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Huey...
David Jenkins - 5/10/16 at 02:00 PM

OK - here's a novelty question - does anyone have a good method for removing the smell of vomit from a car carpet? We were half-way back from Inverness on Sunday when wifey was struck by a sudden bout of gastro-enteritis. Most of the vomit ended up outside the car, but a small amount landed by the side of the seat - and it still stinks.

I've sprayed it with some Fabrese, and also with some car-freshener stuff from Halfords, but now there's a perfumed vomit smell... yuk. At the moment it's sitting in the sunshine and fresh air with the windows open, but I could use a more effective way of getting rid of the pong.

And before anyone asks - wifey is now feeling a lot better (but embarrassed about mucking up the car).

theconrodkid - 5/10/16 at 02:11 PM

Friend of mine who was a mini cab driver mentioned onions....cut up and hidden aparently they take the smell away ?.

fazerruss - 5/10/16 at 02:12 PM

Bicarbonate of soda mixed with water sprayed on neutralises the smell.

adithorp - 5/10/16 at 02:42 PM

I thought this was going to be about helicopters

coozer - 5/10/16 at 02:44 PM

Got a steam cleaner? That might be the best way with plenty of one sheets to mop up the residue...

Reminded me of Mash as well.....

David Jenkins - 5/10/16 at 02:51 PM

quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
I thought this was going to be about helicopters


I know! That was deliberate...

David Jenkins - 5/10/16 at 02:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by fazerruss
Bicarbonate of soda mixed with water sprayed on neutralises the smell.


I'll give that a try - we've got some in the cupboard, so it's a quick, cheap and easy trial.

mark chandler - 5/10/16 at 06:46 PM

Although it sounds odd, soak with chopped tinned tomatoes then clean, it's the enzymes or something posh like that that does the trick

[Edited on 5/10/16 by mark chandler]

HowardB - 6/10/16 at 07:07 AM

that's a long drive, were you there for the marathon?

David Jenkins - 6/10/16 at 09:22 AM

quote:
Originally posted by HowardB
that's a long drive, were you there for the marathon?


No - the first week was a tour round western Scotland, then on the second week I went to stay with my brother who lives between Inverness and Nairn. We were planning to break the journey home in Ripon, but found out that the hotel had a wedding reception on that night so the chances of sleeping were low. Did the whole thing in one go, which would have been OK if (1) my wife was OK to do 50% of the driving, and (2) we hadn't met an astonishing amount of southbound traffic on the A1 in North Yorkshire. Anyone know if there was something on around that area on Sunday?

David Jenkins - 7/10/16 at 12:18 PM

Late update: The bicarb helped a bit, in conjunction with carpet cleaner spray and one of those magic air freshener sprays. I'll find out later whether the combined effect is enough to get rid of the pong - it's raining too much to go out and investigate...

rusty nuts - 7/10/16 at 01:41 PM

If all else fails try a clothes peg or two

motorcycle_mayhem - 7/10/16 at 06:29 PM

Sodium Bicarb will work wonderfully - neutralises the acids, etc.
IF the seat is black, or you don't care.... then activated charcoal will take out the smell (volatile amines/acids, etc.).

David Jenkins - 7/10/16 at 08:17 PM

I think I've beaten it - slid the passenger seat forward, removed the jack from its bracket underneath the seat, found the puddle of dried-up ooh-nasty that I hadn't seen before, and attacked everything with carpet cleaner etc.

Now the inside of the car smells like a brothel (or so I'm told ) or, in other words, air 'freshener' but at least that's better than vomit.