The key is to start cleaning the pet vomit as soon as possible. Baking soda and dish soap are two household products that work very well when cleaning up pet vomit out of a carpet.
Part 1: Get the bulk out.
• Use a knife to carefully skim the surface of the carpet to remove as much of the solid waste as possible. Be especially careful to not mush the waste into the carpet nap.
• Sprinkle baking powder over the entire stain. Baking powder draws up the vomit’s digestive fluid from the carpet, removing the potential of residual odor. Allow the baking soda to dry. Use a fan to speed the process along if desired.
• Scrape as much of the dried baking soda from the surface of the carpet as possible. Vacuum up the rest. The carpet should look better already.
Use a gentle dish soap that does not contain any bleaching agents is highly recommended.
Prior to using any detergent, test it on an inconspicuous area of the carpeting – for example in a closet corner. Make sure it doesn’t noticeably change the color of the carpet. This is especially true if it is a wool carpet.
Part 2: Finish up.
• Get a clean sponge really wet with hot soapy water and start gently scrubbing the stained spot. .
• Check the stain. If need be, blot with a paper towel and scrub again and allow to sit for a couple of minutes before blotting again.
• Any residual left on carpeting will attract dust and dirt from shoes making the carpet appear dirty again quickly. I recommend you rinse with warm water only.
Considerations
This method works well in most cases but sometimes there is colored food dye in the vomit that just won’t come out completely. If this is the case, you will need to contact a professional cleaner as soon as possible. The difference between a spot and a stain is how long the matter sits in the carpet.
If the vomit soaked through the carpet into the pad, you will most likely have continued odor problems even if the stain is no longer visible. The only way to resolve this is with a subsurface cleaning. Most professional carpet cleaners offer methods that go deep below the carpet to remove vomit and urine from the pad.