Car cleaning hacks: When kids vomit in the car

We asked mums what was the worst thing their children had done in their car. They were all united in their response - disasters of the erupting bodily fluid kind were considered the most heinous.

Rotten food is no match for banana vomit or nappy blowouts. When a child vomits or craps (stealth or exploding) in the car, our first instinct is to run for the hills. If only that was an option. It’s a pain of rare proportions and it hits in two parts. Here are some tips to fight back against car-induced motion sickness too.

First, you need to clean said mess. Believe it or not, chunks are preferable. A tip for vomit rookies is to be sure to clean out the air vents and any other tricky crevasse that might hide warm chunks for weeks to come.  If you’ve had an aggressive leakage in the car seat, remove the seat completely and deal with it as best you can (ie. burn it) out of the car. You’ll probably find other stuff you thought lost in the process.

Part two is the retching odour – a constant reminder of the horror of the first blow. Removing a bad odour from your car is difficult, but here are a few tips you might like to try. Let us know if you’ve got a better remedy!

You’ll find a lot of people pointing you in the direction of vinegar. This can be poured onto the stain to dilute the mess, but also to rid the smell. Once you’ve done the cleaning, place an open bowl of vinegar in the car over night. Repeat for a few nights if necessary.

Ground coffee is a great way to reset the olfactory system, so it makes sense that it may also help with odour removal. Like vinegar, it is suggested that you place an open pot of ground coffee in the car overnight – repeat if necessary.

This is old school (and can cause vomiting). Like vinegar, vodka can be used directly on the stain as well as left in an open container to remove the odour. Tip: use the cheap stuff.

Sometimes, drying the area and drawing out the liquid (we mean vomit/poo) from fabric is tricky.  Spreading a load of cat litter on the area will not only help dry the tainted fabric, but can help with odour elimination, too. Cat litter also works wonders for window demisting.

Baking soda has long been used as an odour-neutralising solution, so there’s no surprise it comes to play here. Pour a heap on to the stain and let it sit for a couple of days before vacuuming the powder.

Related: We tried the car hack of cleaning headlights with toothpaste to see if it worked

Related: Eight easy DIY cleaning hacks for your car's upholstery and interior

Related: Four easy DIY window demisting car hacks