Smell on Couch

Updated on January 18, 2010
C.B. asks from Saint Clair Shores, MI
12 answers

The flu bug hit our house this week and my son threw up on the arm of one of our couches. It is a micro fiber/suede type material. I've cleaned it with just soap and water and I can still smell it. It is stain treated so I am not sure what else I should use to clean. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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So What Happened?

We used the Odo-Ban and it worked great!. Got it from Home Depot! I didn't quite like the smell of that at first (of course that could just be because I am 11 weeks pregnant), but I could at least tell it worked. The smell from that was just like a cleaning solution smell that went away anyway. We have since used to clean other things around the house too and it really seems to work well.

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J.C.

answers from Grand Rapids on

There is something called Kid's N Pets.. I swear by it for pee/ puke accidents.. it gets the smell out and is safe for kids too... you can find it in cleaning aisle at target. its about $5 or so.

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T.M.

answers from Detroit on

The '7-day challenge' as Febreeze advertises, really does work! Good luck!

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C.B.

answers from Detroit on

Urine Gone. Yes. If you read on the bottle it includes vomit in its uses. And it isn't just for pets. I've used it for human purposes too. I think Target carries it.

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G.B.

answers from Detroit on

Diluted or straight white vinegar, then spray with Fabreeze when dry (heavy-duty kind if you can).

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A.M.

answers from Detroit on

Hi Cindy,
We had the same thing happen on our microfiber couch. When we got ours fabric protected, they gave us a pamphlet with suggestions for different stains. They suggest using non-sudsy ammonia mixed with water.
Worked awesome for the smell (and the ring left behind after soap and water) and didn't harm the fabric at all.
Hope it works as well for you!

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D.S.

answers from Detroit on

cindy; febreeze but you may have to use it more than once, i had a cat pee on my couch, and it got down the back crack betweeen the cushion and the back, i tried cat stuff and febreeze on it, but until i bought a new febreeze and i kept on it, even after a year, it finally does not smell when you sit on it, so try different things, that wont stain, it was called fabreeze fabric , carpet and air, with the i think the vanilla smell, so hope it helps,

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J.B.

answers from Detroit on

hi there,
did you happen to try natures way? my sister had to use that alot when her dog used to puke alot :O it gets out pee smell too but i think she said it worked wonders :) hope all is well again!!!!

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A.H.

answers from Detroit on

I have found that white vinegar usually neutralizes the acids from vomit (not to be gross... but it does.).

I also have a micro-suede fabric couch and it too, it treated and using vinegar never harmed it. I do blot and wipe at it enough to keep from having any 'water' marks as well.

You could also try Borax or baking soda as a paste - but I would use water and make sure the area does not have any vinegar, lemon juice or peroxide in fabric as it may bleach your fabric. Borox does remove odor. If you pick up the '20 Mule Team' brand, it does give instructions for it.

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K.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

I recommend calling a carpet/furniture cleaning service. You can tell them what happened and point out where, and they'll use their equipment and deodorizing solutions to get rid of it. When our dog throws up, he almost always chooses a carpeted area or the couch... Murphy's Law. I have great luck with our carpet cleaning company. To clean the entire couch with extra focus on the stained area, I think he charged us around $60. Good luck!

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K.A.

answers from Saginaw on

We have the same couch material. My husband took a squirt bottle and put water and pine sol in it-sprayed it and sucked it up with a wet vac. He did our whole couch and it turned out fine! I didn`t realize how dirty it was! Didn`t hurt it at all! Our son got sick on just a small part of the arm and My husband decided to do the whole thing! Smelled GREAT!

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A.G.

answers from Detroit on

We got the puke smell out of our carpet by using "Nature's Miracle" which is used to remove pet odors, so that pets won't come back to the same spot the urinated/vomited on. It works very well. You can get it at any pet supply store. Also, FYI we got the stain out with Oxyclean for Laundry spray.

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T.A.

answers from Grand Rapids on

I use a product called Odo-Ban. I get it in a gallon jug of concentrate at Sams Club for $9.99. It comes with a spray bottle already mixed up and ready to go, included with the gallon jug. I have had great success with this in removing odors from vomit, urine, smoke, manure/feces (we live on a farm) & mildew. I have 5 boys and have used this for years.

Once one of the kids threw up in the van during the hottest part of the summer and even though I thought I had cleaned it thoroughly -every time the van sat in the hot sun somewhere for any length of time and I would then go open the van door, this wall of vomit smell would just come rolling out of the van. I sprayed it with the Odo-Ban and it took it right out.

Also one of the kids spilled milk on the carpet once and it soaked into the pad, then it got this sour milk smell that I couldn't seem to get rid of until I sprayed it down with the Odo-Ban. Got rid of that smell too.

I like it because it kills germs, its also an anti-fungal, so it doesn't just cover up smells, it actually kills the cause of them. It also kills bacteria, like e-coli and salmonilla.

When the stomach flu hits our home I spray the toilets and sinks (faucets) and door knobs, down with the Odo-Ban and it really seems to stop the spread of it.

The trick is to spray the affected area and make sure the Odo-Ban is sprayed on heavy enough that it stays damp for at least 10 min, that gives it the time it needs to work.

I also use it in my washing machine. I fill the fabric softener dispenser with a couple of ounces of the concentrate and it will sanitize any questionable clothes and my washer at the same time. I have also sprayed it on the boys mattress if they either throw up on them or wet the bed in the middle of the night. It has never failed me.

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