Clean like the pros: removing dog vomit

Whether it is just a minor stomach upset or a more serious problem, sometimes the mishap happens in the household: the dog vomits on the carpet or the sofa. How best to remove dog vomit from textiles?

Rules of thumb for removing dog vomit

A clear and detailed step-by-step guide follows immediately. First, a few rules of thumb for vomit in households with dogs.

• The mess is much easier to remove the fresher it is. So remove it as soon as you discover the vomit, and do not let it “dry out”.
• Keep necessary supplies in the household at all times. These include: a sponge with a rough side or a cleaning brush with bristles, kitchen roll, a carpet or textile cleaner of your choice and a small supply of baking soda, alternatively cornstarch. (The latter can usually be found with the baking ingredients in the supermarket.)

Removing dog vomit from textiles: step-by-step instructions

1. First, remove the coarsest residues. For this, use kitchen roll. The actual “stain” comes later; first, larger chunks must be removed so that everything does not seep in further.
2. Step 2 is “sucking up” the liquid from the vomit. In other words, we want to get the dog vomit out of the pores of the textiles. To do this, sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch directly onto the stain. Let it work for approx. 15 minutes. However, this step only works as long as the vomit and the surrounding stain are still moist.
3. The baking soda or cornstarch ensures that the stain dries out. The coarsest dirt binds to the chosen agent. Now use a standard vacuum cleaner to vacuum up the dried stain.
4. Next, the chosen fabric cleaner is used. Spray it onto any remaining stain according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Observe the dwell time.
5. The choice of sponge or brush depends on the cleaner used, the extent of the stain, and the surface, i.e., whether it is a carpet or upholstered furniture. However, dabbing motions are generally more effective than rubbing.

However, if it is dog vomit that has already dried out for some time, you can skip the first steps. Remove coarse residues with a kitchen towel, then proceed directly with the textile cleaner.

Make your own fabric cleaner against dog vomit

You have followed all the rules of thumb for removal, but an ugly stain remains every time? Unfortunately, not all cleaners live up to their promises. Moreover, many variants tend to discolour the cleaned area. Here are therefore a few “recipes” for making cleaning agents yourself.

#1: 1 tbsp washing-up liquid + 1 tbsp white vinegar + 0.5 L water (lukewarm)
#2: White vinegar and lukewarm water in equal parts
#3: Mix hydrogen peroxide into lukewarm water. Here, the dosage according to the manufacturer’s instructions must be observed.

However, caution is advised with hydrogen peroxide: this chemical “home remedy” has an enormously bleaching effect and therefore causes unwanted textile discolouration even more often. For that reason, however, it is also particularly reliable at removing stains. An alternative approach would therefore be to treat the entire carpet or upholstery with it instead of just the stain.