# What was the name of that stuff they put on the floor when kids vomited at school? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969 "2011-07-06T01:12:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/1 "2011-07-06T01:12:42Z")
…it’s probably no longer in use, but I remember in grade school (early 70s), there was this stuff that resembled chemically treated sawdust the janitor used to put down on kids puke…anyone remember what it was called? (and yes, it would make an awesome BAND NAME!) ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/2 "2011-07-06T01:13:47Z")
I think it was [FloorDry](http://www.cepsorbents.com/proddetail.asp?prod=FLAB50) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/3 "2011-07-06T01:15:56Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > I think it was [FloorDry](http://www.cepsorbents.com/proddetail.asp?prod=FLAB50) that stuff is mostly small “pebbles” and is used as “oil-dry.” I don’t think it’s the same stuff as used to cover puke. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/4 "2011-07-06T01:18:18Z")
The more I think about it, FloorDry doesn’t have an odor like the stuff used in school. I googled “vomit absorbent granules for schools” and there’s a bunch of similar products on the market now. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/5 "2011-07-06T01:21:18Z")
was it ‘puke away’? no maybe that wouldn’t work as a good name. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/6 "2011-07-06T01:28:24Z")
BarfBits? ChunderChow? SpewSoaker? If not, it should have been. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/7 "2011-07-06T01:47:16Z")
IIRC, “Tidy Cat” ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/8 "2011-07-06T01:51:59Z")
Voban? SpillKlenz? Super-Sorb? DryUp? ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/9 "2011-07-06T02:55:49Z")
When I went to school, vomitus was cleaned up using Dustbane sweeping compound. It looked like green sawdust and had a distinctive scent not unlike pine-sol. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/10 "2011-07-06T03:06:57Z")
The one I remember was Vo-Ban. And… …yep, [they still make it](http://www.schoolhealth.com/product/infection+control/clean-up+products/voban+vomit++absorbent,+1+lb..do). ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/11 "2011-07-06T03:22:28Z")
I can’t remember what it is that we used at Walmart, but we had a similar system for any liquid spill. I seem to remember it being “All-zorb” or something similar, but I’ll be damned if I can find any info on google. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/12 "2011-07-06T04:07:22Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > The one I remember was Vo-Ban. > > And… …yep, [they still make it](http://www.schoolhealth.com/product/infection+control/clean-up+products/voban+vomit++absorbent,+1+lb..do). And they still use it in schools when the vomit is…significant. ---
**Author:** ![AlmostPerfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/74df32/32.png) [@AlmostPerfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlmostPerfect)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/13 "2011-07-06T18:32:07Z")
At my job, A roller coaster at a popular theme park, we see people vomit daily. Multiple times, all over the place. We use stuff that we call SandSorb, sort of a portmanteau of sand and absorb. In essence it’s kitty litter. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/14 "2011-07-07T00:51:56Z")
> [@longPath](#): > > When I went to school, vomitus was cleaned up using Dustbane sweeping compound. It looked like green sawdust and had a distinctive scent not unlike pine-sol. _ **Exactly** _, what I remember! 😛 (and I’m pretty sure it’s still sold, and is _ **still used** _ by the Houston ISD, 40 odd years, later!)😃 ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/15 "2011-07-07T01:06:16Z")
When I worked at Six Flags, we had a big ole bucket of kitty litter. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/16 "2011-07-07T03:52:25Z")
We librarians call it “vomit powder” but I don’t know what it technically is as the children’s room gets to keep it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/17 "2011-07-07T03:58:39Z")
Sawdust. Seriously, well… at least when I was young. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/18 "2011-07-07T04:48:51Z")
> [@longPath](#): > > When I went to school, vomitus was cleaned up using Dustbane sweeping compound. It looked like green sawdust and had a distinctive scent not unlike pine-sol. Wow, I hadn’t thought about that stuff in years, and your description just brought it back. That smell WAS very distinctive, and very potent. Do schools still use it? ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/19 "2011-07-07T07:21:26Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > Wow, I hadn’t thought about that stuff in years, and your description just brought it back. That smell WAS very distinctive, and very potent. > > Do schools still use it? See post #14. 😉 I verified it, **yes** they\*\*\* still \*\*\*use the stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969/20 "2011-07-07T19:59:07Z")
When I was a kid, the custodians use a sawdust-like product that smelled exactly like pencil shavings. I think maybe they were… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-that-stuff-they-put-on-the-floor-when-kids-vomited-at-school/587969.md?page=2)