How to clean dog vomit from carpet and couch

Five moves, in this order: lift, blot, spray, wait, blot.

By the Clean Fluff Club team.

The fix in 7 steps

Biokleen Bac-Out Pet Stain & Odor Remover

You’ll need:

Biokleen Bac-Out Pet Stain & Odor Remover

The catch: Enzymes keep working after you spray, so give old stains a soak

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  1. Lift the solids

    Scoop or scrape up what you can from the edge in.

  2. Blot the wet

    Press clean paper towels on the spot and lift.

  3. Spray it

    Spray Biokleen Bac-Out on the spot, wait 5 minutes or more, then blot.

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  4. Blot it up

    Fresh towels again, same press and lift.

  5. Still see it or smell it?

    Repeat the spray and the wait.

  6. Optional

    pull the wet out of the fabric.

  7. Let it air dry, then check

    Judge the spot only once it is fully dry.

In this guide

Step by step

  1. Lift the solids. Scoop or scrape up what you can from the edge in. Don't press down.
  2. Blot the wet. Press clean paper towels on the spot and lift. Blot, don't rub: rubbing pushes it deeper. Use cold water only if you need to loosen it.
  3. Spray it. Spray Biokleen Bac-Out on the spot, wait 5 minutes or more, then blot. Biokleen lists carpet and couches. Spot-test a hidden patch first: a rug corner, or under a cushion.
  4. Blot it up. Fresh towels again, same press and lift.
  5. Still see it or smell it? Go again. Repeat the spray and the wait. Dried on, or soaked into the pile? Switch to Rocco & Roxie and plan on a long soak. Its directions for old dried pee are overnight, then air dry. For a fresh spot it says 10 minutes or longer.
  6. Optional: pull the wet out of the fabric. An extractor like the Vacmaster Portable Spot Cleaner is built for carpet, rugs, upholstery and car seats, and Vacmaster lists vomit. Rinse it out after each job.
  7. Let it air dry, then check. Judge the spot only once it is fully dry. No steam cleaner until the enzyme cleaner has sat overnight. Rocco & Roxie says high heat deactivates its biological ingredients.

The catch: enzyme cleaners work on time, not scrubbing. A quick spray and an instant blot gives them nothing to work with.

Lift, blot, spray, wait, blot

Lift the solids, blot the rest, then spray Biokleen Bac-Out and give it 5 minutes or more. Blot it up and let it dry. Carpet and couch: same moves.

Fresh is the easy version. Dried on? Skip to the edge cases.

What you need

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Why it works

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Vomit is an organic mess, and enzyme cleaners are the kind made for those. They work on time, so the wait is the step. Skip it and you are just wetting the spot.

Heat works against you. Our steam cleaner guide covers why: heat can set vomit stains into the fibers and can kill the enzymes before they have done the job. Enzymes first, steam later, if at all.

Our pick: Biokleen Bac-Out

Fresh spot on the carpet or couch? Biokleen Bac-Out is the one to grab: spray, wait, blot. Biokleen says its live plant-derived cultures break down pee, poop, vomit, drool and blood, and Green Seal lists it as certified (GS-52). The maker lists every ingredient on its product page.

  • Best for: Fresh pet accidents on carpet, couches and beds, plus laundry. Biokleen lists all three surfaces. See the Biokleen pick page.
  • The catch: It has a light lavender-lime scent, so judge the spot once it is dry, and an old stain needs a longer soak.
  • Skip it if: The stain is old and set in. Go to Rocco & Roxie below.

For old, dried or deep spots: Rocco & Roxie

Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Enzyme Cleaner

Old, dried cat or dog pee on carpet

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Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength is the one for set-in mess. Dried on, soaked in, back again? Its listing names pee, poop and vomit, and says it is chlorine-free and color-safe. Pour it on, let it sit overnight, then let it air dry. That is Rocco & Roxie's old-stain routine.

  • Best for: Dried-on vomit, a spot that sat, or a smell that keeps coming back. Reach for it when the quick spray did not finish the job.
  • The catch: It is built for organic messes only, and it is slow. Not a quick fix if you need the spot dry in an hour.
  • Skip it if: The stain is not pee, poop or vomit. Dye or ink? Grab a spot remover.

Weighing it against Nature's Miracle? Read Nature's Miracle vs Rocco & Roxie.

To pull it out of the fabric: Vacmaster

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The Vacmaster Portable Spot Cleaner extracts liquid out of fabric instead of leaving it to soak in. Vacmaster lists it for carpet, rugs, upholstery and car seats, for training accidents and vomit.

  • Best for: Wet messes that went deep, and car seats. It pulls the wet out of the fabric instead of leaving you to blot it.
  • The catch: It needs rinsing after each use, and it is one more thing in the closet.
  • Skip it if: You get one accident a year. Paper towels and an enzyme cleaner cover it.

Edge cases

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  • Dried on: soak the carpet spot with Rocco & Roxie and give it the long wait. Its old-stain directions are overnight, or a couple of days on older stains. Then let it air dry.
  • On the couch: spray, don't pour, and spot-test under a cushion first. Spray, wait, blot. Dried on? Wet the spot with Rocco & Roxie, don't soak the cushion, and repeat.
  • Smell still there after it dried: find the whole spot, since it is often bigger than the stain. Do a second, wetter round. Still there? Pull the carpet back at the corner and look at the pad. If it is soaked through, no spray fixes that. More in why the smell comes back.
  • Stain left, smell gone: repeat the enzyme round, and check again once it is fully dry before you decide it worked.
  • Throw blanket or couch cover: treat the spot with enzyme cleaner before the wash and skip the dryer until the stain is gone, since dryer heat can set what the wash missed.

When to call the vet

Call your vet if your dog vomits again and again, there is blood in it, or your dog seems unusually tired or will not eat. Everything above is for the carpet, not the dog.

Keep going

Your next move

Questions people ask

Can I use the same cleaner on carpet and couch?

Biokleen Bac-Out lists carpet, couches, beds and crates on its product page. Try it on a hidden spot first, then spray, wait 5 minutes or more and blot.

How long should enzyme cleaner sit on dog vomit?

Biokleen says 5 minutes or more. Rocco & Roxie says 10 minutes or longer on a fresh spot, and its tips page says at least 1 hour. For dried-on mess, Rocco & Roxie's old-stain directions are an overnight soak.

Can I steam clean dog vomit?

Not first. Heat can set the stain, and Rocco & Roxie says high heat deactivates its biological ingredients. Treat the spot with an enzyme cleaner and give it the overnight wait Rocco & Roxie asks for before any steam goes near it.

The smell came back after it dried. Now what?

Do a second, wetter round and give it the long wait. If it still smells, check the pad under the carpet at a corner. A soaked pad is a replace job, not a spray job.

When should I call the vet about vomit?

Call if your dog vomits repeatedly, there is blood, or your dog is lethargic or not eating.

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