Too late for a basin or a mop: pretreating vomit soiled laundry
February 8, 2010 12:59 PM Subscribe
NSFSS (Not Safe For Sensitive Stomachs): What is the best way to pre-treat bedding that have been soiled by copious amounts of chunky vomit?
My kidlet had some sort of 12 hour bug last night with a high fever. During the night he vomited twice. The first bout was densely packed with semi digested food. The second bout was much, much more fluidy but still contained food bits. I wiped up the foul gunk with the soiled bedding and stuck it in a laundry basket to be washed today.
In previous bouts of washing vomit-laden bedding and clothes, I've ended up with a clogged sink and bits of vomit left in the washing machine. Not fun to clean up. How should I pre-treat the soiled items to avoid this problem?
My kidlet had some sort of 12 hour bug last night with a high fever. During the night he vomited twice. The first bout was densely packed with semi digested food. The second bout was much, much more fluidy but still contained food bits. I wiped up the foul gunk with the soiled bedding and stuck it in a laundry basket to be washed today.
In previous bouts of washing vomit-laden bedding and clothes, I've ended up with a clogged sink and bits of vomit left in the washing machine. Not fun to clean up. How should I pre-treat the soiled items to avoid this problem?
Best answer: put a wire hair/food strainer in the bathtub drain and rinse out in the tub, if you live in an apartment or can't hose off outside. then dump chunks in toilet.
I recommend about two shots of rum before commencing this operation. drink them neat, that way your sense of smell & taste will be dulled and your sense of humor heightened. and good luck.
posted by toodleydoodley at 1:10 PM on February 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
I recommend about two shots of rum before commencing this operation. drink them neat, that way your sense of smell & taste will be dulled and your sense of humor heightened. and good luck.
posted by toodleydoodley at 1:10 PM on February 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: One item is a fuzzy king-sized blanket that gets pretty heavy when wet; it's too big for a bucket, dumping the chunks the the toilet would be difficult and I'd prefer not to have to carry it out to the garden for hosing off. I hadn't thought these approaches for the smaller items though, and I'll give it a shot.
posted by echolalia67 at 1:11 PM on February 8, 2010
posted by echolalia67 at 1:11 PM on February 8, 2010
It says something about my life that I have something to contribute here. Sigh. For smaller vomit contaminated items, I've taken the not so obvious approach of drying rather than washing the items first. Dried chunks are much more amenable than wet ones and less disgusting to handle. Whether you scrape and shake the bedding after running it through the drier (yikes!) or dry it in the sun (if there is any) is your choice. A king size hairy blanket is pretty daunting.
If dessicate and agitate ain't an option then you just have to wash stuff a couple of times and then wash out the washing machine. Or chuck everything out.
I hope everyone feels better soon.
posted by firstdrop at 1:31 PM on February 8, 2010
If dessicate and agitate ain't an option then you just have to wash stuff a couple of times and then wash out the washing machine. Or chuck everything out.
I hope everyone feels better soon.
posted by firstdrop at 1:31 PM on February 8, 2010
The outdoors shake off and hose down is the preferred method at our house.
posted by flabdablet at 3:43 PM on February 8, 2010
posted by flabdablet at 3:43 PM on February 8, 2010
Cut a standard size plastic "paper" plate in half and, with one half in each hand, scoop together toward the center of the mayhem. That's my preferred method of dealing with dog mess; can't see why it wouldn't work with human...no, I can't type the word.
If this method fails, I'll second the suggestion of throwing the blanket out. Some chores are not worth the effort or diminishment of one's humanity (as I see it.)
posted by BostonTerrier at 4:15 PM on February 8, 2010
If this method fails, I'll second the suggestion of throwing the blanket out. Some chores are not worth the effort or diminishment of one's humanity (as I see it.)
posted by BostonTerrier at 4:15 PM on February 8, 2010
I don't have kids, but I do have a dog who has thrown plenty of up, so for the future I recommend Nature's Miracle. It's in the pet aisle or Petsmart. When allowed to soak and dry on stain or soil, it takes the gag-reflex out of dealing with vomit, feces and urine.
posted by Countess Elena at 6:07 PM on February 8, 2010
posted by Countess Elena at 6:07 PM on February 8, 2010
Best answer: + Lay a towel on the blanket where most of the chunks are, then flip or fold the blanket so most of the chunks wind up on the towel
+ Use dishwashing gloves to scoop up solid chunks and toss them into toilet, or just dunk the towel straight into the toilet to rinse it
+ Spray or soak the offending areas of the blanket with Nature's Miracle and let it dry
+ Wash the blanket (and towel) as normal
posted by cocoagirl at 6:52 PM on February 8, 2010
+ Use dishwashing gloves to scoop up solid chunks and toss them into toilet, or just dunk the towel straight into the toilet to rinse it
+ Spray or soak the offending areas of the blanket with Nature's Miracle and let it dry
+ Wash the blanket (and towel) as normal
posted by cocoagirl at 6:52 PM on February 8, 2010
I'd spread it out in the basement and scoop up the chunks with paper towels -- as if it were a carpet -- and throw them away. Then toss in the machine for several rounds. (With something fuzzy, though, I dunno ... the stink might stick.)
And just for moral support, we were there, too, a few weeks ago! Two sets of crib bumpers, too, ugh.
posted by palliser at 6:55 PM on February 8, 2010
And just for moral support, we were there, too, a few weeks ago! Two sets of crib bumpers, too, ugh.
posted by palliser at 6:55 PM on February 8, 2010
cocoagirl is spot-on. (Ha! Ha!) The toilet was designed for disposal of this stuff, or a knotted plastic bag.
As The Dad, this is one of my Jobs. :7( We have an extra tub in the basement, right next to the washer & dryer, that's not used for bathing. I try to use one part of the crib sheet to knock the...material off of another area. Wipe it out of the tub with paper towels and then throw those out. Ultimately, though, I often have to just look toward the horizon, think of England, and use my fingernails. (Ugh, I know. Week before last it was chicken pot pie. And guess what leftovers I didn't take to work for lunch the next day?)
As you did, roll up all the laundry and wash it immediately (if it's early enough at night: last time we were lucky enough to get the call at 12:45), first thing in the morning, or (*shudder*) as soon as you can the next night. I don't think the overwhleming stench is worth keeping the bedclothes wet in a basin all day. There probably won't be a stain.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:05 AM on February 9, 2010
As The Dad, this is one of my Jobs. :7( We have an extra tub in the basement, right next to the washer & dryer, that's not used for bathing. I try to use one part of the crib sheet to knock the...material off of another area. Wipe it out of the tub with paper towels and then throw those out. Ultimately, though, I often have to just look toward the horizon, think of England, and use my fingernails. (Ugh, I know. Week before last it was chicken pot pie. And guess what leftovers I didn't take to work for lunch the next day?)
As you did, roll up all the laundry and wash it immediately (if it's early enough at night: last time we were lucky enough to get the call at 12:45), first thing in the morning, or (*shudder*) as soon as you can the next night. I don't think the overwhleming stench is worth keeping the bedclothes wet in a basin all day. There probably won't be a stain.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:05 AM on February 9, 2010
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With smaller items (the underpants of small boys who are not quite potty trained, heh), I rinse them out in the toilet first, then soak in a bucket of OxyClean. But that probably won't work with an entire set of bedding - but maybe if it's confined to one section or the pillowcase or something, you could try it.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 1:03 PM on February 8, 2010