How to get throw-up smell out of the car?

Evans Ward

Love those LC2/ Y56 cars!
Joined
May 24, 2001
My 13 Yr old son hurled big time in the TR last week with little warning on the road after picking him up in Atlanta last week- accidents will happen! I've tried a barrage of products in cleaning out the smell but it still lingers. Specifically, it was on the carpet, passenger mat, seat upholstery, and glove box. I used degreaser, Pine-Sol, carpet shampoo, woolite odor product, etc. Vacuumed and cleaned best I could. I've also sprayed Lysol disinfectant and placed strong soap fragrance in the car but it's not masking it. What to do next? My brother-in-law says I'll have to remove the carpet from the car and clean it dilengently to get the smell out. Sounds like alot of trouble there. Wife says I need to let car air in sun with Tops off? Any professional interior detail folks here who can share tips and tricks? Really want to eliminate this smell ASAP! Thanks!
 
You might need to go to a professional detail shop that uses a steam cleaner or carpet cleaner. In our area (Ohio) we he some places like Servpro, Stanley Steemer, and RestorePro. they all cleaner carpet and furniture. I am sure one of them can lead you in the right direction, Good Luck.
 
FWIW if you barf in an airplane:eek: they use coffee grounds to cover the smell so that everyone doesn't hurl.
 
In my wifes car for vomit, I used the little green steam machine. Then I soaked it with Fabreeze. Then I kept spraying ozium in the car and left it closed up. The guy I bought my car from left ant killer in the trunk for a week. The above worked to get the insecticide smell out.
 
This will sound crazy, but use those Messengill Douche mixes. Mix it in a spray bottle, keep soaking it and using a wetvac to vacuum it back out. Thats one of the secrets that restoration folks used to use to get smoke/fire smell out of carpets.
 
FuzzyGN bought a car from a friend of the family and the guy had left an open container of milk and a half eaten burrito in the car for about 5 months. He bought a bag on plain ol' charcoal and left it in there with the windows rolled up for a couple days. Smell completely gone. It was a smell worse than puke.
 
Completely douse the "infected" area with Baking Soda. LOTS of Baking Soda. Let it sit for a few days, then vacuum it up.

Very cheap, and it works.
 
thanks guys!

All great suggestions and I appreciate them. Have lots of options to try now. And in case anyone was wonderin'..... no, I wasn't gettin' into any boost when he spewed. It was bumper-to-bumper right there on I-285.
 
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