from Fort Wayne on

Try using an enzyme cleaner for pet stains. I used that when my little one puked down the stairwell, and it cleaned up the smell and stain right away. I use Resolve Cleaner for Pets.

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C.G.

answers from Indianapolis on

There's this stuff called "Anti-Icky Poo" that I used with my cat when he was spraying on the carpet.
They suggest that you get a large needly and syringe and actually "shoot" it into the padding so it gets the smell out. I got it through my Vet, but I bet you can google it and find it online.

You might also want to try Spot Shot (Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target, etc. carries it) - it's in a navy blue can with an orange cap. We get tons of stains out of our carpet with that.

Hope it helps!

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B.T.

answers from Cleveland on

Hi C. S,
Sol-u-mel is a great product! I am into the 'green' thing and has been for about 4 years and this is a wonderful product. You can find it at www.melaleuca.com or e-mail me and I can give you more information.
This product can also be used in laundry as a deodorizer and can be used as a daily cleaner when diluted with water. Using this product in its full strength will remove tough stains on counter tops and permanent marker. Hope this helps!

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K.V.

answers from Columbus on

My husband is a carpet cleaner. Here is what he suggests without actually seeing the stain. Any actual stains would vary in treatment depending on what had been eaten prior to vomiting. In terms of smell, he suggested trying Oxyclean. Mix according to the label. You really need to saturate the spot because there is still some organic material which is causing the smell (bacteria is eating it and breaking down which causes the odor). Let it sit about half an hour then rinse it with pure water with your steam clean machine. You may need to get the Oxyclean down to the padding...this can be tricky depending on the type of your carpet...so it doesn't leave any water marks.

The other option is to use a pet cleaner as suggested before...just make sure it says "enzyme".

Good luck!

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