How often should I vacuum my carpet? Is vacuuming really necessary? What kind of cleaner should I use? Vacuum cleaners are great tools for keeping carpets clean. They remove dust from the surface of the carpet and loosen dirt that has settled into the fibers. The problem is that they don’t always get every last bit of dust out of the carpet. That’s where vacuums come in handy. How to clean sick out of carpet can be understandably the most undesirable jobs in the household, if not in the world.
If you are a parent, chances are that the sight of vomit does not faze you anymore. Even if you are a pet owner, the sight is not uncommon.
But when you actually get down to it, you will realise that cleaning up vomit from the carpet is like cleaning any other stain, as long as you are not too queasy.
You may be disgusted by the thought of it and might be thinking of changing or even throwing out your carpet, but you will find that that drastic step is not necessary, as long as you don’t mind bearing it all a little longer.
When it comes to vomit, you have the dual task of not only getting rid of it but the smell as well, because if you don’t, the smell can often linger for days and the smell itself can make anyone nauseous.
There is the danger of you losing your own lunch over it if you are too squeamish, but it has to be done for your own sake.
Contents
How To Clean Sick Out Of Carpet – Methods
Getting On With It (Method #1)
You Will Need
- Paper towels
- Kitchen towels
- Water
- A dull knife, a spatula or a spoon
- Baking soda
- Safety gloves (not for safety but trust me, you will need them)
- A vacuum cleaner
- The first part of the process is not going to be your favourite, because you will be scraping off as much vomit off the carpet as you can. Yes, and that’s what I recommended the gloves for. It is not anyone’s favourite task, but it is a necessary one. Start with the larger chunks (you know what I mean), by using the paper towels. Let them absorb as much as they can, and you might need more than one. You may also use the spatula or the spoon if you are not averse to using them again or you have some disposable ones lying around.
- Though less disgusting than the first one, you will continue removing the remaining vomit, as much as you can. You will need to do this in order to minimise the stain as much as possible. Once you can remove no more using the knife or the spoon, you can take a breather for a minute.
- Sprinkle the stain thoroughly with baking soda and let it sit on it for an hour or more. Sit back and marvel at the absorbing qualities of baking soda while you are waiting. This will also take away the unpleasant odours.
- After the waiting period, you can simply walk all over it with your vacuum cleaner. Give it a thorough clean until you are satisfied with the results.
- Use the kitchen towel and wipe off any dry crumbs that may have remained on the carpet.
Getting On With It (Method #2)
You Will Need
- White vinegar
- Sponge wipes
- Warm water
- Dishwashing soap
- Paper towels
- You will have to repeat steps 1 and 2 from the previous method every time you try a new method. This is important and there is no other way around it because you have to remove the excess vomit from the area so as to not get it on other surfaces and to stop it from spreading anywhere else. Only once you are sure there is no extra vomit on the carpet that can affect any other surface, you can move on to the next step.
- Take a medium-sized tumbler and fill it with warm water. Now mix the vinegar (two teaspoons) and the dishwashing soap (also two teaspoons) in this and stir well.
- Now, dip a sponge wipe and dip it in the solution and apply it to the affected area. Use it thoroughly all over the stain. The vinegar is very effective in removing any lingering odours too.
- Use another wipe and dip it in plain cold water. Use this stain to absorb the previous solution. Do it for as long as required and you would have gotten rid of the smell and the stain.
Getting On With It (Method #3)
You Will Need
- Paper towels
- Kitchen towels
- Water
- A dull knife, a spatula or a spoon
- Cornflour
- Safety gloves (Not for safety but trust me, you will need them)
- A vacuum cleaner
- As usual, repeat steps number 1 and 2 from the first method. You need to be certain that you have scraped off all the excess vomit off the surface.
- Cover the affected area with cornflour rather generously. Sprinkle a little extra on the edges of the stain to contain the spillage. Let it sit and absorb the stain for 15-30 minutes but no longer than that. Leaving it for that period will soak up whatever has seeped into your carpet quite effectively.
- All that remains to be done now is vacuum the carpet of all the cornflour and the remaining stain with it.
- Dry the area with a cleaning towel and let the rest air dry for a while.
Some Quick Tips And Precautions
- It is an often repeated advice, but a useful one. It is always better to clean the stain while it is fresh. While it sounds gross, it is always easier to remove it at that stage, and difficult when it dries up and sets in.
- After you have used the vacuum cleaner, it is a good idea to remove and get rid of the contents in the bag as quickly as possible. If you let it sit in the bag, there is a chance of the odour lingering.
- You can also use commercial cleaning products such as Dr Beckman or Vanish if you do not want to use the DIY methods.
- In some cases, the carpet cleaner also works well on these type of stains.
Conclusion
As you saw, cleaning sick out of the carpet is not very difficult as long as you can overcome the initial reluctance.
As is with most natural stains that occur in the house, they are easy to clean using household products and do not take very long.
Clean the area as soon as you possibly can so as to not let the smell and the stain linger.
You can always use an aroma diffuser or a nice, gentle room fragrance after you are done with this unsavoury task to cleanse the area and open a few windows to get rid of the smell completely.
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