Whether you scraped your knee, cut yourself shaving or were simply a little messy when moving your steak dinner from the refrigerator to the skillet, you don’t have to live with blood stains on your clothing. Remove any blood stain with these easy tips.
The most important thing to remember is to remove blood stains from clothes as quickly as possible, before they set in.
Without proper attention, blood stains may be permanent. The key to blood stain removal is to act quickly before the stain sets and to utilize the proper technique.
Wash garments soiled with blood in cold water. Cold water is better for most stains, as hot water causes the stain to set.
The following blood stain removal tips will show you how to clean blood from fabric that isn’t delicate (like washing jeans, cotton underwear, or your favorite t-shirt). It will also work to remove dry blood stains from your clothes, but you may need to repeat the process more often.
Before we get started, remember to wear gloves when handling blood that is not yours.
If the stain has dried, remove any excess blood with a spoon or the dull side of a knife.
Turn the fabric over so the stain is face-down and flush the stain out under cold water. Never use hot water on blood, as this will cause the stain to set.
Pre-treat the stain by applying Persil® liquid detergent directly to the front side of the stain and letting it sit for five minutes. Choose the detergent that is most appropriate for the type of laundry that’s been stained. Make sure to check first for color fastness in an inconspicuous area on your colored clothing.
Wash the fabric with Persil® immediately to prevent the stain from setting. Follow the dosage for ‘heavily soiled’ garments on the product’s instructions.
Check the bloodstained clothing to see if the stain is gone before drying. Drying the garment before the stain has been removed may cause it to set permanently.
Repeat the process as necessary.
The delicate fibers of wool and silk require some extra care.
Use hydrogen peroxide to treat blood stains on wool, working it into the stain and rinsing with cool water. Repeat this process until the stain is gone and then wash according to the garment’s care instructions.
Whether it's silk sheets or a silk skirt, blood stain removal from silk fabrics is the same. Treat blood stains on silk by spraying them with a salt water mixture, leaving it to work in for 10 minutes, and rinsing it with cold water. Then wash the garment according to the care instructions on the tag.
After Halloween, the need to remove blood stains from your clothes might still be a problem, except in this case it’s fake blood on your costume! Fake blood contains oils, so treat it as a grease or oil stain and follow our tips on how to remove oil stains. Blot it to remove as much of the stain as possible, then pre-treat the area and wash at the highest temperature suitable for the type of fabric.