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How to Clean Dog Vomit From a Couch In 4 Steps

golden retreiver on the couch

There’s no dog owner that hasn’t encountered occasional vomiting from their pup. It’s a common reaction to viruses, food poisoning, or other doggy sicknesses that your dog may experience.

Although the chances of your dog puking right on the couch are not that high and it happens very rarely, it’s crucial to know how to clean the vomited spot. It’s important to stay calm and help your dog, but you shouldn’t forget to clean up as quickly as possible after they’ve made a mess. Today, we have come up with a step-by-step guide for how to clean dog vomit from a couch in 4 steps.

Continue reading to find out more.

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The 4 Easy Steps to Clear Dog Vomit from the Couch

1. Clean excess vomit

cleaning couch with disinfectant spray
Image Credit: AngieYeoh, Shutterstock

The first step for cleaning dog vomit from a couch is to clean the excess vomit. It’s best to begin cleaning as soon as vomiting happens to prevent the sofa from soaking in the vomit. If the couch gets soaked, you will also have a problem with bad smells, and your couch might have a stain.

Cleaning vomit can be a gross job but put on rubber gloves and a mask, and you should be fine. Scoop off any excess, or take a paper towel and wipe off as much vomit as possible. If you are unsure why your dog puked, you’ll be able to inspect the vomit while cleaning to figure out the cause of the problem.

While cleaning, make sure that you are blotting and not scrubbing, as scrubbing can damage your couch and spread the mess.


2. Treat the area

woman cleaning couch
Image Credit: VGstockstudio, Shutterstock

Once you’ve removed excess vomit, it’s time to treat the affected area. For this step, there are multiple ways you can treat the area. Below you can see some of the best solutions for treating a vomit stain on your couch.

Hot Water

The first solution you should try out is hot water. Spray hot water over the stain and gently blot it with a dry cloth. Hot water should kill any bacteria in the vomit and help prevent smelling from happening. Still, it might be too mild of a solution for some puke stains and you may need something more potent.

Baking soda

Baking soda is great for cleaning so if you’re having an issue with a vomit stain, try treating it with a baking soda solution. To make it, you will need:

  • ½ cup of lemon juice
  • 2 spoons of baking soda
  • lukewarm water

Once you mix the ingredients, spray the mixture on the couch and allow it to sit for 5–10 minutes. This solution should remove the stain and stop foul odors.

Vinegar

Another excellent solution for cleaning vomit stains from a couch is vinegar. It’s a fantastic disinfectant, and it will kill any bacteria and eliminate smells. These are the ingredients you need to make a vinegar solution:

  • 1 cup of vinegar
  • 1 cup of water
  • 2–3 drops of dish detergent

Spray it on the couch and blot the area where you can see the vomit stain. After you’re done, it’s best to air out the couch in a sunny spot outside. Sun also kills germs, so your coach will be clean, odorless, and spot-free.

Hydrogen peroxide

You can also try using a hydrogen peroxide solution for treating the puke stain. It’s great at removing smells and stains. For this solution, you will need:

  • 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide
  • 2 spoons of baking soda
  • 2–3 drops of liquid soap

Mix them all, put them in a spray bottle and spray the affected area. You should leave the solution on the couch for a couple of minutes and repeat the process if needed. This is another solution after which you can air out the couch to kill the rest of germs and bacteria.

Steam clean

If none of the solutions worked, and you still have a smelly, stained couch, you can try steam cleaning. A steam machine will soak up any vomit on the couch and eliminate odors. There are rentable steam cleaners in case you do not own one.

If you tried all of these solutions and methods, but the stain is still there, and the couch is starting to smell, it might be best to proceed to step three.

Enzyme cleaners

Enzyme cleaning solutions are another great option. They’re affordable and incredibly effective.

Hepper-Advanced-Bio-Enzyme-Pet-Stain-Odor-Eliminator-Spray

Are you looking for an enzyme cleaner that can keep your house clean and your pet happy? We recommend the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray, which permanently gets rid of the most stubborn stains and smells. There’s even a 100% satisfaction guarantee so you can try this cleaner risk-free! Click here to order your first bottle.

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3. Call a professional

cleaning leather sofa with spray
Image Credit: Lion Day, Shutterstock

Professional cleaners are called “professional” for a reason. When you’re trying to fight a stubborn vomit stain and nothing is helping, professional cleaners can help you remove the stain. Most pro-cleaners use upholstery or steam machines, which will indeed leave your couch squeaky clean and bacteria-free.


4. Practice prevention

dog eating food
Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock

The best way to put a stop to stop vomit stains is to do your best to make sure vomiting doesn’t occur. The first thing to do is regularly check your dog’s health and feed them an easily digestible, healthy diet.

The second thing you can do is not allow your dog to get on the couch in the first place. If that seems too harsh and you like that your pup chills with you on the sofa, you can put a cover on top of the couch, which will prevent staining the couch directly.


Will Dog Vomit Leave a Nasty Smell on my Couch?

Dog vomit can leave a nasty smell on your couch, but you shouldn’t have this issue if you treat the stain properly. All the cleaning solutions we mentioned also eliminate smells and odors, so your couch won’t smell bad. In fact, after some of the methods, it will have a pleasant, fresh scent.

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Conclusion

As said, cleaning dog vomit can be pretty gross, but you should still take the time to get rid of the stain. Also, take your pup to the vet to make sure they’re not ill. By doing both, you will have a healthy dog and a clean couch—a win-win situation!


Featured Image Credit: LightField Studios, Shutterstock

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