Cleaning vomit is one of the most daunting tasks in carpet cleaning. Whether the vomit is from a pet or your children, cleaning it can be unpleasant. Vomit contains an element known as bile, which is a type of acid. Bile can damage the fibers on your carpet by causing corrosion.
Also, the bile can leave a permanent stain on the carpet and leave a foul smell. Thus, when you notice vomit on your carpet, follow these tips to clean.
Requirements
Trash bag
Dishwashing gloves
Spoon
Vinegar or hydrogen peroxide
Spray bottle
Microfiber cloths
Dishwasher
Stain removal gel
Professional gel remover
Baking soda
Take action as soon as possible
Never leave vomit on the carpet. Get rid of it as soon as you notice it. Leaving the vomit uncleaned will give room for the bile to soak through the carpet to the underlying padding underneath. This way, it becomes harder to get rid of the stain and the foul smell.
Scrap out the vomit
Using a spoon or a spatula, scoop the vomit from the carpet. Ensure that you scrape out all the thick pieces of vomit from the floor. You can use paper towels to pick p the small pieces of the vomit and put them in the trash bin. If you are using a paper bag to pick the pieces of vomit, ensure that the paper bag doesn’t have holes since the holes can cause leakage of the vomit. After scooping the vomit, rinse the spoon or scapula thoroughly with a lot of water. Also, disinfect the spoon or scapula.
Remove the moisture
Scooping out the vomit means some of the liquids might get stuck on the carpet. The fluid which contains bile acid can cause a bad odor on your carpet. Thus, use baking powder to absorb all the liquid from the carpet. Also, bicarbonate soda can absorb any bad odor caused by the carpet. After sprinkling the powder, leave it for at least 15 minutes to get the best results.
Remove the stains
Though the baking soda is a powerful stain removal agent, some tough stains might be left in the carpet. This is common, mainly if the stain contains some blood traces. Since blood is a protein, it can be challenging to remove it if it gets stained on the carpet. Use an enzymatic like vinegar. The enzymatic cleaner works by digesting the molecules in the stain, thus neutralizing it. However, be careful before buying vinegar over the counter since some carpets can be damaged by vinegar. If your carpet is made of wool, contact a professional cleaning company before using vinegar in stain removal.
While removing the stain, ensure that you close all the doors in the house. Also, watch your pets and toddlers to ensure that they don’t touch the vinegar. If the vomit has dried on the carpet, ensure that you dampen the carpet before cleaning. Also, you can use hydrogen peroxide instead of vinegar while cleaning.
Rinse the carpet thoroughly
Most stain removal detergents are powerful reagents and can bleach or discolor the carpet. Thus, rinse thoroughly after using any reagent. Also, dirt particles left behind can case resoling. Hence, always ensure that you clean your mat after removing the stain. Don't use a lot of water while rinsing the carpet. If possible, use an acid rinse to ensure all the particles get removed.
Dry the carpet
After cleaning the carpet, it must be left to dry. Wet moist carpet can cause a foul smell in the house. Ensure there is enough air movement in the house to dry the carpet. You can use aa hairdryer or heater to dry the carpet. Other drying tips include:
Sing baking powder to dry the wet parts. Sprinkle the baking powder on the carpet and leave it to settle for at least 24 hours. The baking powder will absorb any moisture in the carpet, leaving it dry. After 24 hours, vacuum out the powder to leave the carpet dry.
Use the vacuum cleaner to vacuum the carpet
Remove the carpet outside and leave it to dry for some hours.
Thus, the next time your pet or baby vomit on the carpet, follow this simple guideline in carpet cleaning for stain removal. Remember, the sooner you clean, the easier it is to get the vomit out.