The smell of vomit. It seems impossible to remove, but I have the perfect recipes for how to remove the vomit smell from anything. Isn’t in the worst feeling as a mom? It is the middle of the night. Suddenly, your child comes down crying because she has thrown up all over her bed. I remember the first major time with Abby like it was yesterday. You feel awful for your child who is experiencing throwing up for the first time in their lives. It’s the middle of the night, so you are also battling your own tiredness and have no desire for the stench or the clean-up that you now face. You walk into the room and the smell of vomit greets you immediately. That one night, I remember looking into her bed and seeing puke everywhere. The poor girl had let her stomach go and it covered her favorite stuffed animal, sheets, comforter pillowcase and pillow. Fun times. I do also have to say that I never imagined how much I would get puked on in the face as a mom. OK – So, it’s only happened a few times, but that is enough. My problem is that when I can tell my children are really sick, I become very compassionate. I wouldn’t say I’m hugely compassionate as a mom in normal circumstances. I’m not a coddler and tell my kids they’re strong and brave and try and get it under control. However, there’s no other time I feel more compassionate than with a genuinely hurting child over legitimate reasons. So, when my kids are sick, I’ll often lay them in my bed and cuddle up close so I can stroke their hair, look at their hurting face and pray for them. That’s when it happens. The vomit comes straight for my face. I’m learning. Last time I did this exact thing with Kenzie. Then, I heard her stomach churn, and I jumped up and ran to the kitchen for a bowl. I wasn’t in time to catch the throw up, but I was in time to remove myself from getting puked on, so that is good. OK – Back to our story…Abby’s things are all covered in vomit in the middle of the night. My husband doesn’t do well with the smell of vomit. If I’m not careful, I’ll have two pukers on my hand, so I handle it. I get Abby in the tub to wash her off. I get new pajamas and get her into our bed with a bowl and my husband. I head up to the room to take care of the situation. I take the sheets to the bathroom to spray them down in the shower, removing the chunks. Is this too much information yet? Maybe. I just wanted to give you some ideas for dealing with the vomit that enters your own world. Sorry if I’m making you nauseous in the dialogue. The final step (or so I think) is to throw everything in the wash. The next morning, I open the washer just to be visited by the same smell that haunted me the night before. So, I ran the load again. Nothing. I tried a different detergent. No luck. So, I do what any mom does, I complained about it on Facebook. In came my solution. A friend from high school responded with a couple recipes she said would work like magic. Here are the recipes:
How to Clean Sheets and Larger, Washable Items (affiliate links added)
For the sheets and bigger things that can go through the wash try soaking them in a good amount of Borax (it’s a laundry booster you can get it at the grocery store) 1 cup or more with your regular detergent. Just let them soak for a couple of hours and them wash them as normal. This was my first introduction to Borax, and it worked like a charm.
For the stuffed animals, clothing and even carpet try this (affiliate links added):
2 cups hydrogen peroxide (the kind you put on cuts)
2 tsp baking soda
2 drops liquid dish soap
Mix it together so the soda dissolves and you can then soak the items in it. It hasn’t discolored anything I’ve used it on (my clothes or our carpet). It may make the smell seem stronger at first, but it’s only because it’s getting wet again. It really works great. It also works on urine (kid or pet) which what I originally used it for.
I just keep a ton of peroxide and Borax on hand. The peroxide gets out blood and chocolate without bleaching anything and my friend told me about the Borax. I use to keep a bucket in the laundry room when the boys were babies and just fill it with water and the Borax and toss all the things they spit up on and let it soak until I could run the washer(days sometimes). Never had a permanent stain after that.
I was extremely grateful for this recipe because she had thrown up on her favorite stuffed animal that she had since she was a baby. I really wasn’t convinced I was going to be able to remove the smell after trying so hard prior to this recipe. This recipe worked on the first try.
So, there you have it. Sorry for such a detailed account. You can just be grateful you have these recipes in your arsenal now.
Other Cleaning Tips
I completely understand, about getting vomited on. But, mine don’t get me in the face…nope that’s worse. Mine on three occasions, different children…throw up down my shirt. Now, this might be understandable if I was endowed more, or wore lower cut shirts, but I was wearing tshirts. They rest their heads on my neck….and then it gets scary. Poor kiddos. I’m grimacing and laughing…though I hope it never happens again. Praying actually.
You just saved my life with this post! Thank you!
That’s so good to hear. I’m glad it worked for you! Sorry you’ve had sickness in your home.
Yup this post is a life saver 😉
So glad to help!
Thanks Michelle for the laugh. I’ve been there plenty of times too. After the kids got older, baby spit up seemed so mild, compared to the real thing when kids got older. I’m the one now with a strong inability to deal with cleaning up vomit. I’m the one who starts gagging. My husband poor guy gets clean up duty for that. I would be right there adding to it. With four kids and occasional sickness, I told them they better get to the toilet and fast or they would be cleaning it up.
Ha! Puke is no phone for anyone. 🙁
This tip worked so well!! My son vomited on his bedroom carpet! I scrubbed, shampoo’ed, used essential oils and Lysol to no avail, the smell remained!!! I doubted this would work but it seriously did!!! I put the ingredients in a spray bottle, sprayed the whole section and rubbed it in with a sponge. Almost instantly the smell was gone!!! Thank you so very much!!! 🙏❤️
Yay! I love hearing other people’s success with this recipe. It is so great to hear that I’m able to help so many in a pretty yucky situation. Thanks for commenting.
just used this- ick!!! Hope I don’t have to use it again
Milk Bee Gone
Check it out! Great product for kids milk spills and vomit
Great product
This morning, you are my hero. Toddler with a wicked gag reflex + a coughing fit in the night equals beloved bear covered in you.know.what. So far, bear no longer smells.
Oh, I’m so glad to hear that, and I’ve been there. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with some coughing and nastiness right now! Good to know others have the same results I did.
I’m wondering if you have any more advice. my 15 month old vomited in his bed and i didn’t know it until the morning. it was dry and stunk terribly. i’ve washed sheets, dust ruffle, favorite blankets, and they are good, but the smell is still in the room! we had the window open and fan going but it is 20 degrees and raining. any thoughts?
I would say the fan and open window is the best idea. If you could have the baby sleep in a different room for a day while you keep that room freezing would be my best thought. Sorry I’m not more help.
Try a nice smelling essential oil like lavender,spray lightly over the floor n wipe,,if carpeted,sprinkle baking soda lightly and vacuum when oil dries up,,hope it helps
Thanks so much for contributing to help find solutions. I’ll keep that in mind for next time.
THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!!! We just had our whole family of 5 get the flu! I was so scared as a mommy that I wouldn’t be able to save their favorite stuffed animals, mostly because they cannot be submerged due to internal electronics. So I used the peroxide, dishwasher detergent and baking soda in a spry bottle. Sprayed them til very damp and dripping. Next I used a clean dry towel to blot the barf spots and they came right up!!! Just did them a second time. First time was for the gunk and stink. Second time was just to be sure to “sanitize” them and they are air drying over the tub as I post this. Hoping this isnt just a dream that it works!!!
I really hope it works for you too, Josie. It saved ours, and I was so grateful to get the recipe from a friend. Sorry you are all sick. Absolutely no fun at all! Blessings.
Can’t wait to try this! My 18 mo old twins just had puking flu last night making for a happy new year.. Fave bunny anywhere chair smell after washing twice. Gonna go to the store as soon as dh gets up.
So sorry that is how your New Year began. Let me know how it works. I had great success and hope you have the same experience!
Thank you much! Never got out of the house to get borax but did the hydrogen peroxide mix and worked great! All smells gone.
Thank you so much! Never got out of the house to get borax but did the hydrogen peroxide mix and worked great! All smells gone.
Hi! I just tried this after multiple failed attempts of scrubbing our rug and couch with dish soap and laundry detergent. I should have asked before I did this and in the future will have a spray bottle on hand for this but do you just poor it on the carpet and couch? Do you let it dry or let it sit and then Try to scrub it up? Thanks for the recipes! I have high hopes that its going to solve our problem!
I have only had to use it on stuffed animals and blankets since my kids haven’t hit the carpet or furniture yet. I think I would poor it on the carpet, let it sit for a bit, add a little water to moisten it again and scrub. I’d then sprinkle some baking soda and vacuum. That’s just my intuition though. This was a friend’s recipe that she wrote out for me. I would let it soak into the couch a bit and then scrub. I would encourage you to test in a hidden spot. Although she assured me she has never had issues, I think it would be a safe bet. Good luck. Please let me know if it works, and I’d love to know your methods too.
I’m returning to get the recipe yet again for the same kid that threw up in the same spot as before. I apologize for not returning and responding previously. This worked amazing! Last time all I did was pour it on the affected areas, let it soak for a while and then scrubbed it with a wet cloth. I did clean all the chunks up first by sprinkling homemade washing powder on the areas and vacuuming. Now I am off to whip up the recipe and start the soak! Thanks again for this life saving recipe. Also, I had NO discoloration in my couch or rug previously!
Thank you for following up!! I have carpet to deal with and wasn’t sure how to do it….
You are welcome. So glad to help.
Great post Jodi! Just found your blog. Love it and will be giving some of this a try. We are going through our own flu episode right now. UGH!
No fun on the flu side of things, but I am glad you found me. Let me know how it goes, and I hope you all get better really soon!
Has anyone tired it on a couch???
There was someone that was going to try, but I haven’t heard a report yet. If you do try, I would spot check. Please do report back if you try it.
It didn’t mess up the coloring of our couch! So we did it and now it smells much better! Thanks for the helpful tip!
That’s good news. I am glad it was helpful! I hope you are all on the mend.
You are a superhero for this! After trying everything, this worked immediately! Thank you! Thank you!!
Yay! What a good report. Thank you so much for sharing your success. It helps others choose whether to try it or not.
FANTASTIC!! Just used the peroxide and baking soda cleaner on my leather couch. Our 6 year old vomited all down in the cushions and saturated the cloth underneath. Tried a few cleaners with no luck. Just used this ONCE, and the smell is 100% gone!!
Thanks!!
Yay! Another successful report. I’m so glad this worked for you. You can pass on the recipe to your friends. It seems to have been helpful for a lot of people.
Last night our 7 YO saturated the couch and carpet. I used a wet vac to remove the mess and sprayed everything down with an ammonia/water solution. My hope was to neutralize the stomach acids and that would eliminate the odor. The room no longer reeks but I can still smell it on the couch. I’m applying the peroxide/baking soda solution tonight in hopes of killing the lingering reminder.
Please report back and let me know if it works. Thanks so much! Good luck, and I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. No fun!
Success!
I sprayed everything with the peroxide/baking soda solution just in case my sniffer had accliimated to the odor or the lingering scent of ammonia was masking it. I even removed the cushion covers and treated the foam and batting. I never dreamed a munchkin could hold anywhere near that much. Unless, perhaps, it just looks like an awful lot when spewed across the living room. I’m so glad we had a 32 oz bottle of peroxide.
Thank you.
Yay! Another success. I am so happy to hear this. Thank you so much for coming back to follow up. Super helpful to others!!
My couch and carpet had been blessed by my sons stomach virus. It’s been over 24 hours, and I know my husband wasn’t as thorough as I was hoping. I have a sinus infection so I can’t smell very well, but when I can I smelled it. So tonight, I was finally able to get the ingredients. I think I was able to cover the areas that were “blessed” and we shall see.. I will report back.
Thanks so much for reporting back. I know a lot of people have had success with this. I hope it helps you too, and I’m so sorry for all the sickness over there. Life is just hard when everyone isn’t well. I just saw a friend taking funny Photo Booth (Mac thing) computer pictures of themselves on a sick day. Maybe something like that would cheer everyone up. 🙂
My friends daughter came to my home the next morning and I had explained what happened and what I did to clean everything. Said she couldn’t smell anything. I still don’t have my sense of smell back yet. The internet is a wonderful thing. Thank you for saving my couch!
This worked like a dream on our living room rug! Thank you so much. So glad I found your site. Also, for the issue of lingering smell in the room, I have found that a glass of white vinegar up on a shelf out of the way for about a day works well in addition to the fan and open windows.
Another great report. I’m so happy this recipe has been such a good help for people. Thank you so much for reporting back here. It is really helpful for others who might want to try it. Hope you’re all hewing.
My daughter threw up all over my car. I did everything and anything I can think of to get rid of the smell and nothing work!! It has been a week since she threw up but the nasty smell still lingers in my car. Its disgusting! until i read your post. Tried it right away and it worked!!! THANK YOU sooooooo much for sharing your info!!
I love hearing this! What a great report. I’m so glad it worked. The smell is awful. Thanks for putting a smile on my face.
The stomach flu ran ramped through my house this week. My daughter vomited all over the couch and I can not get the smell out! It is driving me crazy. I have tried many different cleaners on numerous occasions. Tonight I tried your mixture. I really hope that it works.
I really hope it works too. Sorry you’ve all been sick. A lot of people have reported really good results, so I have high hopes.
The smell is gone and you are amazing! Thank you! Thank you!!!!
Such great news. I am so glad it worked. Thanks for checking back!
Just had my family of 6 get over the flu. My daughters room is the worse. Just cannot get the smell out. I’m so glad I found this site! I first tried the remedy on an old mildewey smelling rag n it worked like a champ. Off to my daughters room. Wish me luck everyone!!!!!
Good luck! Another success story – how fun. Well, kinda fun. I’m sorry you’re going through the sickness. That’s never fun. I’m just glad you found my recipe! Thanks for commenting!
It’s not working for me.. I’m not sure with the solution, is it 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide straight?? My pharmacist told me to mix it 50mils h/p and 500 mls water & it’s not working.. So do I use 2 cups of straight hydrogen peroxide?
I’m so sorry it’s not working. There has been so much success. It’s a bummer to hear it’s not working out for you. I used it straight without diluting it with water – just 2c. hydrogen peroxide(the kind you put on cuts), 2tsp. baking soda & 2 drops liquid dish soap. I would try it without the water and let me know how that goes.
I use bleach in my wash, At one point I thought I will try bleach and i dont care if it fade ir discolors the sheets because i would rather kniw that the smell abd virus/bacteria were dead. To my surprise it didnt even phase the multicolored sheets at all. So I too put bleach in a load if stuffed animals and they were absolutely fine! This was regular bleach not color safe.
Crazy. I would have never guessed that. I’m glad it all worked well. Thanks for the feedback.
My one year old son threw up on the carpet. Of my bedroom two nights in a row . I tried to scrub the carpets but before I could completely get the smell out he got sick again.. I scrubbed with different things last night and the smell is still there. I finally bought the ingredients for this today and I’m going to try it on the carpet.
How did it work? I would love to know if you have had success. Sorry he’s been sick, but I hope this helped.
This has worked great sorry it took so long to check back in, I’ve used this three times and its worked everytime! On blankets, carpet, high chair, etc. I just used it again today ( the little guy put too much food in his mouth ) . This is so great!
I used this on my kiddo’s vomit stain last week after carpet cleaner just didn’t work. I poured it on and scrubbed immediately, and the smell was gone in moments. I’m going to use it on my car today because we took 3 large dogs to the beach yesterday, and ew.
Yay! Another great report. Thank you so much for commenting so others know how well it works.
On the borax recipe, what temperature water do you soak and wash your items at? Thanks.
I’ve only had to use the recipe once, and I really don’t remember worrying about water temperature. I probably chose hot. I can’t give a for sure answer about what is best though. Sorry I’m not more help.
I’m so glad I found your article! This isn’t about my kiddos but about my old lady dog 😉 She is having a hard time controlling her bladder at night and has made a couple messes in the house – one on her therapudic (I know it’s not spelled right – not sure how it’s spelled) dog bed and one all over my daughters carpet in her room. I’m going to try this recipe and see if it takes the smell out – I really don’t want to throw out her dog bed but I will if the smell doesn’t go away. I will let you know! Thank you!
I really hope it works for you. A lot of people have found success with this recipe. Thanks for letting me know you’re trying it.
Thank you! thank you! thank you! My little one threw up in her room last night (again) and I had no idea how I was going to get the smell out of her rug and stuffed animals. Carpet cleaner did nothing. Steam cleaning the rug helped a little, but you could still smell a lingering nasty odor. This worked in about 5 seconds flat. Super easy to make too. Thank you again!
Yay! Another happy customer. I’m so glad it worked so fantastically for you. It’s really been the miracle solution. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Which of these solutions would you recommend for mattresses? My daughter has puked on her mattress a few times and always seems to hit the “target” where the mattress cover doesn’t reach.
I use the peroxide solution on my toddler son’s mattress regularly; i spray generously, then wipe with microfiber and then blot with a towel and air dry (urine smell) i had first tried it on one of his stuffed animals that he vomited on that had then sat and mildewed, and it was like new after several sessions of spraying and air-drying to avoid electronics.
Cool. That sounds like another great solution. Thanks for commenting.
My daughter has been chewing on her favorite stuffed animal since she was four months old (she is now 14 months old, and still chewing on him) and the poor guy STINKS!! I tried all kinds of stuff before I found your blog, and am happy to report a “spa day” and a few hours of soaking in Borax and laundry soap usually gets rid of the smell. But we are on a trip, and no one in the family keeps Borax anymore, so after a long soak in Oxiclean and some laundry soap, I am going to try the baking soda and peroxide mix and see if he fairs any better. I will definitely keep you posted, and THANK YOU for posting this, you are a Moosey life saver!!
I hope it works. I know how important and yet disgusting those animals can be. Good luck. Let me know how it goes.
Thank you for sharing! I have two toddlers , dog and a cat, so believe me I really needed your advices!
So glad it helps!
is 2c. 2 cups?? no water in this mix?
thanks for great tip!
steve
Yes – It is 2 cups. I should write that out, should I? No water. I hope it works well for you!
sure, why not write it out, i needed to get supplies but put baking soda over it over night then vacuumed this morning smell is pretty much gone, we are going to make up a spray bottle of peroxide and baking soda with the 2 drops to clean up the rest sounds like from what i’ve read we should be good. So happy to find this tread, thank you!
thread i meant “)
So glad it’s helpful. It’s so great to read about all the people this recipe has benefited from, and although I’m sorry you’re dealing with puke right now, I’m glad you’ve found a solution.
It worked great for me! I want to assure other readers that they will be satisfied with the results!
Another great result. Thank you so much for checking in and letting readers know. It is extremely helpful!
Count me in the list with the happy users! 😀 Thank you for sharing!
So glad it worked for you!
OMG – we had our first vomit-bed-experience last week with our 2 year old. That smell when you enter the room is powerful, gut-wrenching stuff! I wish I would have had this article last week at 3am! Rinsing off the sheets…pillows…blanket… etc… in the shower – genius!
I’m so sorry for your experience! You’ll have to save the recipe for future use. I just had to use it last weekend, and I’m just so glad that I had it in my arsenal. Thanks for commenting.
Thank you soooooo soooo much!!! This worked like a charm!! You probably saved me $1000!!! My 1 year old had the stomach bug and threw up alllllllllll over the couch and rug in the living room…but this REALLLLLLLY WORKED!!! thank you soooooooo much again!!
What a happy report. Thanks so much for checking in with your results. I am thrilled that I saved you so much in damage. It’s bad enough to have people throwing up. Damage on top of it is never fun.
We just had our first carseat puking incident with my 18-month-old. I’m so glad I found this blog entry after the smell didn’t go away with just washing his clothes! The borax soak worked great to fix that problem, and I plan to use it for the carseat cover, as well! Now for the carseat harness – the manual says to just wipe clean with mild soap and water, and I’m sure that won’t be enough. Do you know if the hydrogen peroxide solution would be safe to use? Thanks!
Hello! I’m so sorry for your experience. I haven’t had to deal with the car thing yet. That does not sound fun at all. I’m glad that you are having success with the recipes. I do no know for sure if the hydrogen peroxide solution would be safe to use. I would think it would be fine, and I would probably use it. That said, it’s totally up to your discretion.
I tried it and I love the final result! Thank you so much for posting this! I want to assure the other readers that it actually work great!
Thanks so much for commenting! I love when people are able to verify the results.
My son vomited all over my back seat of my new car :(… and it reeks the smell i tried getting the vomit off but the smell is horrible.. I saw your posted and I am going to give it a try I hope its not too late this happened last night..
Do you mix any water with this solution ?
Should i sprinkle some baking power on the rugs and seats first and let it sit for a few
and than make the mixture and spray the seats down ans wipe ?
I’m so sorry! Not fun at all. You do not need to mix water with the solution or worry about sprinkling backing soda. I would make the mixture and just go for it. That said, although I’ve never experienced any discoloration and have loads of comments on this post with no mention of an issue there, I’d always do a spot test. It’s written on every cleaner for a reason, I’m sure. I really hope it works well for you. Report back, and I hope he’s feeling better soon!
Thank you for the reply I will go for it and report back 🙂
Well here is my re post I am in absolute awwwwwww.. I cant believe how good this mixture is 😀 Super happy mommy here I used the mixture and it worked awesome on my car.. My car smells back to normal LOL.
I would definitely recommended this to anyone who has experienced this nightmare… Which I hope wont happen again 🙂
I give it an A+ FIVE STAR 😀
Yay! I love those great reports – especially for your sake. It’s such an awful smell, and to know there is a solution does make a happy mom! Thank you so much for checking back in. It makes me happy I could help.
So, I’m about to try this in my car after a ‘projectile x4’ incident in the back seat yesterday. Just to confirm…I make the mixture and spray it everywhere, then, should i let it sit for awhile, scrub it in and then let it dry? Anymore details with the car would be helpful. Thanks!
Yes. What you said is accurate. That should do the trick. I hope it works!
Yes that should work I cleaned out as much as I could of the vomit 🙁 GRosssssss but then I sprayed the solution let it sit for a few went back whip it down a little more and sprayed again I also left the windows open to air out the car too and it work very very well. Good Luck after my vomit ordeal I bought covers for my back seats in case I hope I don’t have to do this again but just in case better safe than sorry. 🙂
So glad it worked. Smart to have covers now. Not a fun experience, but I’m glad I could make it a little bit brighter.
Thank you! My son threw up on his mattress and it was a huge mess (no waterproof cover). I tried cleaning it many different ways (over a 2 day period), then found your post. I mixed it up in a spray bottle (1/4 the recipe), sprayed the mattress, and the smell was gone! I also used this on the couch (different kid, same bug). It’s amazing! Thanks!
Yay! I’m so glad it helped. Thank you for checking in and letting us know your success!
This worked really well on my dog’s bed “someone” barfed sometime in the last week. I was able to wash the comforter I keep on it for extra coverage for accidents like this, but the upholstered part still smelled. Your tip kept me from having to totally deconstruct the bed then figure out how to put it all back together myself. I’m passing the info along to my niece who’s having a baby next month so she’s prepared ahead of time for the joys of mommyhood.
So glad this was helpful, and I really thank you for passing it along to others. That is super thoughtful. Thank you for commenting!
Do you just let the solution sit? Should I scrub or vacuum?
Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I’m behind on my comment section. Probably too late to know now. I pour it on and let it soak in a bit and then blot it with a rag to try and soak up the moisture. I might scrub a little. I vacuum in the end. Repeat if necessary, but it works pretty well.
Love this post! Just some quick questions, how much borax did you add to your bucket of water that you soak your clothes in? I’m a ratio nut lol and also, I have front loading washer/dryer so how would I pre-soak the vomit stenched blankets in the laundry detergent and borax mixture beforehand? Thank you SO much!
Oh man. I’ve only had to soak once, and I don’t remember the ration. I know I had a big bucket (5 gallon type of bucket) that I scooped the borax into and added water. There also had to be enough room for the item being washed. I hope that’s at least a little helpful. 🙂
Yea, I understand. I did it once too when i was younger. I had NO clue what to do since i was the only one awake and i was scared to tell my mom because i was afraid she would punish me for making a mess. But you know what i did? I slept somewhere else because hey, my bed was dirty. And my stomache was empty again. And i felt horrible when my parents walked in to check on me and nothing was there but a big mess that they cleaned up. But in the end it was cleaned up. ^_^
Oh man. What a story. That’s so sad. Hopefully this post is helpful in cleaning up future messes.
Hi Guys
Just wanted to confirm and say thank you for the borax trick. My adult daughter just had her wisdom teeth out and threw up spectacularly on her quilt. Washed it straight away but the vomit smell hung around!!!. Soaked it overnight with borax and washing powder and then washed it in a normal wash this morning – just hung it out now – no more smell – THANKYOU!!!
Yay! I”m glad this helped you. It’s been a great recipe for me, and I’m just glad I can share it.
I accidentally vomited on my favorite shoes a few months ago! I tried to scrub shampoo and hand sanitizer on them for days and I think they still smell like vomit! What do I do! Is there Any way to clean shoes that may still smell like vomit?
Oh man. I think I would try the peroxide and baking soda mixture although I have no idea the fabric of the shoes and would hate to ruin them more. I just used this recipe on the carpet with a different stinky bodily fluid, and it worked well. Let me know if you do decide to try it…at your own risk. 😉
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this post, Jodi! 🙂
My poor little guy was sick the other night and threw up right on top of his favorite teddy! It was soooo sad! I did my best to get the smell out but despite washing it 4 times and even rinsing it in vanilla water it still had a horrid smell. Your tip with the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda did the trick, immediately… teddy is drying as I type this… I can’t wait to give him back to my son, smelling clean and fresh!
Yay! I’m so glad we rescued your son’s teddy. We just had a urine accident on a mattress. The recipe worked for that too. My husband says hydrogen peroxide is the biggest magic ingredient here. I’m so happy to receive another success story. Thanks for checking in.
Worked like a charm. My daughter threw up last night and then another child did so it took me 12 hours to get to the mess, despite the time lapse the smell is gone. Great recipe!
Yay! So glad it helped. Sorry you have sick kiddos though. That’s never fun! Get better. 🙂
It works!! Thank you so much for saving my daughter’s favorite stuffed animal!! She can’t be happier, the vomit smell is gone from her lovely conejita (little bunny). 🙂
Yay! I’m so glad it saved the bunny. Thinking that a beloved animal might be lost to the smell of vomit is not fun. I’m so glad you found this resource. 🙂
Thank you so much I woke up to my dad running to the bathroom but when he got to the door all I heard was splattering and I felt bad for him so I helped clean him and the floor up and the smell was there so I found this place so just wanna say THANKYOU
Yay! I’m so glad this recipe helped you in a not-fun time. Thank you for caring for your dad so well.
hi! we had about 99.9% of vomit hit our removable couch cushion, the .01% on the backrest. I used the hydrogen peroxide mix and sprayed it allll over the foam from the big cushion and used it on the tiny amount that got on the backrest. those have no stains nor smell! woohooo!
I currently have the couch cushion cover soaking in the hydrogen mix as the spray wasn’t strong enough. should I just let that air dry and put it back on? wash it right away? or let it air dry then wash? ugh what a mess! any advice is helpful! thank you
Oh man. That does sound like a mess. I’m glad you had success on the first part. I’m only guessing here, but I think I would let it air dry. If it doesn’t work, I guess I would try again. I don’t know your couch cushion cover and material, so I would hate to give advice that ruined anything.
My daughter just threw up right as she was coming to my bed. Most of it ended up in the carpet. I tried this recipe and it really took away the stench! Very impressive, thank you for sharing.
Yay! So glad to help. It’s been amazing for me every time! I appreciate you reporting your experiences.
I am looking into doing the borax treatment for blankets and pillows, can I just let them soak in the washer?
Yes. I think I stuck them in the bathtub, but if you know how to fill up your washer and stop it at the right time, that would work great.
Hi- the vomit on my son’s huge teddy bear was hastily wiped up with water & a bit of dish soap. It has now been sitting for days because I’ve been dreading dealing with this last job remaining after his bout of stomach flu. I will soak the bear’s arm as you recommend, and my question is: do you rinse off with / soak in water to rinse afterwards, or just leave it to dry as is?
I would rinse it off as best as you can afterward. I’ve only done stuffed animals with the recipe I gave for the washing machine. That said, I would do the recipe for carpet, couch, etc. Let it soak in a bit. Blot it as much as you can. Try and rinse. I really hope it works for you!
My Border Collie threw up on her dog bed and I had tried all normal cleanups but smell persisted. I mixed up your peroxide, baking soda, dish soap combo — put it in a spray bottle, and within minutes of spraying her mattress, odor was gone. Thank you.
Yay! Another mattress saved. I am so glad to hear your positive report. This concoction is amazing. Thanks for reporting back about your experience.
Thank you so much for this peroxide recipe! It eliminated the vomit stench created by my son from my upholstered headboard immediately despite much failed scrubbing with plain dish soap and water didn’t. Now I want to try this out on alternative uses likes removing stains in my house. Has anyone tried this on water stains (or any stains for that matter)?
Yay! So glad to help. I haven’t heard about other stains, except I think there has been some success with urine…can’t guarantee that though. Please report back if you have success. Thanks!
Thank you!! I use peroxide, baking soda, and Dawn on everything (was just saying the other day that we needed to stock up bc I needed to scrub the kids shoes – I get motivated until about easter). Still have borax on hand from when I was going to make my own laundry detergent (we all know I didn’t – I did kill some ants). Looking forward to cleaning bc this smell has got to go!
It definitely needs to go! It’s awful, and I’m so glad I’ve found something that works. So glad to help!
I never thought I would be googling “vomit odor in carpet” without children but my husbands longtime friend had a little too much recently and vomited on the carpet that night. He cleaned it up but the odor was still there. Since it was our guest room and a brand new house I was really hoping there was a fix. I used the peroxide mix on the carpet and the odor vanished instantly. I’m crossing my fingers that it remains that way when it dries and I won’t hurt the carpet. So thanks for the advice
Yay! So glad it worked for you. Hoping the rest works as well. I have never had any damage done to the carpet or furniture using this mixture.
My kid vommited in the trash can and I can’t get the smell out, does this trick also help in this situation? (The trashcan is made of plastic)..
Wow. So sorry. I have no idea. You can try it. It seems to work elsewhere. Let me know how/if it works for you.
Thanks so much! It worked!
So glad to help!
I absolutely enjoyed your article about removing vomit smell. I’m getting ready to try it, I hope it works! I just wanted to let you know your very entertaining and I look forward to checking out more of your stuff
So glad to help. Hope it works for you!