How To Get Spit-Up Stains Out Of Couch

How To Get Spit-Up Stains Out Of Couch (2 Easy Ways)

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Did your little one vomit on your couch? Are you wondering how to get spit-up stains out of couch? Don’t worry. This post is for you.

Anywhere, baby, is messes follows. Baby spit-up, or regurgitated formula or breast milk, looks similar to vomit.

Babies are cute and cuddly but can be messy at the same time. When spit-up ends up on the couch, a protein-based stain that often contains color is left behind.

You need to act fast to remove these stains to prevent them from soaking into your couch.

In this article, we discuss how to get spit-up stains out of couch. We also shared answers to other frequently related questions regarding this post.

How To Get Spit-Up Stains Out Of Couch

Things You’ll Need                              

1. Remove The Stain

Get started as soon as possible! By moving quickly, you can remove most of the stain before it has a chance to soak into the upholstery fibers.

Wipe off any substance remaining on the upholstery with paper towels once the spit-up stain has been removed.

After removing the spit-up material, press a paper towel into the surface to absorb moisture (wear gloves if you have them).

If your couch has removable covers, take them off and throw them in the washer. If the vomit only affected the covers, you have nothing to worry about! If not, use vinegar. 

You can get vomit stains out of your couch using vinegar. Vinegar is effective, convenient, inexpensive, and easy to use. 

As well as cleaning, it also eliminates odors. It has been proven that plain old 5% vinegar is 90% effective against mold and 99.9% effective against bacteria, according to a microbiologist for Good Housekeeping. 

It’s also eco-friendly, easy to find, and useful in various other cleaning tasks. 

How To Use Vinegar

  • Mix vinegar with warm water
  • Apply the solution to your couch, using a washcloth or brush to scrub.
  • Scrub thoroughly until the stain is saturated
  • Once the stain is gone, rinse the area with water, blot with a towel, and allow the spot to dry.
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If vinegar doesn’t work on its own, you should try combining it with another multi-purpose cleaning product such as baking soda.

How To Use Vinegar and Baking Soda

  • Spray the affected area with vinegar
  • Blot it into the upholstery, and sprinkle on some baking soda.
  • Let the spot sit for several hours (preferably overnight) to completely dry, and then vacuum off the powder.
  • Repeat the process if necessary.

2. Remove The Smell

Method 1: Use enzymatic dish soap and water

If you don’t have vinegar in your house (or maybe you hate the smell!), try using dish soap. Here’s how to use it

  • Mix dish soap with water. Keep mixing until you have a soapy solution.
  • Again, similar to vinegar, apply the solution to the affected area, saturate with the solution, and then scrub with a washcloth or brush.
  • Blot and allow the spot to air dry. Using both vinegar and dish soap on the first trial may not be successful.
  • If this is the case, repeat the step until the area is clean.

After several attempts, if the stain remains, try purchasing a commercial enzymatic cleaning product designed for couch stains.

Method 2: Use Baking Soda

  • Blot the spit-up stain with paper towels to remove any substances sitting on the upholstery. Then press a paper towel into the surface to absorb moisture.
  • Cover the affected area of upholstery with a mound of baking soda.
  • Leave the baking soda on the couch until it absorbs moisture and dries completely. It wicks up the remaining moisture from the spit-up and deodorizes the smell as it dries.
  • Vacuum the dried baking soda off the upholstery.
  • Dampen a clean cloth with dry cleaning solvent. Remove any spit-up stains from the upholstery by dabbing it with a clean cloth. Keep wiping it with a clean portion of the cloth as the stain transfers to it.
  • Let the upholstery air dry completely before using it again.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Does spit-up stain the couch? 

Spitting up leaves behind a protein-based stain that often contains color. Taking action quickly after a spill prevents the stain from soaking into the upholstery.

How do you get old spit-up stains out of a couch?

Dab a clean, wet cloth over the fabric to remove the detergent residue. Create a mixture using one tablespoon of laundry detergent with two cups of cool water. 

Alternately dab the stain with the detergent solution and a dry cloth using clean white cloths. Repeat until the stain disappears.

What is an enzyme-based stain remover?

A laundry enzyme presoak is a stain removal treatment applied before washing to break down protein stains, such as grass, blood, and baby formula, to be easily removed during the regular wash cycle.

A presoak is essential when dealing with heavily soiled clothes or clothes stained with oil, protein, or tannin stains.

Does peroxide remove stains?

Hydrogen peroxide is very effective at removing protein- and plant-based stains. Additionally, it treats mildew, blood, fruit and vegetable stains, and dye-transfer stains.

Take-Home

I’ve been there! You probably have baby spit-up stains all over the couch if you have kids. I tried many different ways to get the stains out, but I finally found these easy, gentle methods and work each time.

When using vinegar, keep in mind that it has a strong odor, so be patient and allow everything to dry before you judge this solution’s success.

If vinegar doesn’t work, combine it with baking soda, another great multi-purpose cleaning product.

If you’re still struggling to learn how to get spit-up stains out of couch, you should try calling a professional cleaning company with experience in upholstery.

We also suggest seeking professional assistance if your couch is fragile, an antique, or made with an unusual fabric.