Unfortunately my son caught the flu and vomited on our less-than-a-year-old couch. It's a very forgiving, dark grey microfiber so there is no visible evidence of the accident. However, I cannot get rid of the smell. I sprinkled Arm & Hammer/OxyClean for pets on it and let it sit for a while. Now it just smells like a mix of the vomit and Arm & Hammer. Gross. I sprayed Fabreez on it and am attempted to keep the cushions apart so that they dry. I am reluctant to try anything else with heavy chemicals. My one-year-old daughter loves to play on the couch and shove her face in it. Anybody out there with some suggestions on removing the smell? I borrowed my mother's hand-held carpet cleaner but it didn't come with directions. Help. It's pretty awful. I should also add that the covers are not removable and everything is attached.
Thanks so much for all of your responses. I did wind soaking it in Nature's Miracle and let it sit over night. The next day I used my mom's heated steam cleaner and then let that sit for a day. The smell is gone and the couch is clean. Now I'm moving on to the giant stain on my son's rug upstairs. Thanks so much again!
try spraying it with white vinegar.
Vinegar even gets that pee smell out when my son used to wet the bed.
Sprinkle regular Baking Soda on the cushion(s) and let it sit overnight. Vacuum in the morning. Baking Soda absorbs smells.
GL!
I am not a believer in febreeze. I think it's pretty bad stuff to inhale, but there are some enzyme type cleaners that are great on odors. I just bought one called "Fields Organics odor and stain remover" that I got at Container Store. It worked great. I know some people love "Nature's Miracle" that you can get in Pet Stores too. I have not tried it but my neighbor likes it.
Good Luck!
One of the enzymatic cleaners that breaks down biologicals (urine, poop, vomit).
Some examples are : Nature's Miracle, Kids'n'Pets (my fav)... just go to any pet store, or most grocery stores.
The biggest tricks with these is
1) to SATURATE the area (make a puddle at least twice as large, and ideally several inches deeper if it's on furniture) than the original accident.
2)Then let SIT. Overnight.
3) In a warm area.
You really want the enzymes to reach every area, have time to eat the biological, and not freeze to death before they can. Then mop it up.
The above are all in the itsy bitsy instructions on the back. But it's often easy to not read instructions when we're used to cleaning 1000 messes a day. When my son was little, I think it took me 4 uses before I actually READ the tiny instructions beyond "Apply to area" and got down to "Saturate the area" etc.
Light bulb. Vomit/ Pee/ Etc. soaked into the carpet padding, the foam core cushion of the couch, etc. I have to actually get into all those areas. Ahhhh. THAT's why the bottles are so durn big!
Personally, I hate the smell of enzymatic cleaners (some people love them), so I then rinse and wash again. Which makes the area smell 'new'. Rinse, no rinse... it doesn't matter. The enzymes eat /break down all of the biological contaminants. Yay!!!
Stand back! I'm going to try Science!!! :D
Try Nature's Miracle. You get it at the pet store. You don't have to tell anybody it isn't for a pet problem. Get a small bottle and try it out (you might need more if the trial is successful). You have to SOAK the cushion, not just the fabric, with the product. If you get all of the affected area, there won't be any odor when the product dries. I used it on our mattress when one of the grandchildren got sick - letting it dry overnight - and it worked. Worth a try!
hang outside if you can. spray with vinegar. sunshine (I know, tough in Chicago in the winter!) and vinegar do wonders.
alternatively, sprinkle baking soda, let sit for a couple days, then vacuum.
if those don't work, consider a professional - they can work miracles.
ok this will be a weird thing but try it. Get a box of cat litter and spread it on the couch in the cushions. and let them sit for several days. and yes you should spread them apart. can you take the foam/cusion out of the cover? that would help also. we ended up throwing away a couch because of this but the cusions were not removable.
my son had the cat pee in his car and the smell was god awful. but the cat litter did the trick. you just spread it on and leave it for a couple days. then vacuum it up.
I bought an enzyme based cleaner at the Orreck store that has worked wonders on all kinds of biological stains and smells. If you can find an Orreck store nearby it would be worth checking with them about it.
I would take the cover off and wash it on delicate and take the cushion outside and let it set out in the air all day....
oooh damn - sorry - just read the covers are NOT removable!!!
Steam clean it!!!
I've had this happen. Vinager worked wonders!
I think Sherry is on to something. Cat litter has strong enzymes that should absorb the odor. I would totally sprinkle it all over the couch, then put a couple of sheets and blankets down over the cat litter so you can still sit on it. Leave it for a few days and then vacuum it up.
I didn't think of the cat litter when my son threw up on our old couch a couple of years ago. The odor gradually faded, but never was completely gone and we ended up having to get rid of it.
Good luck and let us know what works!
Try Odo-Ban. It completely removes cat pee smell, so I imagine that it would work for you!
You can get it at Sam's Club or Walmart.
There is the one product I used called Kids 'N' Pets, and it works wonders! It took the smell out of the carpet when my daughter got sick, several times, in the same area. They sell it it most grocery stores over by the carpet cleaner. It is a liquid you saturate the area with, then let it dry, or blot it. (It is also great for getting stains out of fabric)
Um take the cushion off and and steam clean it or if the fabric is attached to the cushion Just do the hole thing... Sprays will only block up the smell.. You need to clean it! Good luck!
On the show Mythbusters they tested different remedies for skunk smell. The one that did work was a half/half mixture of baking soda and peroxide with a little dish soap. If it works on skunk it should work on vomit. I would test an area for colourfastness. Also, they say that vodka is a great deodorizer. Just spray it on. I'd hate to waste good vodka though...
An enzyme based cleaner, like natures miracle (for pet accidents)
Nature's Miracle. Douse it thoroughly and let it dry. Repeat if necessary.
I say call in a professional and have them clean it!
