SORRY!! I HAD SOME PICS OF THE PRODUCTS I USE, BUT I DELETED THEM BY ACCIDENT :-)
Let me warn you that this post today is going to be a bit yucky!! So if you happen to be eating right now, you may want to stop. It's going to deal with an issue that all parents must go through, but one that we do not like!! If you have children you will at some point experience the gross task of cleaning up their puke :-(....yuck, gross, ewwwww!
Whatever you call it at your house....puking, vomiting, throwing up, hurling.....it's all gross!
And most parents have dealt with a kid who didn't make it to the correct area to dispose of their last eaten meal. My kids have puked on the carpet, the mattress, themselves, me, the floor, the shower...yes, it happens. And my kids don't even get sick very often, so I know some people have been through much worse because some kids seem to stay sick.
So, whether it is a stomach virus or last nights mixture of burritos, watermelon, and ice cream....we must deal with it at times. Almost always at my house, the first thought when someone gets sick on something is to throw it away, burn it at the stake....jk. But seriously, what can we do when something that can't just be thrown out gets something so gross and smelly and germy on it???
I have discovered through the years some very helpful products that I'm going to now share with you. It took some trial and error and sometimes multiple things are needed for me to feel like the item in question is now CLEAN (yes, I'm a teensy bit of a germaphobe), but to me, it's worth it.
CLOTHING and/or other WASHABLE items (stuffed animals, pillows, etc...)
Quite by accident I have discovered a product that works great for anything that can be thrown into the washing machine. It is something that all parts of the country may not have accessible at the local store but here in these "huntin'" parts, we do! It is hunter's laundry detergent. The kind that men get to use on their clothes to remove the "human" smell from them. This supposedly helps when you're hunting, but I wouldn't know. My husband was given some of this and not long after I had some gross covered sheets to wash from a sick child. I decided to try this stuff since it removes all human smells and IT WORKED!!! YAY!!! Really, it did. Most of the time, with regular detergent, even after one or two washings, the smell of vomit would still linger some. It is just a really strong smell. But I noticed with this stuff it doesn't. Sometimes I will still run the clothes through a second time on hot with our regular laundry liquid just for a sanitizing and freshening up effect. I'm sure this type of laundry detergent can be purchased online if you don't have it locally and I'm sure there are different brands too. I'm not sure of the price because I haven't had to buy any yet. Still using what my husband was given. But because it works so well, it would be worth it to get some to keep on hand. It is super concentrated so you shouldn't have to use much and it would last a long time unless this type of thing happens very frequently at your house.
Non-machine washable items (carpet, mattresses, furniture, etc...)
Not all things can be picked right up and thrown into the washing machine. That can present a problem. But I have some solutions for you. You would of course need to remove as much as you can before cleaning. I would recommend gloves or a plastic shopping bag over the hand if you have no gloves, some paper towels, and a garbage bag. Get these items out of the house asap to prevent odor issues. My next step is to get my bottle of KIDS n PETS (seen in the middle above). This is a great product that I always keep on hand. It is good for a multitude of messes and really does work. It sounds super gross, but it apparently has an enzyme in it that eats away at any remaining yucky stuff.....( I told you to stop eating:-)....I give any soiled areas a good spraying of this and just leave it alone to work it's magic for a while....30 minutes or more. The directions state you can just let it air dry or use a wet towel to blot it up. If there is a stain I will use a towel and water and work on the area. If not, I use a dry towel to blot up any liquid I can and then spray the area with a good dousing of a disinfecting spray. This is to help with the germs and again, I let it do it's stuff for a while....30 minutes or more. Usually this has taken care of the smells but I will spray another light mist of the KIDS n PETS and then let it air dry, just to make sure anything that soaked way in can get taken care of. That's the good thing about this product, whether it is puke, pee, or other accidents, this stuff will actually get rid of anything left instead of just covering up a smell. Again, you will have to look for this at your local store or order online. It's great stuff.
OTHER TIPS
1. If you are sensitive to the smell of vomit, it is a good idea to get some face masks. These can be picked up at a dollar store in a pack of about 10 and will help if you have to clean up something really gross and smelly.
2. Febreze (seen above)...this is something great to use on furniture, mattresses, stuffed animals, carpets, and any other soft thing that need freshening up. Sometimes I will use this the next day or a few days later on spots just to make sure it doesn't smell.
3. Some would think it's over-kill but remember I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so I will get out my steam mop and use the carpet attachment (just let's it roll over surfaces) and steam any mattresses, furniture, or carpet that has been thrown up on. Yet another way to deal with germs!!!
4. If needed I use my carpet cleaning machine on carpets, furniture, and mattresses. Just an extra step of cleaning if I feel it needs it.
When someone is sick, it's a bad thing. My kids always apologize for getting sick on anything, when it happens because they know I don't like to clean it up. But, as a mom, I understand they can't always help it. For me, once my child is cleaned up and doing better, the next thing is to get the germs and smell out of the house as fast as possible. The products I use work and I hope if you try them they will help you too.
Now, gross talk over for a while...you can get back to your snack!
