Being a dog owner means that at some point, you’re going to deal with dog vomit. Sometimes, dogs get stomach bugs or eat something that doesn’t agree with them. Vomiting can also occur if your dog eats or drinks too quickly.

Hopefully, your dog will aim for the bare floor when this happens. Otherwise, you’ll have dog vomit on a rug or carpet and need to clean it.

In this article, we look at two ways to clean fresh dog vomit from carpets. We also go over how to clean old vomit or a stain that you missed until it was already dry and how to get rid of any lingering vomit odors.

The 4 Ideas & Tips on How to Clean Dog Vomit From Carpet

Cleaning Fresh Vomit Stains

Tacking the vomit as soon as possible is the best way to prevent the vomit from soaking into the carpet fibers and the padding underneath. Once the stains and smells set in, it becomes more difficult to get rid of them.

1. Vinegar or Hydrogen Peroxide Method

Things You'll Need:

• White vinegar or hydrogen peroxide
• Spray bottle
• Old rags or towels
• Warm water
• Gloves, if desired
• A spoon or plastic scraper
• Trash bag

1. Put on gloves if you’d like to use them.
2. Using a spoon or plastic scraper, scrape as much of the solid vomit off the carpet as possible. As you scrape, put whatever you get off the carpet into a trash bag.
3. Mix hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar with warm water in a spray bottle. Use either peroxide or vinegar, but not both. Whatever you have on hand is fine.
4. Spray the solution that you’ve mixed in the spray bottle over the entire affected area. Spray liberally, covering the area fully and getting the carpet damp.
5. Blot the area dry with old rags or towels, using a dry one each time that the one you’re using gets saturated.

2. Dish Soap, Baking Soda/Cornstarch, and Vinegar Method

Things You'll Need:

• Trash bag
• White vinegar
• Sponges
• Warm water
• Baking soda or cornstarch
• Liquid dish soap
• Old rags or towels
• Gloves, if desired
• A spoon or plastic scraper
• Vacuum

1. Put on gloves if you’re using them.
2. Scrape the solid vomit off the stain with a spoon or scraper, placing the vomit in a trash bag.
3. Cover the area in baking soda or cornstarch. Use whichever one you have.
4. After 15 minutes, vacuum the baking soda or cornstarch.
5. Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
6. Using a sponge, blot the mixture over the stain, thoroughly saturating it.
7. Blot the area with old rags or towels until the liquid is absorbed.
8. Using a different sponge, blot the area with cold water.
9. Blot the area dry with clean rags or towels.

Cleaning Old Vomit Stains

Sometimes you can’t get to dog vomit stains right away. The incident could occur when you’re out of the house, and you may not notice it until days later. Other times, the dog might throw up as you’re on your way out the door, but there’s nothing that you can do about it at that moment. Luckily, there is a way that you can remove the vomit and take care of the stain.

3. Vinegar and Baking Soda Method

Things You'll Need:

• Warm water
• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Old rags or towels
• Vacuum
• Trash bag
• Spray bottle

1. Cover the entire dried stain with baking soda, and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
2. Vacuum up all the baking soda and any vomit that comes with it. You can use a broom instead or scrape up the vomit and baking soda by hand if you don’t want vomit in your vacuum canister.
3. Mix equal parts warm water and vinegar in a spray bottle. You can also pour this solution directly on the carpet, but a spray bottle will cover the area evenly without fully saturating the fibers. This gets the vomit wet enough to be removed through blotting.
4. Blot the stain with old rags or towels until it’s dry.
5. If the stain remains, you may have to repeat this step until all the vomit is removed.

Getting Rid of Vomit Odors

Even the best cleaning methods may not remove all the odors associated with dog vomit. If you’ve cleaned the stain and still notice a smell, you may have to use an enzymatic cleaner.

Enzymatic cleaners use the power of enzymes to neutralize odors and eat away at the bacteria causing them. They remove odors from their source, eliminating them for good.

Enzymatic cleaners are found at pet stores, hardware stores, and online. These cleaners work on all stains, including those from other pets. They’re useful in multi-pet households.

4. Enzymatic Cleaner Method

Things You'll Need:

• Water
• Enzymatic cleaner of choice
• Baking soda
• Old rags or towels
• Vacuum

1. Cover the area with baking soda, and let it sit for at least 15 minutes to absorb lingering odors.
2. Vacuum the baking soda.
3. Apply your enzymatic cleaner of choice according to the directions. Let the cleaner sit on the stain for the recommended amount of time.
4. Blot the cleaner with rags or towels to remove as much liquid as you can.
5. Apply warm water to the area to rinse it, and blot up the water with clean rags or towels, applying pressure to absorb as much water as you can. Replace wet towels with dry ones as necessary until the area is as dry as you can get it.
6. Once the area is dry, repeat the process if necessary.

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When to Contact a Veterinarian

Dogs throw up sometimes, and it’s usually not because of anything serious. If your dog ate something that isn’t sitting well, they will vomit to feel better. If they’re dealing with a stomach bug, the vomiting shouldn’t last long before they get back to normal.

But frequent vomiting can be a sign of something more serious. Vomiting is a sign of various diseases and serious illnesses. If your dog is vomiting several times in a row or you find yourself needing to clean up vomit regularly, contact your veterinarian.

Ignoring your dog’s vomiting can delay treatment for something that might be a simple, inexpensive fix. If your dog is vomiting and refusing food or the vomiting is occurring with diarrhea, contact your veterinarian right away.

Conclusion

Being prepared for the inevitable vomit situation from your dog is the best way to keep your carpet stain and odor-free. If you have the supplies that you need on hand, you can clean the mess quickly and easily. Getting to the stain as soon as possible is ideal but is sometimes not always possible.

We hope that these suggested methods have helped you learn how to get rid of both fresh and old dog vomit stains for good, along with any associated odors. If you notice that your dog is vomiting frequently or exhibiting any other signs, consult your vet right away.

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Featured Image Credit:  Jonathan Sebastiao, Unsplash