Blood Stain Removal tips, advice and a little anecdote

Our readers tend to recommend Oxy type bleaches or dilute Hydrogen Peroxide as a solution to blood stains. Soaking in cold water also seems to be a good idea, as does VERY PROMPT ACTION; the sooner you can get the blood stain under a cold water faucet the better. Read on and learn more.

Blood Removal Tip. The best way to get blood out of clothing and fabric is with hydrogen peroxide - the inexpensive stuff you get at the drug store. It 'lifts' the organic stain up and off the fabric, you can actually see it dissolving the stain. You may need to BLOT the stain/peroxide with a towel or paper towel and resaturate and repeat. Lori in Houston -- Lori Fruth

Blood Stains: The following happened to me on a holiday in Europe:- A small cut on my ear which I sustained the day before, opened up during an afternoon nap. It bled copiously and I must have moved around in my sleep for I managed to make the luxury hotel sheets look as if a massacre had taken place. The hotel had supplied brilliantly white sheets, two duvet covers and four pillowcases and only two of the items were free from the stains, the largest bright red stain was as large as a human hand and even as I stood up on the bed to survey the damage, a dozen or so new spots appeared as drips fell off my ear!

I took the bedclothes straight to bath and started scrubbing them in cold water. Then I remembered that I had read somewhere that oxy type bleaches worked for blood stains and was about to rush out to buy some when I noticed that my wife's toothpaste was Colgate 'Oxygen' - I set out to test the theory with a small dollop on a spot, this rapidly faded to white in twenty seconds or so. I set to work. Half a toothpaste tube and half an hour later the stains had gone and we were back to how they had looked before the event. I hung the sheets up in the shower to dry and only then I could wipe the sweat from my brow and pour myself a glass of water.

The hotel was excellent but not cheap; the water bill for three small bottles was $12.00 when we checked out, so I hate to think what we would have been charged for new sheets and duvet covers. It also saved the embarrassment of explaining so much blood - perhaps even arrest and interrogation in a foreign jail! - Thank you Mr Colgate -- Rolf Douglas  

Stuck on Gum and Blood Stains: I've found the best thing for removing blood stains from clothing is liquid Tide. Just place garment in a pail of water with a fairly decent amount of liquid Tide. Let it soak for a couple hours and the blood just disappears.

Also, when my daughter was little she fell asleep in the back seat of my grandma's car and smeared her gum all over the upholstery. It was summer time and very hot. I was sure the seat was ruined. Anyway, I had some mineral spirits on hand and decided to give it a try. I wasn't sure if it would affect the color of the velour, but figured the seat was ruined already. It removed the gum easily and didn't bother the color (maroon) whatsoever. What a relief! -- Renee Charbonneau 23/04/08 -- In some places Mineral Spirits are known as 'White Spirit' -- Ed

Peroxide for Blood Stains: - Peroxide removes blood instantly if it is wet or fairly new. If it has thoroughly dried, drop peroxide on it several time throughout the day and gently rub. I have used on drycleaning, too. Doesn't always remove it if it has already been drycleaned or dried in a dryer, though.

All Purpose Emergency for clothing stains - I find the Tide "pen" and Oxyclean spray for the purse, or desk for men. I have used them a lot in the car, while eating on the run - oink, oink. I usually try the Tide Pen first. No need to rinse it out.-- Linda Hamilton

Blood Stains. Hello, I was on your website reading about how to remove ink stains from fabric and as I was reading there were some great tips. I have one of my own personal favorite stain remover for blood stains to share. My teenage daughter during her time of the month got blood on the couch. So I grabbed my bottle of peroxide and poured it right on the spot, dabbed with a clean cloth and repeated until it was gone. It is like there was never even a spot there. It works great and I believe it works on any fabric. Thought I would share. -- Kristian C

Blood Stains: To remove or reduce fresh blood stains, soak the item in a bowl of milk overnight then wash in the normal way -- Jane Jea

Cold Water for Blood Stains. To get fresh blood off of clothing (even white), all you have to do is rinse with cold water and rub a little bit. This works very well, I know because I get a lot of nosebleeds. -- Michael M

Blood stains - Spit on it - or use meat tenderiser or ammonia - Davio

Useful links:
A site devoted to stain removal - www.stainexpert.co.uk