Remove Dried Blood Stains from Fabric

New Tip

• I have just Colgate advanced whitening toothpaste on a blue cotton shirt, it worked brilliantly. First run cold water over affected area, then put some toothpaste directly on stain, give it a vigorous rubbing. Leave it to sit for 15 mins, then another quick rub, rinse, job done.

 A dried blood stain on your fabric can still be removed, although this becomes much more difficult if the stain has been washed in hot water or put through a drier. There are many methods for attempting this, from using readily available kitchen or laundry tools, to stronger products. Be especially cautious when attempting to remove a stain from silk, wool, or other delicate fabrics.

Method: Scrubbing with Soap and Water

 

1

Use this simple method primarily for linen and cotton. This method requires no special tools, but does take a significant amount of prolonged rubbing. It is especially suited to stains on natural fibres such as linen and cotton. Fabrics whose surfaces fragment into small round surface balls, known as "bobbles" or "pills," require a longer period of more gentle rubbing. These fabrics include wool and most artificial fibres.

2

Turn the fabric so the stain is face-down. In this position, water can work at the stain from the back, pushing it outward and off the fabric. Rinsing in this position is more effective than running the water directly onto the stain.

• You may need to turn clothing inside out to achieve this.
  

3

Flush the stain with cold water. Even an old stain typically hasn't worked its way into the fabric completely, so start by removing the loosely attached surface portions. Run cold water over the back of the fabric, so it pushes through the stain. Hold the fabric in the running water for several minutes, and the stain should be at least slightly smaller.

• Warning: never wash a blood stain in warm or hot water, which may cause it to bond permanently to the fibres of the fabric.
  

4

Rub soap into the stain. Turn the fabric over so the stain is face-up. Rub bar soap into the stain generously, to produce a thick lather. Any soap can be used, but traditional solid block laundry soap may have a stiffer, more effective lather than milder hand soap.

5

Grip the stained area with both hands. Roll or scrunch up two areas of fabric, on either side of the stain. Grip one in each hand to provide a good grip on the area, allowing you to rub it together.

6

Rub the stain against itself. Turn the two handfuls of fabric so the stain is in two halves and facing each other. Rub the stained fabric against itself vigorously, or gently but quickly if the fabric is delicate. The friction you generate should slowly loosen the remaining particles of blood, which will remain in the lather rather than re-adhering to the fabric.

• Gloves may be worn to protect the skin from abrasion or blisters. Tight-fitting latex or nitrile gloves may provide the least hindrance to grip and dexterity.
  

7

Periodically replace the water and soap and continue rubbing. If the fabric starts getting dry or losing its lather, flush the stain with fresh water and re-apply the soap. Continue rubbing each stained area in this way until it is gone. If you see no improvement after five to ten minutes, try rubbing more vigorously or move on to a different method.

  Method: Using Meat Tenderizer

1

Use this on any fabric, but cautiously on silk and wool. Meat tenderizer powder, sold in grocery stores, can break down the proteins found in blood stains. While it is recommended by some silk experts, meat tenderizer does have the potential to break down silk and wool fibres as well.^[3] Test this method on a small corner of these fabrics first, to see if damage occurs.

2

Wet unseasoned meat tenderizer. Put about 15 mL (1 tbsp) unseasoned meat tenderizer into a small bowl. Gradually add water while stirring until a thick paste is formed.

• Do not use seasoned meat tenderizer, as the seasonings may stain your fabric.

3

Rub the paste gently into the fabric. Spread the paste on the dried blood stain and gently rub it with your fingers. Let it sit for about an hour.

4

Rinse out the paste before washing. After the hours is up, rinse the paste out with cold water. Wash the fabric as usual, but air dry rather than using a drier, since the heat can cause remnants of the stain to set permanently.

Method: Using Lemon Juice and Sunlight

 

1

Use this method in sunny weather. This method uses common ingredients, but requires sunlight to finish the process. You will also need to wait for the fabric to air dry before you can tell whether the stain was successfully removed, making it slower than most other methods.

• Warning: lemon juice and sun are both capable of harming delicate fabrics, especially silk.

2

Soak the stained fabric in cold water. Submerge the fabric in cold water for a few minutes. While it is soaking, gather up the other materials you will need. This includes lemon juice, salt, and a zip lock plastic bag large enough to contain the clothing

3

Wring the clothing gently and transfer it to a bag. Twist the clothing to remove some excess water. Untwist it and transfer it into a large, resealable plastic bag.

4

Add lemon juice and salt. Pour about 500 mL (2 cups) lemon juice and 120 mL (1/2 cup) salt into the plastic bag and seal it.

5

Massage the fabric. With the bag closed, press the contents together to work the lemon juice into the fabric, focusing on the stained areas. Some of the salt should dissolve, and may help rub the lemon juice into the fabric, or abrade the stain itself.

6

Remove the fabric after ten minutes. Let the bag sit for ten minutes. Take out the fabric from the bag and squeeze out the excess lemon juice.

7

Dry the fabric in the sun. Hang the fabric on a clothesline or clothes horse, or spread it on a flat surface and leave it to dry. Do this in a sunny area, not just in front of a heater. It may feel stiff once dry, but this should go away once the item has been washed normally

8

Wash the fabric with water. If the blood stain is gone, wash the fabric with water to remove all the lemon salt solution. If the blood stain remains, moisten the fabric and let it dry under the sun again.

Tips

• Pretest the solutions you are going to use on a small, hidden part of the fabric to ensure there is no discoloring or damage to the fabric fibers.
• Some of the removal methods above can also be used for carpets or cloth upholstery with dried blood stains. Dab them with a slightly wet sponge rather than soaking them, however, as too much water may damage them.

Warnings

• Do not put the fabric in the dryer until you are sure that the stain is gone. The heat from the dryer may cause the stain to set on your fabric permanently.
• Always wear protective gloves when you are handling blood that is not yours. This is to protect you from the risk of catching blood-borne diseases.
• Never mix ammonia with bleach, as it creates extremely dangerous fumes.