How Much Does It Cost to Clean Vomit in Car? Clear Explanation!

Someone vomiting in your car on a journey is a common scenario. But it’s not something that can’t be cleaned. 

So, do you want to know how much does it cost to clean vomit in car?

The cost to clean vomit in your car varies on your choice. If you clean it with professional assistance, it’ll cost you 10$-20$ to clean the exterior. And it’ll cost you $100-$180 to clean the interior. On the other hand, if you do it yourself, it’ll cost $31-$43 and $40-$60 respectively.

Although, there’s a lot more to know about this. Thus, go through our article to know all the necessary details. 

How Much Does it Cost to Clean Vomit

The cost of cleaning vomit depends on how you are going to do it. Here, we’ve enlisted the costs for professional and DIY methods:

Professional Assistance	Exterior: $10- $20Interior: $100-$180
DIY	Exterior: $31-$43Interior: $40-$60

But these are just the end results of our calculation. So, we’ve taken the initiative to explain them in detail.

Cleaning Vomit in Car by Professionals

Depending on your choice of professionals, the price may vary. Different companies may charge you differently, but here we’ve tried to provide an average amount:

Service Type	Time	Price
Exterior (Car Wash)	3-4 minutes	$10-$20
Interior (Emergency Service)	First Half Hour/Per Hour Afterwards	$150/$95
Interior (Normal Service)	First Half Hour/Per Hour Afterwards	$100/$85

Now, let’s explain these services for you depending on what you need. 

Exterior:

Some people can make time to stick their heads out of the car window while vomiting. If they manage to do it, then the interior of your car won’t get dirty. The vomit will make contact with only the outer portion of your car. 

Thus, a simple car wash will be enough to clean it. An average car wash lasts about 3-4 minutes. Depending on different car washing companies, they might charge you $10-$20. 

Interior:

If the vomit is inside your car then the charges will be higher. There are mainly two types of services available:

1. Emergency
2. Normal

The emergency service costs more than the normal. You have to pay $100 for the first half an hour. But for the emergency service, you’ll have to pay about $150. 

After the first 30 minutes, you’ll have to pay $85 per hour for the normal service. While the emergency service will cost $95.

Let’s suppose they had to clean your car for about 1 hour. Then the charge for both services will be:

Normal: $100 + ($85 *.5)= $142.5

Since the service lasted for an hour, the first half hour was charged as $100. The next 30 minutes are charged as half of the per-hour rate. Thus, we get a sum of $142.5.

Emergency: $150 + ($95 *.5)= $197.5

Again, the first 30 minutes were charged for $150. Then, the next 30 minutes are charged as half of $95. Thus, we get the sum of $197.5.

How to Clean Vomit in Your Car Yourself?

Rather than seeking professional help, you might want to clean it yourself. Of course, it’ll cost you less. You just have to buy the necessary materials for cleaning. The cost is dependent on those materials. So, let’s break down the process.

Exterior

First, you can just wash off most of it using plain water. You can use a hose for the water supply or simply pour water into a mug. Although, be sure to do it someplace where you can wash off the ground next. 

A little bit of stain might be left. You can clean it off like you normally clean a car. So, how to clean car exterior? For this, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:

1. Wash Bucket
2. Car Shampoo
3. Rinse Bucket
4. Car mitts or microfiber cloth
5. Water

Here, we’ve provided a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: First, take the wash bucket. In it, pour the car shampoo and water as per the suggestion in the bottle. A 1:16 ratio of shampoo and water might be used generally. 

Step 2: Take another bucket and fill it with water. 

Step 3: Now, take the microfiber cloth and dip it in the shampoo water. Squeeze it to get the extra water out and wipe the exterior with the cloth. Rinse the cloth in the rinsing bucket.

Step 4: Repeat the process two or three times.

With that, your car exterior should be cleaned. Although, during the cleaning process you might encounter fingerprints that don’t come off. If not, further check for any signs of vomit. 

Cost: Almost every car owner has the equipment needed for this process. But if you don’t, here’s an estimate for you:

Product	Price
Car shampoo	$13-$16
Bucket	$8-$12
Microfiber Cloth	$10-$15
	Total: $31- $43

So, it’ll cost you around $31- $43 for buying these pieces of equipment. 

Interior:

Cleaning the interior of your car is far more complex. It may get on your seats and carpets. Also, there are different processes for cleaning different surfaces. Even the vomit might be liquid or completely dried up. 

So, let’s describe the cleaning processes for all these categories.

Liquid Vomit

Removing the vomit while it’s still liquid lessens the chance of a deeper stain. The vomit might be on your car seat or carpet. First of all, here are all the things you’ll need for the cleaning process:

1. Rubber Gloves
2. Face Mask
3. Spatula/ Spoon/ Paper towel
4. Plastic Zipper Bag
5. Optional: Steamer with extraction capability
6. Baking Soda
7. Dishwashing Liquid
8. White Vinegar
9. Spray Bottle
10. Vacuum Cleaner
11. Microfiber towel
12. Damp cloth/ Toothbrush

Before starting, wear the rubber gloves and mask. Whether your seats are leather, vinyl, or plastic, these steps have to be followed first:

Step 1: First, you’ll have to remove the solid chunks of the vomit. You can use a spatula or paper towel to gently remove the vomit chunks. Take the plastic zipper bag and put the chunks in it. Be sure to remove as much as possible. 

Step 2: Next, you have to blot to extract the excess moisture. Take paper towels and press them on the vomit spot. Don’t press too hard or it’ll push the substances inside the seat. Then the stain will be even harder to clean.

Leave the towels for about four to five minutes to absorb the liquid well. Or, you can use a steamer with extraction capabilities to remove this extra liquid. Using it, saturate the area with hot water until the water is clear. 

Step 3: Now, sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda on the stain marks. Leave it for about 30 minutes. This will help to neutralize the stain and remove the bad odor. Then, vacuum the baking soda. 

Now, the cleaning process is different depending on the seat material. 

Leather Interior 

For leather seats follows these steps:

Step 1: Take one cup of baking soda and one-third cup of water. Mix them to make a paste. 

Step 2: Next, apply this paste on the vomit spots and scrub using a damp cloth or toothbrush. Or, you can use a vinegar solution. 

Step 3: Then use a microfiber cloth to blot. Let it dry.

You can repeat this process a few times until the stain mark is gone. 

Vinyl, Plastic Interior

In this case, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Take three drops of dishwashing liquid, a one-eighth cup of white vinegar, and warm water. Mix it all together and put it in a spray bottle. 

Step 2: Now, spray this solution on the stain and scrub using a toothbrush or damp cloth.

Step 3: Rinse and blot using a microfiber cloth. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.

With that, your seats should be clean of any vomit residue or stains. You can clean the carpet in the same process as above. Aside from these, you should also know how to clean vomit from seat straps.

Dried Vomit:

The vomit eventually dries up if you don’t clean it quickly. If the vomit is dried up, follow these steps to clean it:

Step 1: Use a toothbrush to scrub off the dried parts. Don’t brush too hard or it’ll damage the fabric. Pick them using a paper towel or vacuum them. 

Step 2: Now make a solution of one cup vinegar and one-eighth cup water. You can also add some dishwasher liquid. Apply the solution to the stain marks.

Step 3: Let the solution dry. When it’s dry, rewet it and let it dry again for a few minutes. Now, you can scrub the solution. This way the solution will be able to penetrate the stain mark properly.

Step 4: Now dip a cloth in plain water and blot the area. Wire out the solution using the cloth. 

Repeat this process until the stain has totally disappeared. With that, the vomit should be totally cleaned. 

Tips: You can use a steamer for more efficient cleaning. You can also use chemical guys nonsense or total interior cleaners.

Cost: The total cost for this DIY process depends on mainly four pieces of equipment. They are white vinegar, dishwashing liquid, baking soda, and microfiber cloth. The other things are commonly used in households. 

Here we’ve provided an estimated cost for these products:

Product	Price
Baking Soda	$5-$10
White Vinegar	$15-$20
Dishwashing Liquid	$10-$15
Microfiber Cloth	$10-$15
	Total: $40-$60

So, by spending $40-$60, you can clean the vomit in your car interior yourself. 

Vomit Cleaning: DIY or Professional Help?

We recommend cleaning the vomit yourself if you can. It is not a rather complicated process that you might mess up. Also, it’ll cost you much less to do it yourself. The materials for cleaning the car exterior are also quite common for car owners.

Even if you don’t have them, purchasing these products will help you even in the future. Also, you’ll be able to take immediate action to clean the vomit. Thus, it won’t leave a deep stain. 

Although, if you’re not a DIY person, surely you can ask for professional assistance. An advantage here is they’ll clean up the mess perfectly.

What to Do if Vomit Smell Is Not Going? 

In some cases, even after proper cleaning efforts, the smell might remain. In that case, you have to deep clean it again. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Take one cup of baking soda and one tablespoon of Hydrogen peroxide. Mix them and apply to where the vomit mark was. 

Step 2: After an hour, remove it with a rag or just vacuum it.

Step 3: Pour some homemade natural enzymatic cleaner on the spot. Then blot it with a dry cloth.

Step 4: Finally, apply some air freshener in your car. 

With that, the lingering bad odor should be gone. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Bottom Line!!

Now, we want to hear from you. 

Did we answer all your questions about how much does it cost to clean vomit in car?

Here’s a parting tip for you. Always keep a plastic bag in your seat back. If someone has to vomit they can do it in the bag. 

Thanks for sticking with us till the end.