How to Remove Vomit From a Car Interior

Co-authored by Chad Zani

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 Approved

When you have vomit in the interior of a car, time is of the essence in removing it. Failing to properly clean the area can leave a stain and odor that is difficult to remove. Vomit is also acidic, so it can damage the interior of your car if it isn't removed quickly. This can adversely affect the resale or trade-in value of your car. Household products can be used to clean up a vomit mess.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning Up Fresh Vomit

1
Pick up any solid matter. You can use a spatula and scrape the surface to remove chunks, or use a cloth or thick paper towel to remove pieces.
2
Blot the vomit to remove excess moisture. Press on an absorbent cloth or paper towel just hard enough to absorb liquid, but not so hard that you force the vomit further into the underlying surface.

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3
Sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda over the area you're cleaning. This will help absorb the odor of the vomit. Leave the baking soda for about 30 minutes, then vacuum it.
4
Create a liquid cleaning solution. Be sure to create a solution that will work on the type of material you need to clean, whether it is leather, upholstery, plastic, or carpeting. While you can purchase a commercial cleaner made for the appropriate material, you can also make your own:
- For leather upholstery: Make a paste of baking soda and water by mixing three parts baking soda to one part warm water.
- For vinyl, cloth, plastic, or carpeting: Mix eight parts warm water with one part white vinegar. Add about a half teaspoon (2.5 mL) dishwashing liquid and stir thoroughly.
5
Scrub the stain. Apply the liquid cleaning solution to the vomit stain, using a lint-free cloth to thoroughly scrub the area. If the stain has penetrated your car's carpeting, you may need to use a hard-bristle brush.^{[1]
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6
Rinse the area with clean water. Use a wet or damp lint-free cloth to remove as much of the cleaning solution as possible.
- Use a damp, not wet, cloth to clean leather upholstery.
- Rinse vinyl or cloth upholstery, plastic or carpeting with a wet cloth. If you've used a great deal of cleaning solution, you may find it more efficient to use a squirt bottle for rinsing.
7
Blot the area dry with more lint-free cloths. If you have them, use white cotton cloths so that you can see that the stain is being lifted every time you blot. Continue blotting until no stain is visible on the upholstery or on your blotting cloth.
8
Open all of your car doors or windows to allow the area to completely dry. Depending on the weather and your car's location, you may wish to set up a fan or use a hair dryer to speed the drying process.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Removing Dried Vomit

1
Scrub or wipe off any dried pieces or crusts. Depending on the surface you're working on, you can use a stiff bristled or soft bristled brush. An old toothbrush will work in a pinch.
- Loosen any dried crust from the upholstery and brush it off using a small brush or vacuum cleaner.
2
Moisten the area with a liquid cleaning solution. You can use any solution that is safe for the surface you are cleaning. A commercial carpet cleaner, leather cleaner, or upholstery cleaner will work; you can even use a laundry stain remover for surfaces like cloth or carpet. You can make your own solution.
- If you are cleaning leather upholstery, make a paste by mixing 3 parts baking soda to one part warm (but not hot) water.
- If you are cleaning vinyl, cloth, plastic, or carpeting, mix together eight parts warm (but not hot) water with one part white vinegar. Add a half teaspoon (2.5 mL) dishwashing liquid and mix well.
3
Let the solution sit on the stain. For set-in stains, you should let the solution sit until it dries, then re-wet the stain with the solution a second time and let it sit for a few more minutes before scrubbing.
- This ensures that the solution penetrates through the stain so that when you scrub it you can remove all of the dried vomit.
4
Use a brush to scrub the solution into the stain. To penetrate the dried stain, use the hardest brush you can safely use on the material with the stain.^{[3]
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- Some surfaces like vinyl or leather will be scratched by a hard bristled brush, so you'll need to use a sponge or soft-bristled brush. For surfaces like carpeting or cloth upholstery, use the firmest brush that will not damage the surface.
5
Blot with water until the solution is removed. You don't want to saturate the surface of your car seat or carpet, but you need to use enough water to remove the cleaning solution.
- Try dipping a wash rag in clean water, blotting it on the solution, then wringing it out. Repeat this process until you've soaked up all the cleaning solution, and the stain should come up with it.
6
Rent a steam cleaner for stubborn stains. If all else fails, you may need to resort to professional-grade steam cleaning. You can rent a carpet cleaner from a big box home store, and these can be used for carpet or cloth upholstery in your car.
- Don't use a steam cleaner for stains on leather, plastic, or vinyl.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Refreshing Your Car's Smell

1
Open up the car doors and windows. Any nasty smell will dissipate dramatically if it has the chance to air out. Before, during, and after cleaning out the vomit, be sure to let your car air out a bit with the doors open. ^{[4]
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- Air out the car in your driveway or a parking lot, but not in your garage. There's not enough air circulation in a garage for this to be effective.
2
Try to clean up the vomit as soon as possible. The longer you let the vomit sit in the car, the more the fluid will soak into your upholstery.
- In hot months, the vomit might actually putrefy and create an even more rotten smell if you just let it sit there.^{[5]
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3
Try using baking soda and essential oils to get rid of the smell. Baking soda is a classic stand-by for eliminating all kinds of nasty smells; it actually absorbs the smells and eliminates it.^{[6]
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Research source} You can use baking soda with a bit of essential oil mixed in to eliminate the smell of vomit from your car.
- Mix a few tablespoons of baking soda together with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Any nice-smelling oil will do, but lemon or orange is especially good at eliminating smells. You can simply shake the baking soda and oil together in a plastic container with a lid.
- After cleaning up the vomit, moisten the spot and sprinkle the baking soda and essential oil mixture on top. Cover the surface of the area that had vomit on it, and let it sit for ten minutes. Then, use a vacuum with a hose attachment to vacuum up the baking soda.
4
Try a car air freshener if all else fails. If the smell is still in your car, you might try masking it with a commercial car air freshener.
- You can try the type that hangs from your rearview mirror, the gel that sticks to your console, or a powder that you sprinkle on and vacuum up. Any of these can leave your car smelling nice and fresh.

Expert Q&A
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Question

What gets rid of the smell of vomit?

Chad Zani
Auto Detailing Expert
Chad Zani is the Director of Franchising at Detail Garage, an automotive detailing company with locations around the U.S. and Sweden. Chad is based in the Los Angeles, California area and uses his passion for auto detailing to teach others how to do so as he grows his company nationwide.

Chad Zani

Auto Detailing Expert

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Look for antibacterial air fresheners, like So Fast Odor Eliminator or Lysol. Spray this onto the fabric of the interior, then run the A/C system on cold and spray it into the air intake as well. This will spread the antibacterial freshener and remove the smell.
Question

How do I get vomit out of a vent?

Community Answer

Q-tips work well because of the size. Just be careful not to push the vomit in further.
Question

What if you don't have baking soda?

Community Answer

You can use any gentle cleaner you have on hand; check the package to be sure it is safe for your fabric or upholstery and test it in a discreet spot to be sure it won't discolor or bleach your fabric. You can also try using cornstarch or talcum powder to soak up and dry out the wet residue.