Cleaning Mattress Vomit
It has happened to all of us. We have awakened in the middle of the night since we have been ill, and we did not have sufficient time to make it out of bed. Whether that happened when you had the flu or too much to drink is not any of our business.
However, we know that it's happened to you or someone you know. That someone might have been your kids or your pets, as these things often happen to them too. Unfortunately, mattresses cannot be thrown into the washing machine as your blankets and sheets can.
The next question you need to ask yourself is the worst: How will I wash this puke from my mattress? Can it ever be sanitary again? How do I get rid of the god forbidden smell?
If this is a frequent event that you deal with, think about getting a mattress with a removable and machine washable cover such as Yoga Bed or Novosbed.
However, those who have a mattress that doesn't have a machine washable cover do not worry. We got you covered. We will give you a detailed breakdown of how to properly clean vomit from your bedding, sanitize it, and remove any stains and smells.
What Supplies You Will Need:
- Baking soda
- Old rags or paper towels
- A mild detergent
- A newspaper plate/paper bowl
- Rubbing alcohol
- White vinegar
- Optional: mask, rubber gloves, essential oils, a standing fan or Hair Dryer
How to Clean Vomit Out of Your Mattress:
Eliminate the vomit. Take something such as a bowl or paper plate to remove the vomit from the mattress. Place it in a synthetic bag and throw it outside.
You may alternatively use a dustpan and flush it down the toilet. Just make sure you wash the skillet afterward. You do not want the smell to linger on your property. You might want to wear gloves as you do so or wash your hands thoroughly after.
Wash the bedding. Take all of the bedding off your mattress and put it in the washing machine. All of it, even if the vomit did not get on it, including sheets, comforter, blankets, pillowcases, etc.
This is because you wish to be sure that the smell is gone and the rest of the bedding is not infected with ill germs. Wash it in a high-temperature setting, which will help to kill off any germs.
Clean up any residual liquid. Grab a paper towel or an old rag and dab the region. Do not scrub, as this may actually spread the germs and stay liquids around and rub them in the mattress's fibers.
Clean this up. Mix mild detergent hot water and in a container. Grab another rag or paper towel (not the one you earlier used (gross) and spot clean the region by dabbing it with the soapy water. Next, mix 1-part water into three parts white vinegar in a different container.
Sponge the area of the mattress with the vinegar solution. This can help to disinfect, clean, and deodorize the smell and the stains. Do not worry and the odor should dissipate as the solution dries. Be sure not to use a lot of this solution or risk damaging the foam on your mattress.
Only spray enough of it to create the spot damp. Let this dry, then repeat as necessary until the stain disappears. It is also possible to use a hairdryer or fan to help you dry the area quicker.
You can even add a teaspoon of non-moisturizing liquid dish soap with your water and white vinegar mixture for more reinforcement.
Disinfect. To ensure that the area is clean of any germs, spray the mattress gently with some rubbing alcohol. You won't need to do a lot since you do not desire too strong a smell. If you are anxious about it, you can mix the rubbing alcohol with a few essential oils, then spray.
Allow the mattress to dry again using a fan and an open window to air it out. To be safe, you must give it about 6 to 8 hours. You may also wish to keep any kids or pets away from the mattress before the rubbing alcohol is totally dry.
Eliminate any remaining odor if there are any left smells, attempt sprinkling baking soda on the region. You may then place your mattress topper, sheets, mattress protector, and other bedding on the bed.
Almost done. The next time you clean your sheets, vacuum up the baking soda with the hose. Your mattress should look fresh as new!
Pro Tip: If you're among the numerous people who get nauseous in the smell or sight of smoke, try chewing gum as you handle the job or rub some vapor rub below your nose to disguise the odor. Wearing a mask may help, also.
You might also think about getting a mattress cover, which will prevent any rust, urine, blood, or other fluids from penetrating your mattress. There are a few cheap ones on Amazon that should work just fine. It's always a good idea to plan.
How to Clean a Memory Foam Mattress
The good news (if there may be great news when cleaning vomit) is that you will need pretty much the very same supplies to clean puke out of a memory foam mattress as you will a normal mattress. And even better news, the majority of the actions to clean vomit out of a memory foam mattress will be the same, also.
Eliminate the vomit. We all know it sounds terrible, but the first thing to do is eliminate the vomit from the bed. Get your gloves and use a paper plate or bowl to scoop the smoke up and throw it away in a plastic bag outside.
Some folks prefer using a dustpan and then flush it down the toilet, but bear in mind, then you have also got a dustpan to disinfect.
Wash the bedding. It is time to get all of the bedding off the mattress and into the washing machine. You might be tempted to bypass bedding you don't find any rust on, but we recommend washing everything to prevent lingering smells and germs.
You might want to do more than 1 load, but wash all bedding on a high temperature (hot) setting to help out with germ-killing.
Clean up any residual liquid. The next few steps are crucial for memory foam mattresses since the foam substance likes to soak up liquid if puke or cleaner. Get a paper towel or an old rag and dab (don't scrub) the region to help soak up any remaining vomit liquid.
You can accomplish that by tapping gently but do not press hard into the foam or trying to twist the foam to remove liquid.
Clean this up. Now, you will need a clean rag and your own vinegar cleaning solution. Don't spray the solution on the memory foam mattress because it will immediately soak it up and lead to damage.
Rather, spray on your rag gently and blot the mattress. The blotted areas should be slightly damp but not wet.
Disinfect. Spray alcohol and allow it to dry for 6 to 8 hours.
Dry the mattress. To prevent the memory foam from absorbing the cleaner, you have used, catch your blow dryer and maintain the drier over the mattress surface on a low heat setting. It is also possible to use a fan, but in any event, you want the mattress to be dry before you put the bedding back on.
Eliminate any lasting odor. If you are concerned about lingering scents, you can sprinkle some baking soda on the mattress and vacuum it up in about a week once you clean your bedding again.
If You are Cleaning Dog or Cat Vomit
If your furry friend is the person who vomited, if they ate too much or have a little stomach bug (a bad thing), there's one thing you will want to do a bit differently.
Pet shops or large commercial stores such as Walmart and Target will have a cleaning product like Simple Solution specially made to clean up after animals.
Use it after you remove the pet's puke using a paper plate or bowl, and then wait about ten minutes for it to settle. Then choose your paper towels, remove as much moisture as possible, and proceed with the same measures we listed above.
Final Thoughts
We have all been there. And by “there” we mean the recognition that somebody (maybe even you) has thrown up in the bed, and you're faced with how to get puke from a mattress.
While there's certainly nothing nice about cleaning barf, much less from a mattress, there are several tried and true measures to follow to make the job a bit more tolerable.
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