Blood stains are a common occurrence for many people. Whether you cut yourself shaving, or your dog scratched up your arm during an argument, it is important to know how to remove blood stains as soon as possible so they do not get worse. There are many ways to eliminate these stubborn stains from clothing and fabrics in the home, but we will go over the most effective methods so that you can choose which one best suits your needs.
The first thing you need to do is assess the type of stain. If it’s a fresh blood stain, use cold water and soak up as much liquid from the fabric as possible before proceeding with any other steps. This will remove any excess blood that may have seeped into clothing or fabrics as well as clean up both you and your clothes. There are also special products on the market today such as Zout stain remover which help break down proteins in order to get rid of stains quickly without having to scrub too hard at them with a brush or towel (Zout). Hot or warm water will not help break down proteins and enzymes in old stains and could make them worse than they were originally.
If you cannot take care of it right away, try soaking whatever has been stained by getting out all the liquid from around the area before drying completely. The reason is that blood will start drying and entrenching itself into fabric, making it more difficult to remove.
Alternatively, if you are unable to wash the garment or bedding that has been stained with blood at all for any reason, try placing a dry towel over the area and apply pressure for at least five minutes. Wipe up as much liquid as possible before applying any liquids onto what has been stained with blood. Use paper towels first while blotting surface area so no more liquids are added on top of stain (this helps eliminate excess friction) then apply an enzyme based cleaner over entire garment until dry. This should act like soap when working out the protein molecules created by the blood.
Repeat as necessary. The goal is to absorb the blood from the surface of whatever has been stained so that it can no longer seep down into other fabric fibres. This will help in removing blood stains and preventing them from reappearing over time!
If spot still remains after following these steps, apply hydrogen peroxide onto stain while blotting area with paper towel first and let it sit out overnight or at least eight hours. This should help break down the protein molecules created by blood so that they can be removed from your fabric during your next washing process.
The next time you do laundry, be sure to use a pre-treatment product designed for blood stains. They contain enzymes that will break down the proteins in order to remove them from fabric. Be sure to follow instructions carefully or there is a chance it can worsen the problem and lead to discolouration of your clothing, even if it’s dark coloured.
If the blood has already been dry, you can use a solvent, which is a liquid that can dissolve solids. This type of stain is usually more stubborn and might require a few treatments, but it should eventually be removed.
There are a few types of solvents that work well on blood stains:
If there's no change, repeat process with an enzymatic cleaner instead of baking soda, soap or vinegar. An enzymatic cleaner is an alternative cleaner for tough spills that are set in too deep or have been spilled days ago before they had time to dry out completely.
Whichever method you used, machine wash your sheets with cold water when you are done. Don't throw your sheets into the dryer until the stains are completely gone, or you could cause them to set.
All this being said, always remember that removing blood stains does not get rid of bacteria which could be lurking around your clothing or sheets with every wear or cycle through the washer to give you an unpleasant surprise at some point during your next use. Always wash these items again after applying any type of treatment just to make sure they are safe for yourself and those who may come into contact with them later on.