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How To Get Dog Vomit Out of Carpet In 4 Steps (With Pictures)
Codee Chessher
Last updated:
It’s disheartening when your dog vomits, but especially on your nice, clean carpet. Cleaning carpet is a pain on the best of days, but with some basic tools, you can get it back to the way it was. Let’s check out the best way to get dog vomit out of your carpet.
Before You Start
The more quickly you clean vomit out of carpet or other fabric, the better your chances are of reducing lingering stains or odors. The longer vomit sits, the more its acid and odor will permeate the carpet. Yellow bile is the worst offender, so try to work on getting this out as soon as you see it.
Cleaning vomit isn’t as hard as many other everyday tasks, but it’s an unpleasant one regardless. The good news is that you probably already have the necessary tools on hand. It’s time to gather them up and get ready to clean your carpet ASAP.
You Will Need:
Clean rags
Baking soda
Hydrogen peroxide OR white vinegar
Dish soap
Spray bottle
Rubber gloves
Scrap cardboard and/or paper towels
Vacuum
Rubbing alcohol
Corn starch (optional)
Do you have all those on hand already? If so, let’s move on and find out exactly how to clean up that vomit and get your carpet back in tip-top shape.
The 4 Easy Steps to Get Dog Vomit Out of Your Carpet
1. Remove The Vomit
Image Credit: Andrey_Popov, Shutterstock
First off, don your rubber gloves to protect your hands from vomit. This can range from simple and easy to difficult, depending on how chunky or solid the vomit is. If there are lots of solids, use a piece of cardboard or paper towel to pick up as much as possible. If necessary, use multiple objects together to pick up the worst of it.
Next, use paper towels or rags to soak up as much of the liquid vomit as possible. The more you get at this stage, the better your chances are of reducing stains. Throw any rags into the wash so you can use them again later on.
2. Deodorize the Area
Image Credit: FotoHelin, Shutterstock
To prevent the vomit from soaking into the carpet and producing bad odors, you have to deodorize the area. Baking soda will soak up any remaining liquid vomit or bile andneutralize foul odors.
Liberally sprinkle baking soda onto the carpet where your dog vomited. Ideally, you want to completely cover the area. Let it completely dry, and then vacuum it up. The area isn’t clean yet, but at least it won’t stink.
Feel free to mix cornstarch with your baking soda. Cornstarch will soak up excess liquid still left in the carpet, but it doesn’t deodorize. That’s why using the two together is important, as baking soda deodorizes.
3. Deep Clean The Area
Image Credit: Stephen VanHorn, Shutterstock
You have two options here: hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar. Mix either one with water in your spray bottle at a 1:1 ratio and shake it well. Do not mix vinegar with peroxide, as it will create a toxic gas.
Completely dampen the affected area with your homemade cleaning solution and dab it with a clean cloth. If you notice a stain, continue to dab at it with clean areas of the cloth. Do not rub the stain as that will make it spread.
Once you’re satisfied that there won’t be any stains, let the carpet dry overnight. If you want it to dry faster, turn on a fan and/or open a window to improve air circulation.
4. Disinfect The Carpet
Image Credit: Syda Productions, Shutterstock
Your carpet is clean, but some stray germs might be hanging around, so it’s best to disinfect the carpet. Thoroughly apply rubbing alcohol to the carpet with a clean cloth and let it dry. Unless you really drench it, it should only take a few hours at most.
If you’d like to apply carpet deodorizer or another powder-based carpet cleaner to improve the smell (vinegar can be stinky), you can do that now. Hopefully, you’ve defeated your dog’s vomit, and that they feel better soon!
Cleaning Alternatives
Vinegar and peroxide aren’t the end-all cleaning solutions, and you can use many other products to clean dog vomit out of a carpet. Below we’ll list a few alternatives you can use.
Just make sure that before you spray down your entire carpet, you run a test in a small corner to ensure that whatever product you choose to work with won’t alter the color of your favorite shag rug.
Codee Chessher is a freelance writer with extensive knowledge on a variety of subjects that include travel, sound engineering, automotive, DIY, pets, and more. He has a colorful past that includes building schools and commercial driving, but the written word was always his first love. He believes there's nothing a well-worded sentence can't accomplish.When not writing, Codee enjoys epic fantasy novels, home DIY projects, and memorizing useless pop culture trivia. He has lived in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. Most recently, he resides in northern Mexico.
Codee Chessher
