You walk out of your room half asleep and step in something squishy. At some point during the night, your cat threw up on the carpet.
If you’d been able to get to it right away, cleaning it up would have been no problem. Cat vomit is a lot easier to clean up than dog vomit. It only becomes a problem if you let it sit for a while.
In this case, you’re going to have to do a little bit more than a standard clean-up to get rid of it. Otherwise, you’re going to have a lovely stain on your beautiful carpet.
We can teach you how to scrub the throwup out of your rug. Grab your cleaning supplies, and let’s get started.
Pick Up the Bulk of the Mess
Before you can take your cleaner to your carpet, you’re going to have to get rid of the bulk of the cat hairball vomit. Grab a few paper towels and use them to scoop it up.
Make sure when you’re doing this that you don’t squish it down into your carpet fibers. That will make the rest of the process a lot harder for you.
If the vomit has dried into your carpet, the paper towels won’t work for you. You’ll have to use a spoon to scrape it out of the fibers.
Spray the Area With Cold Water
If the bulk of the mess was yellow, there’s a good chance your cat is vomiting bile. The acids from this will stain the carpet unless you soak them up. You can do this by filling a spray bottle with cool water and dousing the area.
Dab it with a paper towel. This should get rid of any leftover chunks and acid. There might be a bit of a stain left behind, but we’ll work on that in a moment.
Create a Cleaning Solution
You’ve got two choices when it comes to cleaning up after cat vomiting and diarrhea. You can either create a cleaning solution out of the stuff you have laying around your home or head to the store. For the sake of this article, we’re going to go over both methods with you.
Grab a microwave-safe bowl and heat about two cups of warm water. After your microwave goes off, pour a tablespoon of salt into it and stir.
Once the salt dissolves, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar, a tablespoon of detergent, and a few tablespoons of rubbing alcohol into the mix. Grab a kitchen sponge and head over to the stain.
Dunk your sponge into the cleaning solution and dab away at the stain until you can no longer see it. It may take several kitchen sponges before you begin seeing results.
Use a Store-Bought Cleaner
If you don’t have any of the items mentioned on hand or you don’t want to make your own cleaner, that’s understandable. You can get results from using a store-bought cleaner as well.
For pet urine, feces, and vomit, your best bet is Pet Odor Remover and Cleaners that are enzyme-based. The good bacteria found in the solution will break down the proteins found within the vomit, making it easier for you to wipe it up. They can also naturalize odors to some degree.
Make sure to test it on a small corner section of your carpet or rug before you spray the entire stain with it. These types of cleaners tend to affect all materials a little differently. If it causes a bad reaction, it’s easier to cover up a small corner than a huge spot right in the middle of the floor.
No matter what kind of cleaner you pick up, make sure that you thoroughly read the bottle. If it contains any traces of bleach, put it right back on the shelf because it will stain your carpet.
Carpet Cleaner
If you try the options above and the stain doesn’t go away, that means that it’s too deep for traditional cleaners to work. You’re going to have to go to the store and rent a machine to handle the job.
Getting a rental isn’t too bad as far as price goes. You’ll spend about 30 dollars and get to keep it for 24 hours. If you don’t know what cleaner to buy for it, the instruction manual usually has recommendations.
It will also tell you how to use the machine. If you don’t feel comfortable doing so after reading the instruction booklet, hire a professional company to take care of it for you.
Soak Up the Moisture
No matter what cleaning solution you use, it’s going to put off a lot of moisture. If that soaks into your carpet, it can cause mold and mildew to form. For the sake of your health, you need to soak it up.
The easiest way to do this is by using cornstarch or baking soda. Sprinkle it over the wet area and let it sit overnight. In the morning vacuum it up, and you should be good to go.
If you’re still having issues with odor, do yourself a favor and add a few drops of essential oils to the baking soda before you put it on the carpet.
Getting Cat Vomit Out of Your Beautiful Carpets
If you’re not able to clean up cat vomit as soon as it happens, it can leave a horrible stain on your carpet. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to get out if you know what to do.
A simple homemade solution can do the trick unless the stain seeps too far into your carpet. You may have to use a commercial machine to handle the problem, but these instances are rare.
If you find yourself cleaning up after your cat often, there might be a deeper issue going on. Check out our blog daily to learn more about how to care for your feline friend when they’re sick.