How to Remove Blood Stains

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.

Remove blood stains when it's still wet

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.

Remove blood stains when it's dry

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:

Detergent like Woolite powdered detergent (you can find at most grocery stores) or dish soap. Add about a tablespoon to very hot water and soak whatever has been stained for 30 minutes before washing it in warm, soapy water with an old toothbrush as soon as possible followed by rinsing under cool tap water.

Laundry stain remover is also effective since they often have enzymes which break down protein stains such as blood from sweat or skin cells – try something like Shout Stain Release Spray Gel.

Simple green spray cleaner should remove any type of organic stain including blood due to the natural plant extracts which will break down proteins.

White vinegar is also a good option, which has the benefit of disinfecting as well. It can be diluted in water to about 50% before being sprayed or soaked on stained items for 30 minutes and then washed with warm soapy water followed by rinsing under cool tap water. To make it extra potent, add some hydrogen peroxide – this chemical oxidises blood stains while leaving your clothing stain free!

Lemon juice works really well too because of its acidity level; just like white vinegar you have to let the lemon juice work for around an hour before washing out any loose soils from the fabric using cold water first. Again, once that’s done use hot soap suds to wash the fabric and then rinse with cold water.

If you’re looking for a quick solution, try hydrogen peroxide! You can use it at full strength by simply spraying onto the stained area of your clothing – just make sure to let it dry before putting on again. Or, dilute in as much water as needed (around 50%) and leave on for around 30 minutes; follow up with washing using cool or warm soap suds before rinsing with cold tap water.

Lastly if all else fails there are two go-to stain removal products that will remove blood stains almost instantly - they’re simple to find too! One is called Outright Stain Remover which has been specifically designed to work against the toughest of stains including blood. Apply directly onto the stained area and wash away with cold water after a few minutes – voila!

The other is called Wonder Cleaner which has been specifically designed to work against difficult stains, such as those that are greasy or oily; it’s also great for dealing with blood too! We recommend diluting in warm water first before applying on the stain then washing off using cool or warm soap suds followed by rinsing with either hot tap water or cold tap water.