If you're wondering how to remove blood stains from clothes, start with cold water right away on anything washable. Hot water can set blood stains into the fibers, making them much harder to remove. A cold rinse gives you the best chance of lifting it before it sets.
Cold water is the starting point, not the whole plan. Fresh stains are easier to treat with a cold rinse and detergent. Dried stains may need a longer soak and an enzyme treatment. A stain that's already been through the dryer is tougher to shift and may take more than one round of treatment.
Silk, wool, and anything marked dry-clean-only follow a separate path because standard stain-removal methods may damage those fabrics.
The American Cleaning Institute's stain removal guide backs the cold-water rule directly, warning that hot water will set a blood stain before there's a chance to treat it. For dried stains, ACI recommends an enzyme presoak using the temperature directed on the product label.
The method below splits by stain age and fabric type for that reason.
What you'll need
Basic supplies cover most fresh stains:
Cold running water
Bar soap or liquid laundry detergent
A clean towel
Keep these on hand in case the stain doesn't fully lift:
An enzyme-based laundry presoak or stain remover
3% hydrogen peroxide, if compatible with the fabric
Oxygen bleach or chlorine bleach, only if the care label and product instructions permit it
Clean white cloths or a sponge
Gloves
Use one compatible treatment at a time. Rinse thoroughly between methods and reassess before adding anything else.
Check the fabric and stain type before you start
Knowing how to wash blood out of clothing starts with two checks before any water touches the stain: what the fabric is and how old the stain is.
Read the care label first. If the item is marked dry-clean-only, is particularly valuable, or you're unsure how the material will react to a treatment, take it to a professional cleaner instead of experimenting.
Next, figure out which situation applies:
Fresh: Still damp or very recent
Dried: Air-dried without going through a dryer or other significant heat
Heat-set: Already been through a dryer cycle or exposed to another source of high heat
This determines which section below to follow.
Pay particular attention to silk and wool. Both are protein-based fibers, and protease enzymes designed to break down protein stains can also damage protein fibers. Don't use a protease-based stain remover on silk or wool unless the product specifically says it's safe for that fabric.
Whatever method you use, follow the garment care label and stain-remover instructions. For products that could affect color, test an inconspicuous area first if the product instructions recommend it.
How to get blood stains out of clothes: the basic method
Fresh stains respond well to a basic cold-water routine, and this is the method most blood stains need.
Flush the stain with cold running water. If possible, rinse from the back of the fabric so the water helps push the blood back out rather than farther through the material.
Pretreat with laundry detergent or an appropriate stain remover. Follow the product's directions for application and wait time.
Launder according to the garment's care label. For blood stains, avoid hot water unless the stain-removal product specifically directs otherwise for a treatment step.
Go easy on scrubbing. Aggressive rubbing can spread the stain or damage some fabrics, so work the detergent into the material gently.
Check the stain before the garment goes into a dryer or gets ironed. If any trace remains, don't apply heat hoping it'll disappear later. Treat the stain again first.
How to get dried blood out of clothes
Dried stains take more time than fresh ones. There's an important distinction first.
If the stain air-dried but hasn't been through a dryer or other high heat, start with soaking and pretreatment. If it has already been exposed to heat, the stain may be considerably harder to remove and can require repeated treatment.
Soak the garment according to the stain-removal product and care-label instructions. An initial cold-water soak can help loosen dried blood before pretreatment.
Pretreat with an enzyme product if appropriate for the fabric. The American Cleaning Institute notes that protease enzymes target protein-based stains such as blood. Follow the product's specified water temperature and soaking time, and don't use a protease treatment on silk or wool unless the product explicitly permits it.
Repeat the compatible pretreatment if necessary. Follow the product directions rather than increasing concentration or soaking time beyond what's recommended.
Launder according to the care label, and keep the garment out of the dryer while any trace of the stain remains.
If the stain remains, another compatible stain-removal treatment may be appropriate depending on the garment and its care instructions.
Don't improvise by combining cleaning chemicals. In particular, never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia, acids such as vinegar, or other household cleaners. Dangerous gases can result.
How to remove blood stains with hydrogen peroxide or bleach
If a blood stain survives ordinary pretreatment, hydrogen peroxide or a laundry bleach may be options for some washable fabrics.
Neither is universally safe. Check the garment care label and the cleaning product's instructions before proceeding.
Option 1: hydrogen peroxide. Household 3% hydrogen peroxide can affect dyes and isn't appropriate for every fabric. If the garment and product directions allow its use, test an inconspicuous area first and use only as directed. Rinse or launder the garment afterward according to the applicable instructions.
Wear gloves if the product label directs you to do so, and avoid getting hydrogen peroxide in your eyes. Don't combine it with other cleaning chemicals.
Option 2: laundry bleach. Check the garment care label before using any bleach. Oxygen-based and chlorine-based laundry bleaches aren't interchangeable, so follow the directions for the specific product you're using.
For chlorine bleach, the American Cleaning Institute recommends checking the garment care label and following the bleach manufacturer's instructions for concentration and use. Never pour concentrated chlorine bleach directly onto clothing unless the product specifically instructs you to do so.
Most importantly, don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia, vinegar, acids, or other household cleaning products.
If the care label prohibits bleach, the product isn't approved for the fabric, or a colorfastness test shows a problem, stop rather than escalating to a harsher treatment.
Removing blood from silk, wool, and dry-clean-only fabric
Standard blood-stain treatments aren't appropriate for every delicate fabric.
For silk and wool, avoid protease-based enzyme stain removers unless the product is explicitly labeled safe for those materials. Proteases break down proteins, which makes them useful against blood but potentially damaging to protein-based fibers such as wool and silk.
Follow the garment's care label rather than transferring a treatment that worked on cotton to a delicate fabric.
If a silk or wool garment is labeled washable, use only products and washing methods compatible with that garment and fiber. Avoid aggressive rubbing, wringing, or unapproved bleaching agents.
For anything marked dry-clean-only, vintage, valuable, unlabeled, or particularly delicate, tell a professional cleaner what caused the stain and avoid home treatment unless the care instructions specifically provide one.
A method that worked fine on cotton isn't a reason to assume it will be safe on silk, wool, or anything dry-clean-only. The care instructions decide that, not past success elsewhere.
Check before it goes anywhere near heat
Before drying or ironing anything you've treated, check it one more time.
If the stain is fully gone, dry the garment according to its care label.
If a stain remains, repeat an appropriate compatible treatment rather than sending the garment through the dryer.
Don't compensate for a stubborn stain by making a chemical treatment stronger, combining products, or leaving one on substantially longer than its instructions specify.
If the color changes, the fabric appears damaged, or the item is valuable or delicate, stop treating it and take it to a professional cleaner instead.
With blood stains, the safest sequence is also the simplest: treat promptly, start cold, follow the fabric and product instructions, keep the garment away from unnecessary heat until the stain is gone, and don't turn a stubborn laundry stain into a chemistry experiment.
Comments
Be the first, drop a comment!