How To: Remove blood stains with Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE

Blood stains can be tough. These tips will help you remove the toughest blood stains. Learn how to remove blood stains with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE. Ideally, you'll tackle blood stains while they're still wet, which makes them easier to get out. But they're definitely a challenge. Here's the best way to treat them.

What You Need
Bowl or sink filled with cold water, bar of soap, stain-removal spray, ammonia, cotton swab, paper towel, laundry detergent

Follow These Five Easy Steps

How To: Remove a Blood Stain Step 1
Wet the stain with cold water
If the stain is fresh and still wet, soak fabric in cold water immediately.

How To: Remove a Blood Stain Step 2
Rub with soap
Rub the stain well with a bar of soap, lathering gently.
Tip: For light-colored fabrics, dab with a hydrogen peroxide, which acts as bleach.

How To: Remove a Blood Stain Step 3
Re-soak the stain with a pre-treatment stain remover. If the stain has already dried, spray with stain-removal solution. Let it soak in.

How To: Remove a Blood Stain Step 4
Dab on diluted ammonia
Apply a small amount of diluted ammonia to the area with a cotton swab.

How To: Remove a Blood Stain Step 5
Launder fabric
Machine-wash the fabric using an enzyme detergent (most standard laundry soaps are enzyme-based), which breaks down protein stains. Make sure the blood has lifted before putting fabric in the dryer, as the heat will set the stain.