Blood Stain Removal Guide

Blood stain removal is something most everyone needs to know about, at one time or another, because unfortunately accidents happen and a little blood can get onto items in your home.

If you have kids you have, no doubt, had to deal with these stains before. Children always seem to fall down and bloody their clothes, and then come in and sit on the carpet after getting that boo boo and it then also gets on the carpet or upholstery.

Even if it is not your kids that have gotten the blood on something in your home, you need to be able to remove those stains completely, if possible.

The two most important rules for removing blood stains are:

1. Treat the spots as quickly as possible, giving it as little chance to set as possible.

2. Do NOT rinse with hot water, which will only set it. Instead, treat only with cold water.

Below are instructions for how to remove blood stains from washable clothing, upholstery and carpet so you can get rid of them and get back to having fun.

Blood Stain Removal From Clothing

Step 1: Assess whether the spot is fresh or dried and old.

Step 2a: If it is new then flush it with cold water, and then soak in cold water for approximately half an hour. Then, apply 3% hydrogen peroxide directly to the spot with an eye dropper.

Step 2b: If it is dried first brush off all dried blood, and then create a soaking solution of cool water and a laundry detergent that contains enzymes to soak the stained item in for at least 30 minutes, and perhaps longer (up to overnight).

Step 3: After soaking, pretreat the spot with a laundry stain remover.

Step 4: Launder as normal, using either chlorine bleach if the fabric will allow it, or oxygen bleach if not.

Hint: Make sure the stain is gone after washing, but before you place in the dryer or you may set the stain. Repeat if necessary.

There are, of course, alternative methods for removing these stains besides what I've suggsted above. You can find additional tips for removing blood stains from fabric here, including using home remedies such as ammonia, or salt.

Further, if you want to purchase a stain remover designed to remove blood, instead of making your own as suggested above, I would personally recommend Carbona blood stain remover, Formula No. 4. You can click the link to read my review and personal experiences with this product on this exact stain, so you can understand why I like it so much.

How To Remove Blood Stains From Upholstery

Step 1: Mix a solution of two cups cold water and one tablespoon dishwashing liquid.

Step 2: Using this solution, sponge the stain with a clean white cloth.

Hint: If the spot has dried onto the upholstery, brush off as much of the dried blood as possible before you begin using the blood stain removal solution.

Step 3: Next, blot the solution until the liquid is absorbed.

Step 4: Repeat steps 2-3 until the spot is removed from the upholstery.

Step 5: Now that the stain is removed you should get plain cold water and a new white cloth and sponge the area to remove the cleaning solution, and then blot dry.

Hint: Be sure to get the upholstery only as wet as necessary to remove the stain from the blood.

Removing Blood Stains From Carpet

The instructions for removing this bodily fluid from carpet is the same as for upholstery.

However, if you don't have luck with this stain removal method above you can also do something additional with the carpet stain, which is to mix a solution of one tablespoon of ammonia with two cups warm water to use as a cleaning solution.

In addition, here are some tips for removing blood stains from carpet you may find helpful.

Submit Your Own Tip For How To Remove A Blood Stain

Do you have your own stain removal tip for removing stains from blood? If so, submit your tip here, or read others tips already submitted.

Get Even More Stain And Spot Removal Help Here

Are you a stain magnet like me? If so, check out the A to Z Stain Removal Guide which gives directions for how to remove over 100 types of stains from all kinds of surfaces.

Fifth photo by acidcookie, from Flickr Creative Commons, and sixth photo by erh555

Related Pages You May Enjoy

A-Z Guide: Instructions For Removing Over 100 Types Of Stains

How To Remove Grass Stains

Washing Clothes Temperature Guide: How To Choose The Best Water Temperature For Your Laundry

Go From Blood Stain Removal To Home Page

CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only. It is provided as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains and messes just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some cleaning methods can harm your item, so if what you want to clean or launder is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.