One of the most unpleasant odors that might occur in your car is the smell of the vomit. Right away when you or someone throws up in your car, you need to clean the mess to get rid of the smell and prevent the stain from developing.

In order to remove the throw-up smell in your car, you need to target the area where the smell starts and clean it completely.

There are several ways you could do against the vomit, read on to learn several ways to get the throw-up smell out of a car.

​1. In Case There Are Fresh Vomit

​As I mentioned above, when you or someone throws up your car, you need to clean the mess right away to prevent the smell. Remember that you are dealing with chemicals when cleaning the vomit, therefore, wear gloves and masks to protect yourself from these harmful toxins.

First of all, you should use a spatula to brush off the surface from the small bits. In case there are sticky things that get stuck on the furniture and carpet that you cannot brush off, you a clean cloth or towel to take them out first before you brush further.

And because the vomit is new, it is very wet, which can absorb deep down into the fabric of the car. Therefore, you need to use a clean and thick absorbent paper towel or cloth to blot the vomit. Keep in mind that you should not press too hard to prevent the airborne, small particles of the vomit from going deeper down into the fabric.

Make sure the vomit is partially dry before you sprinkle some baking soda onto the problematic area. Baking soda is one of the most effective products in terms of odor removal. Let the baking soda sit and work to remove the odor and then you can use a vacuum cleaner to clean off all of the powder.​

You should not sprinkle baking soda on wet or damp surfaces as it only makes the baking soda sticky and less effective.

Sprinkling baking soda can only help you to mask the smell, after a while, this unpleasant smell will come back. Therefore, you need to clean the vomit carefully to get rid of the smell.

For the cleaning solution, depending on the different materials that the vomit sits in you can create different cleaners.

​After you have the cleaner in hand, pour a healthy amount of it onto the vomit and use a bristle brush to rub the stain in circular motions. In case it seems to sit in deeply, apply more cream from the cleaner and pressure. When you rub on the leather, make sure you use a soft bristle brush or a sponge so that when you rub hard on the surface, you will leave no marks or scratches.

When it is done, you can wash off the area with water. Remember that you need to take off the cleaning solution on the surface as much as possible. In case you clean off the leather car seat, you should only use a damp but not wet towel to prevent moisture from sucking deeper into the leather, creating a perfect environment for mold and mildew.

On the other hand, you can wash off the plastic and carpeting with a wet cloth.

​Finally, you should open all of the doors of your car to let the fresh air come in and get rid of the smell totally. Furthermore, by opening all of the doors, the area that you have just cleaned will have the chance to dry completely.

2. In Case The Vomit Is Dried

​It is better if you can clean and get rid of the throw-up smell when the vomit is still fresh. However, even if the vomit is dried for a long time, there are still ways you can do to get rid of the odor.

When you notice the throw-up smell, the first thing that you need to do is open all of the doors immediately. Remember to park your car in a place where there is good ventilation and fresh air such as in an empty parking lot. Don’t open all of the doors when you park your car in the garage.

First, you might need to get rid of the dried bits or crusts left. You can use a bristle brush to scrub the area. You can then use a spatula to brush off all of the crust. In case there are many small participles, you should use a vacuum cleaner.

After that, you need to give this problematic area a deep cleaning. There are a lot of options of cleaners for you to choose from, both homemade solutions and commercial cleaner products. However, you need to make sure you choose the correct cleaner for the specific surface including leather, carpeting, and plastic.

​After you wait for the cleaning solution to apply deeply to the surface, in the next step, you need to use a hard bristle brush to rub vigorously onto the stain. Follow the circular motions for better effect.

In case, the vomit is on the leather car seat, use a sponge so that you will leave no scratch on the sensitive material. Pay attention to the stubborn parts. In case the vomit stain is still seeable, repeat all the steps- applying more cream, waiting for a longer time, and then rubbing again.

When you finish rubbing the stain and remove it completely, you should rinse off this area with water. Use a damp cloth and clean off the entire excess cleaner out of the surface.

​You should repeat this step several times until when you wring the cloth, there is no cleaner coming out.

​Finally, you can sprinkle the baking soda on top of the vomit. Drop 1 or 2 drops of the essential oils such as lemon oil or orange oil. Let them sit there for 10 minutes for them to work against the remaining smell and spread the refreshing scent before you vacuum the baking soda.

In case you cannot get rid of the stain, you can seek professional help. They will use a steam cleaner to remove the stain on the carpeting. Furthermore, they will help you deep clean other parts of your cars and then help you to get rid of the throw-up smell. Alternatively, you can rent a steam cleaner to clean the mess yourself. However, you should never use a steam cleaner for leather since it will add more moisture to your leather.

​3. Further Tips On Proving Better Smell For Your Car

​After you finish cleaning and getting rid of the throw-up smell, you should open all of the doors so that all of the unpleasant smell will go out and fresh air will get inside your car. Remember to only open the doors in a place with good ventilation, ideally in a windy and sunny place. Avoid opening the doors in the garage or any place with bad ventilation and high humidity.

You can place a pot of baking soda into your car so that it will help to suck in all of the strange, musty, and mold smell. There are also other alternative odor-removing products such as fresh or used coffee ground and bamboo charcoal. In addition, you can place an oil diffuser into the car. I recommend using lavender, peppermint, or rose oil. These essential oils can help to offer you a warm, relaxing, and wonderful scent.

​Finally, you can give your car a good spray from the car air fresheners once in a while.

​Overall, when there is a throw-up smell in your car, there are various ways you can do to get rid of it. You need to open the doors for fresh air to get in, sprinkle baking soda to mask the odor, and then clean the vomit and the vomit completely to wash off the smell.

I hope that with this article, you will know how to handle the vomit in your car and remove the throw-up smell forever. Keep in mind that you should clean up the vomit and the small as soon as possible to provide fresh air and a comfortable journey for you and anyone who uses the car.​