The large indoor space of a school is destined to become exposed to a variety of noxious and toxic odors within the space that can contaminate both the indoor air quality and the aroma permeating within this establishment. Bodily fluids like vomit, diarrhea, and blood may all be shed onto the public space of a school, whether that be from a sick child, unfortunate bathroom mishaps, or even fights that take place on school property that exacerbates the spreading of these bodily fluids on surfaces in this public space. When bodily fluids are spread throughout an environment, especially one that contains a large number of children like schools, it can lead to an indoor space that can be compromised and that will sometimes, depending on the bodily fluid, produce a strong odor that will flood the air space.

Schools and their sanitation/janitorial workers will have to follow strict procedures when it comes to properly cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing bodily fluids from surfaces, especially vomit that will be packed full of strong, difficult to remove odors. Deodorizing odors thoroughly and completely from surfaces in both indoor and outdoor environments can be difficult, and thus there have been developments in the manufacturing of products for commercial vomit deodorization absorbents – which can be heavily used in schools and other commercial spaces.

In this article we are going to learn more about the challenges of containing and mitigating bodily fluid messes and odors on surfaces in schools, especially vomit odors, as well as the best commercial vomit absorbents to use in schools for this growing problem.  

Is Vomit a Biohazard?

Is Vomit a BiohazardWhen a child throws up inside of a school, this releasing of bodily fluids into the environment will contain many hazards and risks to faculty members, students, and other workers found throughout the school. In general, vomit is considered to be a biohazard, which is any risk to human health or the environment that arises from biological work, especially with microorganisms. Vomit is a type of bodily fluid that is ejected from stomach matter as a result of bacteria from an illness or external influences (like motion sickness). This type of bodily fluid can carry a number of different potential diseases in it, and therefore it should be cleaned with care and proper techniques in any environment, especially in school settings.

In a school, when vomit needs to be cleaned up it is necessary that the individual that is responsible for cleaning up this bodily fluid wears personal protective gear, such as gloves, clothing, face masks, and eye wear protection to help avoid any direct contact with this fluid. This is important because any contact with human vomit can lead to the spreading of bacteria and diseases that can contaminate an environment and an individual who comes into contact with it while cleaning.

Vomit and Diarrhea Clean Up Procedures FDA

In a situation where you are dealing with vomit or any other type of bodily fluids, there will be a set of procedures that a person will need to follow to ensure safety and protection from potentially hazardous substances. When a person vomits or diarrheas in a public environment like a school, this can promote the spreading of germs that will circulate within the air and contaminate the surfaces in which it comes into contact. There are different procedures and clean-up steps that are mandated by the Food Safety & Environmental Health Agency, that should be conducted during the clean-up and response of a vomit incident in a school or other public space.

The following vomit and diarrhea clean up procedures include the following;

  • Vomit and Diarrhea Clean Up Procedures FDAClear the environment of all individuals, removing all individuals within a 25-foot radius and be caution and have these individuals wash their hands.
  • Block entry to this contaminated area until the bodily fluid has been properly cleaned and disinfected.
  • Remove the vomit from the surface immediately but be sure to wear protective clothing such as disposable gloves, shoe covers, apron, and face mask.
  • Use soapy water to wash surfaces that the vomit or diarrhea came into contact with.
  • Disinfect the surfaces by applying a chlorine bleach solution.
  • Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning up the vomit or diarrhea contamination.

What Do Schools Use to Clean Up Vomit

When it comes to the sanitation and cleanliness of a school it is one of the more important factors to consider and maintain within this public environment. Schools have to pay carefully close attention to cleaning and disinfecting to help stop the spread of infectious diseases and germs that can be spread into the environment, especially on surfaces. Due to the school’s extreme vigilance in making the school as clean and sanitary as possible, these same standards are shared when bodily fluids like vomit or diarrhea are excreted onto a public surface in this environment such as floorings, tables, chairs, etc.

The cleaning and deodorization of vomit and diarrhea is important and what you use to clean it is critical to ensuring that both the germs and bacteria are gone, as well as the odors that these bodily fluids produce are also wiped from the environment’s surfaces and air space. Some of the most commonly used solutions to cleaning up vomit and other bodily fluids in a school will include chlorine bleach, soap and water, sawdust, and even cat litter. Chlorine bleach and soap/water are important to ensuring that the bacteria and viruses present in the vomit are wiped cleaned from the surfaces. Whereas the sawdust and cat litter will help to clump the vomit together and make it easier to remove from the surfaces, while also offering some sort of a deodorization of the odors emitted from these bodily fluids in the environment.

Procedure for Cleaning Up Vomit in Schools

The procedures of cleaning up vomit from the surfaces of a school will consist of specific sets of instructions that will allow for a safe, and effective cleaning procedure and removal of these bodily fluids on the surface of the environment. Accidents happen, and in a school where there are many kids it can happen instantaneously with little preparation, and thus that is why it is important to have a procedure in place at the ready to initiate when bodily fluids are emitted into the environment of a school. When it comes to the set of procedures that are set in place for cleaning up vomit and other bodily fluids in a school, the set of instructions for maintaining safety and cleanliness goes as follows;

  1. Procedure for Cleaning Up Vomit in SchoolsCover the waste with paper towels to minimize the airborne spreading of this waste and its bacteria/viruses. If your school has absorbent powder then that can also be used to cover the waste.
  2. Swiftly move children and other individuals away from the vomit or bodily fluids and have them immediately wash their hands. If any clothing has become contaminated by this bodily fluid release then the clothing should be removed and doubled bagged or machine washed with detergent and hot water.
  3. Clean up the area with a Bodily Fluid Cleanup Kit that only trained staff should be assigned to clean up and disinfect. Usually these kits contain protective supplies like gloves, aprons, shoe covers, etc. Usually schools will use a chlorine bleach solution to disinfect the area. However, when it comes to the odors that are produced from these bodily fluids, schools will sometimes have to get creative such as using saw dust or kitty litter.

How to Get Rid of Vomit Smell

How to Get Rid of Vomit SmellThe cleanup process of how to properly remove and disinfect the surfaces in a school that have become contaminated by bodily fluid releases like vomit has been thoroughly discussed throughout this article. These procedures and processes are very important components to maintaining a clean, safe environment for school children and staff that are or may become exposed to this environment after the bodily fluid emission occurred. However, when it comes to removing the vomit smell or other bodily fluid odors that come with that said fluid, the solution that many schools use is to simply rely on the cleaning power of chlorine bleach to both disinfect and deodorize the vomit smells that have contaminated the space.

Although chlorine bleach will work wonders when it comes to disinfecting a surface, the chemical odors that this cleaning agent will produce into the environment can be strong and sometimes abrasive to those individuals breathing in these chemical fumes. And even sometimes, the smell of vomit will still hang in the air mixed with the chemical odors of the chlorine bleach, which can make for quite a pungent aroma in the air space. Therefore, schools and other public spaces that deal with bodily fluid emissions like hospitals, doctors offices, and even bars/clubs that may have to deal with vomit, urine, or fecal matter have started to turn to commercial grade deodorizing agents that will effectively contain and mitigate the odors from the environment.

Vomit Absorbent Granules for Schools

Schools and other commercial facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, doctors’ offices, and even bars/clubs will all encounter frequent unpleasant vomit odors, along with other bodily fluid aromas in the environment. These industries and public spaces have tried nearly all the solutions to try to remediate these situations, including cat litter and a wide range of liquid clumping, odor removing solutions. One of the most popular and effective solutions that these schools and commercial facilities have adopted and stocked for on hand use whenever the situation presents itself is vomit absorbent granules that will work to easily clump and remove the bodily fluid emission, while also deodorizing the liquid in the environment.

Vomit Absorbent Granules for SchoolsThe OdorKlenz Absorbent Granules are a revolutionary commercial grade vomit absorbent granule(s) that can be easily used and integrated into schools and other commercial facilities that have to deal with these bodily fluid problems on their surfaces. The superabsorbent granules not only soak up the liquid messes, i.e. vomit, so that it is easier to clean up, but it also uses a patented earth mineral technology that allows for a broad spectrum and effective neutralization of noxious and toxic chemicals and odors that are produced from the liquid mess. This technology contains safe, nontoxic earth minerals that will work by capturing, containing, and neutralizing a broad spectrum of noxious and toxic chemicals and odors from the surface, including vomit and other bodily fluids. The commercial grade absorbent granule solution is ideal for veterinarian offices, bars or restaurants, daycares, transportation companies, and for schools to help spill containment, vomit odor neutralization and cleanup, and urine containment.

Absorbent Granules

OdorKlenz Absorbent Granules are perfect for cleaning up liquid mishaps that you might meet throughout the day. The superabsorbent granules not only soak up the mess so it’s easier to clean, but it uses the OdorKlenz patented earth mineral technology to eliminate the odors at the source.

Technology originally designed for chemical warfare decontamination

Patented Earth Mineral Technology works to attack the VOC and break down on a compound level.

 Great for treating liquid messes, including urine, vomit, diarrhea, household chemical spills, blood, garbage spill, and food spills.

No chemicals or masking agents

Will not release any chemicals back into your environment

Offers superior performance when compared to commercially available counterparts