Remove Bloodstains from Clothing

Did you throw on that Phil Collins album and let your inner Christian Bale out? Hope not. Whatever happened, you have a blood stain to deal with. Not all may be lost. Act quickly. Here's all you need.

Steps

For Newly-Set Stains

  1. Blot with or soak in cold water. If the stain is small, blotting it will do. If it looks like the river ran red, soak it entirely. The important part here is cold water. Everything you're doing should be cold -- heat will just make it set.
    • If available, add 2 tablespoons of salt or ammonia.[1] Dishwashing liquid or laundry detergent are also viable options.
  2. For darker fabrics, rub with a bar of soap. For lighter fabrics, hydrogen peroxide may be used (it acts as a bleaching agent). Lather it gently.[2]
    • Be careful with hydrogen peroxide! It's a bleaching agent, so it could mar the color of your fabric. Test a bit first.
  3. Wash as usual. That should be all you need to be luckier than Lady Macbeth; in other words, the stain should come out. However, if you didn't get to the stain when it was fresh, you may need to bust out some tricks.

Using A Salt Solution

  1. Add 1 cup of salt to 2 quarts of water. Mix it up well until all the salt is dissolved. For super small stains, use smaller, yet equivalent, amounts.
  2. Soak the stain in the solution for half an hour. It'll be tempting to mess with it, but you don't have to. Just throw 'er in and walk away.
  3. After 30 minutes, check out the stain. Rub the material back and forth with your hands. Is the stain still there? If it is, rub on a bit of soap and get to rubbing again. How's it looking?
    • It's highly possible that right now it's ALL GONE. At the very least, there should be a shadow of what once was.
  4. Launder as normal. If the salt solution worked like the charm that it is, your stain should be nothing but a recent memory. If it's still sticking, try some of the other methods outlined on this page.

Using Ammonia

  1. Apply a stain-removing spray or stick and rub well. Alternately, use a bit of detergent. Let it soak in thoroughly. Be generous with the amount you use and the time you give it.
  2. Apply a bit of diluted ammonia and let set. Ammonia is tough stuff and is great on stubborn stains. This is easiest with a cotton swab, though a rag will also do. If you don't have any ammonia, consider a few of the everyday household items you may have:[3]
    • Club soda (poured directly onto the stain)
    • Vinegar (poured on and blotted)
    • Baking soda (2 parts water, 1 part baking soda, blotted)
    • Saliva (works best with silk[4])
  3. Wash in your usual manner. Use an enzyme detergent that is made for breaking down tough stains. Products like OxyClean are also advised.
  4. Once the stain is gone, dry as needed. However, heat sets stains -- so if any stain is left, do not expose it to high temperatures. If it doesn't come out after two or three attempts, you may have to throw in the towel.

Using Hydrogen Peroxide

  1. If the stain is fresh, blot it with a paper towel. Make sure you're not pressing the layers of fabric together -- or else the stain might soak into the other side.
    • Be careful to blot gently. Don't be tempted to rub or scrub the stain -- that'll just force it to set more quickly.
  2. Pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain.[5] This could damage some fabrics, so take caution. If yours can handle it, pour a bit into the cap and then right onto the stain. It'll froth and bubble -- signs it's working!
    • As the peroxide settles, can you still see the stain? If so, blot the previous application and pour on some more. Repeat until the stain is almost all but disappeared.
    • If you're concerned, dilute the hydrogen peroxide with a bit of water.
  3. If the stain is stubborn, rub on a bit more hydrogen peroxide with your fingers. This works it into the reaches of your fabric, getting at the stubborn spots. For large, set stains, this may be necessary.
  4. Apply a stain remover and launder as usual. Actually, you only need the stain remover if any of the stain is still there. Launder it as you normally would -- but don't dry it until you're sure the stain is gone. Heat will just guarantee the stain is around for good.

Using Lemon Juice and Baking Soda

  1. Make a solution of 2 parts lemon juice to 1 part water.[6] Mix it well.
  2. Apply the mixture directly onto the stain.[6] Rub the area gently with your fingers, working the stain out.
  3. If the stain doesn't lift, apply a baking soda paste to the stain. Using cold water, make a paste of 2 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Apply directly to the stain and let sit for up to half an hour.[7]
  4. Remove the paste and blot with a damp paper towel or cloth. By this point, your stain should be super gone. If the paper towel or cloth saturates, trade it in for a new one.
  5. Launder as usual. If a bit of the stain is being stubborn, throw it in the laundry with a cup of vinegar.[8] It will rinse the stain out and is good on all colors.
    • Air dry the clothing. It's still best to avoid extreme temperatures right now, in case any of the stain is still present and it's hard to tell in the soaked cloth. If it's still present, simply move onto another method!

Tips

  • Hydrogen peroxide can be applied to the stain with an eyedropper but can damage fabric. Dilute it with 50% water first.
  • As soon as you notice the stain, use a stain remover such as Shout and soak it for a few minutes, or if it's not too delicate, even overnight. Then, wash it out.
  • To immediately remove blood from a garment when washing may not always be practical (perhaps at a social event); if this situation occurs remove the garment, wet the freshly stained area, put a damp cloth, towel or wad of paper towels under the stain and brace the garment on top of a very firm flat surface. Now take another damp cloth, towel, or wad of paper towels and strike the blood stained area with great force repeatedly. This action causes the water in the towel striking to jet through the garment pushing the fresh blood along with it into the towel below. A little soap and a strong friend can expedite the process.
  • Sprinkling baking soda, salt and meat tenderizer on the stain in half hour intervals before washing should take the stain off. Since the products used in this procedure work to remove the stains by breaking down the residual blood in the cloth, any other agent you can think of that does similar things to meat as these three products do is worth a try! This system is good because you don't have to worry about bleaching the fabric, like you would if you used hydrogen peroxide or bleach.
  • Many standard washing powders now contain enzymes which help to dissolve blood stains.

Warnings

  • Keep in mind that blood will still show up under a black light when certain chemicals are applied.
  • Try to avoid using hot water at all costs. Applying heat to the garment will make the blood permanently set in.
  • Be careful about your fabrics! Remember that blood is a protein. If you use tenderizer or other enzymes on animal products (wool, silk) you might break down the fibers.
  • Be sure and isolate the cause of the stain to prevent further damage. If unsure, always were protective gloves while handling blood stained areas. Safe preventative measures will eliminate any possibilities of infection to yourself of blood born diseases. One can never be too safe.
  • If you involved in any type of illegal activity in which the blood got on your clothing, then it is against the law to remove it and not inform the police.

Things You'll Need

Method One: For Newly-Set Stains

  • Cloth (for blotting)
  • Salt or ammonia (if available)
  • Bar of soap (for dark colors)
  • Cold water

Method Two: Using a Salt Solution

  • Salt
  • Cold Water
  • Paper towel or cloth

Method Three: Using Ammonia

  • Stain remover
  • Ammonia/detergent
    • Secondary choices: baking soda, club soda, vinegar, saliva
  • Hydrogen peroxide/bar of soap
  • Cold Water

Method Four: Using Hydrogen Peroxide

  • Cloth or paper towel
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Cold Water
  • Stain remover

Method Five: Using Lemon Juice and Baking Soda

  • Lemon juice
  • Cold water
  • Baking Soda
  • Cloth or paper towel
  • Vinegar

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://lifehacker.com/5823510/how-to-remove-blood-stains
  2. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/stain-removal/remove-blood-stains-00000000002304/index.html
  3. ↑ http://www.happynews.com/living/cleaningtips/remove-blood-stains.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.silksheetsguide.com/stains/
  5. ↑ http://voices.yahoo.com/nosebleeds-remove-blood-stains-clothes-sheets-7693572.html?cat=25
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://voices.yahoo.com/how-remove-blood-stains-lemon-juice-1842006.html?cat=68
  7. ↑ http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-remove-blood-stains/
  8. ↑ http://voices.yahoo.com/the-best-natural-way-blood-stains-out-clothing-6779676.html?cat=46
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