Removing Blood Stains by Rachel Sanfordlyn Shreckengast
01/25/05 Update - Spit - My sister recently asked me why I don't have
the spit solution in my blood removal article as said solution is free. After
verifying that she meant what I thought she meant, I tested the solution. If you
have only a drop or two of blood, you can spit on the drop and the spit will react
in a very similar manner to hydrogen peroxide. Saliva has something in it that
reacts to the blood, which allows you to "towel" it away.
Also in this update, I need to point out a few home truths. I am not an expert
at blood removal. If you send me an email regarding how to clean up mass amounts
of blood, I am likely to wonder quite strange things about you. As for the
officer that wanted to know whether it would be easier to clean blood off of certain
materials, please check with a crime scene clean-up crew as they would have practical
experience with such. I can suppose/guess that leather is easier to clean
than cotton, but this is based on common sense rather than any expertise in
the field itself. As for other email on this topic, all of the information I
have is based on practical experience, and is contained within the article itself.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is both a frugal and effective method for blood stain removal. At under 50 cents a bottle (though I've been able to find it for 33 cents a bottle at the dollar store), you can use the entire bottle and still be ahead in most cases. To use it, simply pour a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on the blood stain. It works best on fresh blood stains (and will immediately attack them), but will also work on older blood stains as long as the item has not been dried in a clothing dryer. Fresh blood stains will often be gone with one to two applications of hydrogen peroxide, while older stains usually take more. What will happen is that the hydrogen peroxide will come into contact with the blood and start bubbling. Let it set for a few seconds and you will have what can only be described as a white foam substance. Take an old towel and remove the white foam substance. Pat dry. Repeat if necessary. This is what I use on furniture and/or mattresses. I've never once had hydrogen peroxide change the color on anything, but test in a hidden area first just in case.
Shampoo
Shampoo plus scrubbing will work on blood stains, though I don't personally find that it works as well as hydrogen peroxide. It does work in a pinch though and is very useful if you don't have any hydrogen peroxide in the house. I find that regular shampoo (without conditioner or not made for dry/damaged or colored/permed hair) works best for blood stain removal...by far the best I have used for this purpose are; clarifying, deep cleaning/cleansing and baby shampoo. Shampoo works best on fresh blood stains, but will also work on older stains with more scrubbing and if the stain has not been dried in a clothes dryer. Pour a small amount of shampoo on the stain. If the stain is not fresh, you may need to add a few drops of water just to get a lather going. Use a scrub brush (or nail brush) with nylon bristles (so that you don't destroy the fabric as much with the scrubbing action). Alternate your scrubbing motion in order to lift off as much blood as possible. Once you have worked out as much blood as possible, use an old towel to lift off as much of the shampoo as possible. Pat dry and repeat as necessary. Once you believe that the entire stain is lifted, you will need to rinse out the shampoo with clear water. Add a few drops of water, pat dry. Continue until the water is clear and has no bubbles/lather in it. This will take a while, but you should not skip this step as the area will attract other stains (basically, it will attract dirt) to it unless you rinse completely (on items that are not clothing, clothing will go through the wash and that should take care of most of the shampoo).
Detergent
Detergent can be used in combination with a pre-soak of clothing and works best on fresh blood stains. Soak clothing in cool/cold water (hot water sometimes sets the stain). You can add some detergent to the water if you wish, but it also works if you don't. Make a paste of detergent (dry detergent plus water or simply use liquid detergent as is) and place on the stain. Let sit a bit and rinse out. If you find that only a little bit of blood is left, you can lightly scrub the area (with a nylon bristled scrub/nail brush or an old toothbrush) to see if that takes care of the problem. If you can't see any more blood, launder (in cool or cold setting) and hang to dry. Do not place the item in the clothing dryer until you are sure that the stain is gone as the dryer will set any stains. Repeat the process as necessary until the blood stain is completely removed.
Other
Other methods to remove blood stains include a paste of corn starch and water (follow directions for detergent paste), bleaching the item (whether with the sun or a small amount of bleach) and a detergent or clothing cleanser that uses enzymes. Enzymes work because blood has iron in it (which is why it turns the iron color when dry and also the reason that blood tends to bind to fibers) and regular soaps use products that attack greases and fats, while enzymes attack the proteins (like in iron). Bleaching is a very useful method if you happen to have a very old stain that doesn't respond to other methods. Women who have seperate sets of underwear for menstruation, should know exactly what I mean. To bleach in the sun, simply hang the item somewhere where the sun will shine on the area that the stain is located. After a few times, the stain should be gone. If not, you can try bleach (though I personally don't use it because it degrades the fibers in your clothing) on the stain. Of course, this only works well with items that are white in color. Another bleaching method (though I don't find that it works very well on blood stains) is to wash the items with about a cup of vinegar. I've found that the corn starch paste works about the same as a detergent paste, but it is easier to tell if the stain is gone because you don't have to deal with the bubbles that some detergents cause.
These are the various methods I have used to remove blood stains from items. My absolute favorite method is by using hydrogen peroxide and I urge you to try it if you've never done so. Among the other methods listed, you may have a different favorite than I do and that's perfectly fine. The idea is to experiment until you find something that works for you and to use products that you keep in the house already(in order to save money).
Best Wishes,
Rachel Sanfordlyn Shreckengast
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