How to Remove Blood Stains from Fabrics
It could be your menses starting unexpectedly, leaving your clothes or bed sheets visibly soiled. Or it could be a case of being pricked or bruised during a gardening session. Or your child had a sudden nosebleed. These messy instances always result in one thing: blood-stained clothes. This post explains how to remove blood stains from fabrics.
Blood Stain on Fabric? What You Need to Know
You may feel your clothes are beyond redeeming when you encounter these bloody mishaps. Understandably, because bloodstains are the most stubborn and hard to remove. Not even the many stain removers on the market are a match for the tough bodily fluid.
Only a handful of products and remedies have been proven to remove blood stains effectively. However, it’s easier to remove fresh blood stains, so you should always act faster and use the right products before the stain sets in and dries.
Since blood is made up of proteins, sugar, fat, and cellular matter, you want to curb the effect of the stains on your favorite clothing before the oxidation of hemoglobins happens.
Otherwise, if you’re a few minutes too late, removing blood stains from fabrics is possible, but you’ll need to follow pro steps and use the right products to avoid damaging your clothes. That’s what we’re offering in today’s post: proven ways to remove blood stains on fabrics and the best products to use.
Can Home Remedies Help Remove Blood Stains from Fabrics?
Of course, but it depends on the specific remedies. Many people swear by different solutions, and if you’re not informed, you could try different ideas and end up disappointed.
Some solutions are too crazy to even think about. For example, there is no scientific evidence that soaking blood-stained clothes in milk will remove the stains, yet many people swear by this method.
However, for those that work, you’ll need to incorporate other methods or solutions because none works exclusively for itself. Examples of common remedies for blood stains include:
- Baking soda;
- White vinegar;
- Salt solution;
- Oxygen bleach;
- Pet mess stain remover;
- Enzymatic stain remover;
- Contact/saline solution;
- Hydrogen peroxide.
If you decide to use any of these home remedies to remove stubborn blood stains, we recommend reading the instructions for usage and measurement as indicated on the product label. It’s advisable to check the labels on your clothing too to ascertain what should or should not be used.
For example, read the care label to confirm if you can or cannot use bleach on a particular type of clothing. If your clothing is compatible with chlorine and non-chlorine bleach, follow the instructions in this guide to remove the blood stains.
Otherwise, stick to soft detergents specifically formulated to remove tough blood stains, such as the Carbona Stain Devils. To determine a product’s safety, it’s advisable to test it on an inconspicuous piece of cloth and act based on the outcome.
With that said, here are the steps to removing blood stains from fabrics, including white fabric and deep-set stains.
Removing Fresh Blood from Clothes
Most stains, including blood, are easier to remove when fresh. Soap and water can be super effective in this instance, whether it’s jeans, sheets, or white cotton t-shirts. Here are the steps to removing fresh blood.
Step 1: Gather the essentials
When you notice fresh blood stains on your clothing, quickly gather the essential supplies to remove them before they dry. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Lots of water;
- A piece of soap;
- Fabric-safe bleach;
- Enzyme detergent;
- Laundry pre-treater;
- Hydrogen peroxide.
Step 2: Flush the stain in lots of water
Removing fresh blood stains will be easier if you flush it first with lots of running water. Do this through the back of the stained clothing to push the stains easily from the fabric. Do it thoroughly until only a faint stain is left on the fabric.
Step 3: Use soap
It’s time to utilize your piece of soap to eliminate the stain completely and also get rid of the smell of blood. Run the soap on the stained spot, then add a few drops of enzyme-containing liquid detergent. Rub the stained fabric against itself to work the soap directly into the blood stain.
Step 3: Alternate soap and water
Keep applying soap onto the stain while rubbing vigorously, then flush with more water. Repeat the process as many times until the stain clears.
Step 4: Apply hydrogen peroxide
Next, apply hydrogen peroxide to the stained spot on your clothing. We recommend pouring some of it onto a sponge instead of directly on the fabric. Scrub the stain with the sponge for a few minutes.
Step 5: Use laundry pre-treater
In this step, apply some laundry pre-treater on the fabric and rub it in. Let it soak for a few minutes, then wash the garment in warm water. You can machine wash or do it manually.
Step 6: Give it a final rinse
Once you’re satisfied the stain is completely gone, rinse your garment with lots of water to remove the stain and soap residues. Machine or manual dry as per the instructions on the care label.
How to Eliminate dFried Blood from Clothes
Okay, so you didn’t intercept the blood stains earlier and failed to remove them while they were still fresh. Fret not. It’s still possible to remove dried blood stains with the right steps. That, and a powerful stain remover are all you need to get the job done. Here are quick steps to make this easy.
Step 1: Gather everything you’ll need
Here, you’ll need some, if not all, of the following:
- Bar soap;
- Ammonia;
- Laundry pre-treater;
- Fabric-safe bleach;
- Enzyme detergent;
- Laundry pre-treater;
- Stain-removing soaking detergent.
Step 2: Presoak the garment.
Removing tough stains like dried blood will be easier if you start with a little soaking. Add the stain-removing soaker in cold water and soak the bloodied clothing. A good example is the Carbona Oxy Powered Laundry Soaker. Add no more than two teaspoonfuls and let the clothing sit in the mixture overnight.
Step 3: Pretreat the stains
After the stain has been thoroughly soaked for some time, pretreat it with a good laundry pre-treater. Alternatively, use bar soap and mild bleach. If that isn’t effective in removing the stains, repeat step 2 above. Presoak the garment again, this time for several hours. You can add a teaspoon of ammonia to the speaking mix to accelerate the process.
Step 4: Launder and rinse
The combination of fabric pre-soaker, pre-treater, ammonia, mild bleach, and enzyme detergent will be enough to remove even the most stubborn stains. Launder and rinse off the garment and follow the drying instructions indicated on the care label.
Removing Blood Stains Using Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most powerful blood stain removers out there, and you can use it on fresh and dried blood stains. The only downside is that it can damage some fabric types, so a spot test is crucial before using it on your clothing. To use this method, follow these steps:
Step 1: Get the necessary supplies
Here, you’ll need a light-colored piece of cloth, hydrogen peroxide itself, and lots of water. Also, keep a spray bottle nearby if you’re dealing with a large stain.
Step 2: Perform a spot test
Run a quick test on the hem of your clothing to ascertain that the product doesn’t cause the color to fade. Once you confirm it’s safe to use on your garment, move on to the next step.
Step 3: Apply hydrogen peroxide to stain
The next step is applying the product to the stain. Pour some of it on a light piece of cloth and dab on the stained spot on your clothing. If the stain is too large, a spray bottle should work.
Step 4: Rinse thoroughly
Having removed the stain with the hydrogen peroxide, rinse it off with lots of running water. This helps to remove both the stain and chemical residues. Dry according to instructions on the garment.
How to Remove Blood Stains That Set In
Set-in blood stains can be the most stubborn and complex to remove unless you use something extremely powerful than hydrogen peroxide. Consider using an oxygen bleach solution if your clothing is heavily stained with blood.
This method works best with bulky items or large stains. So long as the instructions indicate you can use bleach on that clothing item, you can get started with these steps:
Step 1: Get your tools and materials
You don’t need much here except oxygen bleach, laundry detergent, and a wash basin.
Step 2: Get a large container for soaking
This step involves lots of deep soaking, so you need a large washing basin or container to soak up the stained item. The side of the container depends on how bulky the item or items are. Alternatively, use the washer’s basin if your top-loading washing machine allows chemical soaking.
Step 3: Fill a basin with hot water
Fill the basin with hot water enough to submerge the item. It should be ⅔ full of hot water to allow enough room for the item to fit and submerge effortlessly.
Step 4: Add the oxygen bleach
Before you soak the item, mix the hot water with oxygen bleach and let it dissolve. Follow the instructions for dosing, and then place your garment inside the mixture.
Step 5: Soak the stained item
Place the stained item deep inside the container with the hot water solution until completely submerged. Turn it in a few times to allow the water mixture to penetrate the garment, and let it sit for a few hours.
Step 6: Rinse
At this point, your clothing item has been rid of blood stains. You can launder it as usual with laundry detergent, rinse it off thoroughly until the smell of oxygen bleach is completely gone, then air or machine dry.
Conclusion
Blood stains on your favorite garment can be a nightmare, especially if it’s white or new. The good news is that you can easily remove the stains if you use a few tried and tested products and follow some proven techniques guaranteed to get the job done.
Whether it’s fresh new blood, dried blood, or heavy blood stains, you can get it off without damaging your clothes. These quick steps and remedies will prove helpful when you need to solve a bloody problem.
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