Auto body repair & detailing: vomit

Question
This is an off the wall question... I am considering volunteering to drive cancer patients to and from treatment, and was told it's very rare, but they may get sick on the way back. Only a paper bag/towels would be supplied. This may sound selfish or insensitive, but I'm hesitating taking the chance; my car is only
a year old and I baby it. If someone vomits inside the car, how easily can an auto detailer get rid of any stains, and especially the smell?  Thanks

Answer
Hi Lee,

Thank you for volunteering your time for such a worthy cause.

The question is not selfish and is very important.

A good detailer should be able to clean up the vomit. The problem is that the type of vomit can effect the type of cleaning and how much the liquid penetrates the area surfaces will be the determining factor.

Let me explain. If the vomit is mostly solid it will be easy to clean up and disinfect. The more liquid, the harder it is to clean up and disinfect. A steam cleaner is a must because it cleans, disinfects and kills the bacteria that causes the smell.

If you are going to do this volunteer work I would look into covering the entire area with something that can be taken out and washed or hosed off. Buying two would help because you can put the fresh clean one in while the other one dries. Never put it back in without it being fully dried. I am sure if you explain to the person why you are covering up the area, most would understand.