How To Clean Vomit from A Sink

One of the worst parts of throwing up is cleaning it up.

Although most of us try to make it to the toilet to vomit, sometimes you’re lucky to have reached the sink.

Throwing up into the toilet is better because you can flush it when you’re done, so throwing up into the sink can present some challenges for cleaning up.

The biggest concern is making sure the sink doesn’t clog, leading to other unpleasantries later on.

Luckily, you don’t need to invest in harsh cleaning chemicals or call a professional every time you catch a stomach bug.

We’ve done the research, and cleaning vomit out of your sink is quick and easy, allowing you a fast clean-up so you can get back to getting better.

Read on to learn what items you will need to clean vomit from a sink.

What You’ll Need

You’ll need a few household cleaning items to clean vomit out of your sink.

Now that you have everything you need, read on to learn how to clean vomit from a sink.

1. Remove as much of the vomit as possible

The first thing you should do is remove as much of the vomit from the sink as possible.

You might be tempted just to run it all down the drain, but doing so could clog your drain, especially if the vomit has a lot of solid pieces.

Instead, put on some disposable gloves and scoop out the vomit into a trash bag.

You can use paper towels to remove a lot of the liquid.

The faster this is removed, the less likely it is to stain your sink or foster bacteria growth.

Pro tip: If the sink you are cleaning has a garbage disposal, make use of it.

You can run the garbage disposal while washing everything down the drain.

The garbage disposal will take care of any chunks and prevent them from clogging your drain.

It will also save you the trouble of handling gross vomit.

2. Wash the remaining liquid down the drain

Once you have removed as much of the vomit as possible, rinse your sink out thoroughly.

Make sure you wash away any trace of vomit.

You can also wash your sink at this time with soap and disinfectant to make sure the vomit has not left behind any bacteria.

Pro tip: Use this time to check how well your sink is draining.

If it is draining at the same rate, as usual, you are done removing vomit from your sink.

If you notice that the sink is draining slower than expected, you might have a clog forming. If so, proceed to step 3.

3. If drain is clogged, sprinkle in some baking soda

If you notice your drain is potentially clogged, sprinkle in ½ cup of baking soda.

Try to get as much baking soda in the drain as possible.

If your drain has a removable stopper, you should remove it, but this cleaning process still works if you cannot remove the plug.

4. Pour in some distilled white vinegar

Pour ½ cup of distilled white vinegar down your drain.

It should immediately begin interacting with the baking soda.

The chemical reaction between the baking soda and white vinegar is powerful enough to knock a lot of the gunk loose that clogs your drain.

Let it fizz for several minutes, and let it naturally die down on its own. 

5. Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain

Once the fizzing from the baking soda and distilled white vinegar reaction dies down, pour a pot of boiling water down your drain.

Use all standard precautions while you do this to avoid scalding yourself or anyone else.

The boiling water should finish knocking out all of the gunk that is clogging your drain, and doing this will wash it all away, leaving your drain vomit-free.

Pro tip: This process for unclogging your drain is safe to perform multiple times.

If you notice that your drain is still not draining completely, you can repeat steps 3-5 to clear away the rest of the gunk in your drain.

Here is a video demonstrating how to unclog vomit from your sink.

0:35—Sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda into your sink and down the drain.

0:46—Pour ½ of distilled white vinegar into your sink. 

0:52—Allow the baking soda and vinegar to interact for a few minutes.

1:02—Once the interaction is over, pour the pot of boiling water into your sink to finish unclogging the debris from your sink.

1:24—If this method does not work, call a plumber.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there anything I can do if my sink is completely clogged With Vomit?

If your sink is completely clogged, you can try using a cup plunger.

To use a cup plunger to clear a clog in your sink, first make sure the overflow drain is completely sealed.

You can use a wet rag, some duct tape, or even your hand.

Then, remove any drain stopper or strainer, and put a few inches of water into your sink.

Doing this may seem counter-productive, but putting a little water into your sink can help your plunger find a secure seal.

Then, place your plunger over your drain and force the clog out of your drain.

Ensure the drain is working properly after you are done by running some clean water through your drain.

How do you get rid of the smell of vomit in your sink?

If the vomit smell is coming from your drain, use the baking soda and vinegar method to clear out any remaining vomit from your drain.

If the odor is coming from the sink, make a paste out of lemon juice and baking soda.

Use just enough lemon juice to make the baking soda into a spreadable paste, and then scrub the sink.

If that does not eliminate the smell, you can fill the sink with water and white distilled vinegar.

Allow this mixture to sit overnight to eradicate the smell of vomit from your sink completely.