Sick is unpleasant but manageable. It's acidic and protein-based, so the rules are: remove the solids carefully, keep the water cool, and deal with the smell as well as the mark.
Put on gloves, lift the solids with a flat tool (a piece of card works), and blot — don't smear. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on to absorb moisture and knock back the smell while you fetch your kit.
- Disposable gloves
- Kitchen roll / cloths
- Washing-up liquid
- White vinegar
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Cool water
Step by step (carpet)
- Remove solids carefully with a piece of card, scraping toward the centre.
- Absorb by sprinkling bicarbonate of soda over the area; leave a few minutes, then lift and vacuum.
- Treat with a teaspoon of washing-up liquid and a tablespoon of white vinegar in 250ml of cool water; dab and blot.
- Rinse and deodorise with a little more vinegar-water, then blot dry.
- Dry fully and check — repeat if a smell lingers.
Keep the water cool throughout — heat sets the protein. The vinegar also helps neutralise the acidity and the smell.
By surface
🛋️ Sofas & upholstery
Check the cushion's cleaning code first: W or W/S means the method above is fine used sparingly; S means solvent-clean only, so leave that to a professional. Use less water than on carpet and blot, don't soak.
🧶 Wool & delicate rugs
Use cool water and a gentle touch — wool can ‘brown’ if over-wet and some rug dyes run. Test a hidden corner first, and for an antique, hand-knotted or silk rug, don't gamble — leave it to us.
🛏️ Mattresses
Remove any solids first, then go gently. You can't rinse a mattress, so go light: blot, treat sparingly, then use bicarbonate of soda to absorb the rest. Never soak it — trapped moisture leads to mould and smells.
✅ Do
- Wear gloves and remove solids first
- Keep the water cool
- Use bicarb to absorb and deodorise
- Dry fully before judging
🚫 Don't
- Use hot water — it sets the protein
- Rub it in
- Use bleach on coloured carpet
- Over-wet the area
Tried it and the vomit & sick mark is still there — or it's a wool rug, a mattress or something you'd hate to ruin? Don't keep scrubbing; that's how a stain turns permanent. We can often draw out what's left with professional hot-water extraction, and we'll tell you honestly what we expect to get up before we start. Watford family business, 25 years, fully insured — the quote's free.
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