How to clean cat vomit from carpet, smell included: 5 steps

Pepper skipped the hardwood and picked the light rug. Of course she did. Lift it, blot it cold, let an enzyme cleaner sit, and keep hot water away from it.

The fast fix

You need: a spoon or stiff card, a white cloth, cold water, an enzyme cleaner, a towel and something heavy.

1. Lift the solids (1 min). Slide the card or spoon under the pile and lift it onto a paper towel. Work from the edges in. Don't press down.
2. Blot with cold water (2 min). Dampen the cloth with cold water and blot. Cold, not hot: heat sets the proteins in vomit into the fibers. Blot, never scrub.
3. Soak it with an enzyme cleaner, then wait. Spray until the spot is wet through, plus an inch past the edge. Enzymes break down the vomit itself, so the smell leaves with it. Our pick: Biokleen Bac-Out. Green Seal certified, and made for vomit, pee and poop. See Biokleen Bac-Out at Amazon. Leave it wet for the full time on the bottle. That wait is where the enzymes do the work.
4. Press it dry (5 min). Lay a folded towel on the spot, set something heavy on it (a stack of books works), and leave it while the towel pulls the liquid up.
5. Rinse, blot, dry. Mist with plain water, blot again, and let it air dry overnight. Once dry, vacuum to lift the fibers. Still see a shadow? Repeat steps 3 to 5.

That's it for a fresh spot. Found a dried one, a spill on the couch, or a mess on a wool rug? Keep reading for your surface.

• Best for: Fresh vomit on carpet, rugs and couch fabric.
• The catch: A lavender-lime scent, from lavender and citrus oils plus a listed "fragrance". Keep her off the spot until it's dry. Rather smell lemon? Naturally It's Clean at Amazon pairs plant-based enzymes with a lemon scent from essential oil, the maker says.
• Skip it if: The stain is weeks old and dried hard. That job wants an overnight soak (next section).

Dried cat vomit on carpet

Found it after it set? Scrape it, soften it, then let the cleaner work overnight while you sleep.

1. Scrape and vacuum. Break up the crust with a spoon or a dull knife, then vacuum the flakes.
2. Wet it with cold water and let it soften for 5 minutes. Blot.
3. Soak it overnight. Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength is made for this: its directions call for an overnight soak on older spots, so saturate it at bedtime and blot in the morning. See Rocco & Roxie at Amazon
4. Press, rinse and dry as in steps 4 and 5 above.

Big spill, or it soaked into the couch

When it went deep, blotting only reaches the top. The Vacmaster Portable Spot Cleaner extracts liquid out of fabric instead of leaving it to soak in. See Vacmaster at Amazon. Do steps 1 to 3 first, let the enzyme cleaner sit, then extract. Rinse the tank after every job.

Also great

Vacmaster Portable Spot Cleaner

Best for: Accident cleanup

Check price at Amazon

On a couch, check the tag first. "W" or "W/S" means water-based cleaners are fine. "S" means solvent only: blot the solids and call an upholstery cleaner. More surfaces: Cat vomit on the couch, mattress or bed.

Color left behind

The smell is gone but there's a yellow or orange mark? That's often dye from kibble or treats. Enzymes go after the mess, not dye. Treat the mark with a carpet spot remover made for dye stains, and test it on a hidden corner first.

Wool or silk rug

Test any cleaner on a hidden corner and wait for it to dry before you treat the spot. Precious rug? Do steps 1 and 2, then call a rug cleaner.

Skip hot water, scrubbing and bleach

When to call the vet

See fewer hairballs on the rug

Every loose hair you brush out is one less hair she swallows while grooming. A short brushing session once a week is the easiest hairball habit there is. Cat bolts when the brush comes out? Deshedding gloves turn petting time into a brushing pass. See CAIBAO gloves at Amazon. Food and more hairball habits: Why does my cat keep throwing up?