‘Tis the season…for sick kids.
One of my worst fears is vomit getting on things that are hard to clean. It used to be vomit in general, but having kids lowers your standards for bodily excretions.
I decided it was about time to post my two best “cleaning up after throw up” tips last Sunday, and wouldn’t you know it – Lovey Girl threw up in her car seat on the way to Bible Study Monday morning. (Who’s in charge here???) So having lived through it once again, I now have THREE sick kid tips for you today. Can I get a “Woo hoo?”
- Double sheet the beds. I never thought this would be something worth sharing, because I thought everyone knew it, but last year at a friend’s twin’s baby shower I discovered that almost none of my friends knew this trick. For quick and easy clean up of not just throw-up, but baby spit-up, wetting the bed, and poopy blow-outs, double sheets are imperative. You can get a messy crib ready for a fussy baby with one hand within 15 seconds. Please don’t think I’m speaking down to you when I explain exactly how this is done. Again, I wouldn’t do it if my dear friend and mother of three hadn’t said, “Double sheeting never works for me because the pee always goes through to the second sheet anyway.” Dear friends, you need TWO waterproof pads. This is key.
First the waterproof pad on top of the mattress...
...then sheet number one...
...then another waterproof pad (this is a nice one that goes all the way around the mattress, but any old crib-sized pad will do)...
...and finally your top sheet. Ta da!
Added Bonus: If you worry about your child’s mattress off-gassing because you can’t afford organic, there are now more layers between your baby and the chemicals.
Timesaver: When the top sheet gets messed on, you just pull it and the pad underneath off, bunch them off and… - Throw yucky clothes in the bathtub. When babies, toddlers, and preschoolers throw up, you never quite know where it will go. The toilet is a long shot for this age group. Clothing, carpet, couches, and blankets are all likely targets, and children aren’t about to be calm and content while you take care of germ-infested, stench-filled garments. You can’t always get them right to the washing machine and address the vomit issue right away. You don’t want to spread anything around the house. (I’m convinced that parents of babies get sick when the babies get sick because of poopy diapers and getting thrown up on. How can you avoid the virus when it’s all over you?)The solution? Use your bathtub as a staging ground. For most people, the bathroom is central enough to the bedrooms that it’s quick and easy to get there. You can wash and sanitize the hard surface easily (later, when the kids are feeling better). Sometimes when babies are sick with a throw-up bug, the pile of clothes (yours + theirs + bedding) can become impressive after a few hours of unpredictable projectile puking. Take it easy on yourself and toss everything in the tub until further notice.(Sorry, no picture of a pile of pukey clothes in my bathtub. I actually used this trick today because Lovey Girl spread yogurt and applesauce on her jeans while I was distracted on the phone trying to reconnect our Internet…but I didn’t think you really needed to see that. It’s a pretty simple concept.)
- Freeze homemade chicken stock in ice cube trays. One cube of stock is just the right amount for a child with an uncertain stomach. Nourishing broth and maybe a cracker are just the right things for a first “meal” after tossing your cookies all night long. It’s nice to have it on hand and easy to heat up.
After that, you might need a cube of broth and some double sheets, yourself. Everyone feeling okay? (And by the way…anyone have tips for me for getting every last bit of yuck and the smell out of the carseat buckles and cover?)
I don’t often talk about vomit; usually it’s just the food going in that’s the topic around here! Interested? Sign up for an email subscription or grab my reader feed.
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This post is perfect for Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family and Homemaker Mondays at 11th Heaven.
More Don’t-Get-Sick-or-Sicker Tips
- Why you shouldn’t use BLEACH when you clean up after that vomit-y mess!
- What SHOULD you use to clean up?
- Think you need antibacterial soap to stay well? Think again…
- Keeper of the Home has an excellent post: One Mom’s Guide to Avoiding Swine Flu Naturally
Timely post, no doubt, with flu season and all!
That double sheet idea is genius. We’ve ended up putting kids to sleep on the floor in the middle of the night when it’s hard to get the bed made again.
As for the carseat, did you actually toss the entire cover in the wash? That’s what I do. A cold wash and air dry will keep it in good shape, but get out everything you can’t get by wiping. As for the buckles, try a wet cue tip. They get in hard to reach spots (or an old toothbrush).
.-= Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home´s last blog ..Goals and Plans for a Slower Season =-.
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Katie Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 1:27 am
Stephanie,
Katie
How I wish the cover was machine washable! I realized that your flu post was perfect to link to this one, so I did that, too.
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Dawn Reply:
November 4th, 2011 at 7:37 am
I do the same thing with the car seat. Even if it isn’t machine washable, if you can get it off, throw it in on cold and at least give it a good long cycle and hang dry. And for the buckles, they usually DO come off as well, I take those off and soak them in the laundry sink for a couple hours with a little dishsoap, and then rinse really well, and hang dry. Yes, we have gone through this before. Most notably, right after tomato licking at the farm. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Good luck!
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Gross! But great ideas. When the kids are a little older I have them take the bathroom trash container to bed with them in case they can’t make it to the bathroom. I am lucky that my youngest is almost 7 so I am mostly out of that stage.
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I’ve done the double sheeting thing!! And I too have been perplexed that people don’t know about it.
My oldest is 5 and he gets a big bowl or small trash can right by his bed if he’s sick that way he doesn’t even have to worry about trying to make it to the toilet.
The carseat cover and all straps can come off and go straight in the washer (just don’t dry them unless it says you can!). The buckles and other plastic parts can go in the sink with dish soap.
.-= Laura V.´s last blog ..Baking day summary =-.
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Thanks for this tip! No kids yet, but I’ll definitely keep this in the back of my mind. Also wondering where you got your organic mattress.
.-= K @ Prudent and Practical´s last blog ..Basement Remodel Begins =-.
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Katie Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
K,
Katie
I don’t have an organic mattress…that’s why I comfort myself with the extra layers of fabric b/t baby and the mattress. I *wish* I had one, though!
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Years ago my husband stumbled upon using Baby Magic soap to help in cleaning up vomit. It is the only thing he could find to take the smell out of our furniture or car seats when one of our small ones were sick.
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The double sheet thing was something my mommy friends told me about at my baby shower. What a great tip! I’ve been prepared for the crib mess, but never had to deal with it…my son tend to throw up all over the couch, carpet, kitchen, etc. Bleh. We’ve been fortunate not to have to clean up any carseat messes yet.
I used to use the bathtub for a staging area, but now I use a big plastic bucket in the laundry room. I keep it half full of water and stain remover, and dump in dirty clothes, cleaning clothes, etc, then pop them in the washer with the next appropriate load.
.-= Cara´s last blog ..Gastroparesis: Always Feeling Like You Just Ate Thanksgiving Dinner =-.
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I wish I had known about the double sheet thing! Great tip.
My youngest is 9 and he can run and make it to the toilet. My oldest is 11 and he can’t. It’s so ridiculous and it’s hard to be compassionate when he just lays there and throws up all over himself. Grr.
When 11 yr old had Swine flu a few weeks ago, he puked on the carpet & sofa (and his school books, yikes!). I blotted the vomit as best I could after cleaning it. Then I sprayed vinegar and heavily sprinkled baking soda over the vinegar. I left that to sit overnight and then vacuumed it up in the morning. No smell, no stain, and the flu was over. Yay.
Hope your kids feel better soon.
.-= Paula´s last blog ..Christmas Music, Already! =-.
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Great tips! I’d never heard about the double sheet thing. I’m making some stock today; I’ll be sure to freeze some in case of illness.
We used to use my mom’s silver bowls from the kitchen to throw up in, but my husband introduced me to a double-bagged garbage can (since I’m usually the one throwing up and he doesn’t really want to clean it up).
You can take the covers and buckles off most car seats and wash them in the washing machine. Do it in hot water, it won’t hurt them. Remove from dryer and fit back on car seat when still slightly damp to prevent shrinkage.
.-= Mrs. Mordecai´s last blog ..Red Chief says . . . =-.
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Michelle B Reply:
February 11th, 2011 at 10:00 am
Check your car seat manual before you run the straps through the washing machine. The stressed of going through the machine can make them unsafe in a car accident. Most car seat companies say wipe with a cloth to clean. They also sell replacement straps if they get too nasty.
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Amy Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
I was going to say the same thing. I keep seeing people say to soak the straps. We were told by a car seat technician that you NEVER get the straps wet. It ruins their effectiveness in a crash.
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Excellent post. A few times I’ve put pukey things in the washer and had it clog up with the solids! So it is important to get those off before heading to the washer.
Also teach your slow-pokes to yell “Jason Jason get the basin!”
.-= Leila´s last blog ..Start-up costs: Why it’s not a good idea to use up ALL you have before you buy more. =-.
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I am PRAYING that I’m not jinxing myself by reading this post
Great tips though. It hit us HARD last year around this time and we ALL got it. I like the tub idea b/c I was sick and running up and down the stairs got old quick. Good tips with the sheets too. I had a girlfriend tell me this last year and it is a lifesaver!
.-= becky @ our sweet peas´s last blog ..A few of my favorite things…. =-.
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leaving it out in the sunshine helped my carseat alot
and Febreeze………. I know, TOTALLY NOT REAL 
– but it does smell nice……….. and my MIL bought it after my son did THAT in his carseat so I used it!
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Egg Nog =-.
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I have to say I’m feeling a bit embarrassed that I never thought of the double sheet thing before. That sure would have saved a lot of time on many pukey nights. Oh well! Thanks for the advice! My kids are still pretty young, so I’ll be going the double sheet route from here on out. I don’t leave comments very often, but I do subscribe to your blog, and I really enjoy your posts. Thanks again!!
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Great tips! I will add Barf Bucks for older children. This even worked for my 3 yo. You make it to the potty, mama gives you a dollar. I am a mom to 8, soon to be 9 and I picked this up from a mom to a dozen. I would call that tried and true!!
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Katie Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 8:56 am
LOL!! My son loves $, this will totally work for him!
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Great tips!! I really like the idea of freezing stock in ice cube trays. I never seem to have the good stuff on hand when I need it.
.-= Cheryl@SomewhatCrunchy´s last blog ..The Best Split Pea Soup Ever =-.
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What a great idea! Will definitely keep this in mind when it’s my turn.
.-= Jendeis´s last blog ..Day of Detox =-.
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My 11 yo just threw up on the carpet, etc for the first time in 6 years. I needed your tips and the ones in the comment section too. Thanks!
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Great tips. Naps in the kitchen, or other non-carpeted area, are key for us. I move the mattress from the co-sleeper into the kitchen for Ellie to nap or just flop on while she’s sick. That way anything that ends up on the floor is not tough to clean. And I can have her nearby while I’m getting kitchen stuff done. I have a friend whose mother put her to bed in the tub when she was vomity, but yours is probably already full of vomit stuff by that point.
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Katie Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Wow, those are fabulous ideas!
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Good tips! Though we don’t put all the nasty clothing and bedding in the tub, because we need to be able to shower and bathe in there. Instead, we throw it in the garage on the cement floor, which we’ve painted with a special paint kit. It’s easy to mop and clean just as the bathroom, and right next to the washing machine for putting the loads in when we’re ready.
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Bac out, full strength, and then rinsed, removed vomit smell from my NEW car and the car seat straps. Smells like a new car again! I used to swear by a product that Oreck made but I became scared of the ingredients.
With 4 kids and a dog, we buy Bac Out by the case from Amazon!
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Katie Reply:
November 16th, 2010 at 3:56 am
Now THAT is a good tip to keep in the ol’ brain for a throw up disaster! Thanks!
Katie
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“… having kids lowers your standards for bodily excretions.” HA! So true!!
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My mom always gave us a stock pot to throw up in. Whether we were in bed or on the couch, it followed us.
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Lindsey @ Why Just Eat Reply:
September 13th, 2011 at 8:34 am
My daughter gets “the bucket”. LOL.
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I have never been able to find anything that says oxyclean is “bad,” and it is my go-to funk/smell remover.
How is your carseat cover not machine washable? Whose idea was that?
I have washed my car seat covers soooo many times.
If you live in a snowy climate you could try snow cleaning, (put cover in clean snow, stomp until clean) but I’ve never done that with a carseat cover. It’s generally done to wool rugs.
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Katie Reply:
February 12th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
Brandis,
Katie
Oxyclean is basically just oxygen bleach, and is pretty safe. Just buying oxygen bleach w/o the fillers is even less expensive! Great tips!
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My daughter is just getting over a nasty 48 hour stomach bug. She never ran fever, thankfully. I cracked up laughing out loud when I read about the bathtub because that is exactly what I did. It is so much easier to clean up than carpet. I put my daughter her clothes everything in there, got her cleaned up and then started one of many loads of laundry.. My husband thinks I am a genius, by the way.
I told him, No, “I am just a mommy.” 
Thanks for the other tips, especially the bedding!
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My favorite discovery of all time is the Ultimate Crib Sheet. You can buy them at Babies R Us or online. It is a sheet and waterproof pad all in one that doesn’t require you to actually remove the whole crib mattress to change. It just lays on top of the mattress and snaps around the bars of the crib. I used to layer three in at a time and just pop the top one off as needed. I give them at every baby shower and am always surprised that no one has heard of them! Oh – and just so the crib still looks pretty – put the decorative sheet on the mattress and the ultimate crib sheets over the top – you’ll still see the pretty sheet from the side
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Love the BarfBucks idea! And the bathtub.
I’d add a few that have helped us a lot:
1-line the hallway or path to the bathroom with towels.
2-Put a couple of towels in your car, just in case. (you can use these to cover carseats in the heat also)
3- Take a large towel and cut a vertical slit in the middle, about 12 inches. Slip it over your head for a nice absorbent poncho when you are cuddling a vomity child.
4- if your child is scared of throwing up into a hole like a toilet or bucket, using a towel as an alternative receptacle can help. I know- more laundry, and it’s gross. But better than her saying “noooooooooo” and spewing on the wall or floor.
We had one child who had such an awful gag reflex that she would throw up every night. Crying? vomit. Snotty? vomit. Milk too cold? vomit. We finally just let her sleep on layers of towels at night with her blanket on top of her. And yes, we have a massive stack of old towels, all the same color, that we use just for The Sick (a different color from our other towels!)…
5- oh, and sanitizing toothbrushes in the dishwasher can help keep germs at bay
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Apparently I jinxed myself by reading this post.
Not that I really believe in it- it’s just funny- the little one that appeared to miss the stomach bug the older ones got, just started tonight. As I double sheeted the bed (wishing I had done it before he went to bed), threw everything in the bathtub until I could get him settled again and grabbed the family “throw up bowl”, I thought fondly of all the moms out there that have, for ages, dealt with sick kids in the middle of the night. 
On a separate note, I have found that the Ginger Ale from Nourishing Traditions is very effective at both anti nausea and rehydrating…
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Yes, but what do you do when they throw up all over the car? Still trying to get the smell out even after the carpets were shampooed.
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I’d love to add a #4!
The minute someone in the family starts tossing cookies, EVERYONE in the fam (including little ones if you can get them to do it) drinks a glass of water that includes a shot (1 Tbsp) of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Drink this tart cocktail 3x a day for a few days. It really, truly helps prevent the bug.
Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve not once caught the pukes from my husband or kids (in years!).
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10 years ago, it was the weekend after New Years, and my grandson had spent a night or two, after being sick himself. He went home, but left his virus. Five kids sat in the living room all Friday night, on 2 couches, vomiting one after the other, too sick to even make it to the bathroom. I stayed up with them, doing ‘damage control’. Finally, at 6:00 am they were done; then it was Mom’s turn. I’ve always been thankful my own body waited…God’s providence, I think.
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When I read throwing up house, I think of a house that looks like it threw up!
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Wish I could go back in time and read this yesterday.
Went in to wake up my girls yesterday morning and found one with a cribful of vomit. Poor girl. I’m with Linda, any tips for getting that horrid smell out?
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I don’t have any experience with vomit in a car, out of seven kids only one ever threw up in a car and it was a friend’s car (now that will make you feel like using your disappearing dust!)
I have however had to clean up after a whole gallon of raw milk spilled in my Suburban and finally had to call a restoration company for advice and here’s what they said:
First thing: shop vac! Had I thought of that the rest of the job would have been easier.
Second: flush with water and shop vac again. Repeat as necessary and then…
For protein stains/odors: use ammonia.
If you really don’t want to use ammonia then I’d use vinegar, then water and shop vac again and finally I’d throw a layer of baking soda on and let it dry, then vac again.
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BioKleen makes a product called BacOut that works very well on organic stains and odors and there’s also Nature’s Miracle enzyme formula meant for pet messes. Both work great in the laundry and on carpet or upholstery.
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How timely…
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I think Beth’s ideas sound at least as good as anything I could come up with for the car – so sorry, yuck, Linda McNatt Epler!
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I don’t have a shop vac, but I do have some of the Natures Miracle. I’ll give that a try. Thanks!
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