Hiding the evidence: getting bloodstains out of fabric

Dear Home-Ec 101,

How do I remove blood stains from fabric?

Signed,

Lizzie B.

Ivy says:

Turn yourself in, Dr. Michael Baden‘s on the case now, I hear. I’ll answer the question anyway, though; I hear we have quite the following in prisons all across the nation.

Most everyone knows the old peroxide trick to get rid of bloodstains. But some people don’t happen to have it on hand. My mother always swore by using contact solution (saline) on a bloodstain, if you can catch it right away.

Remember with bloodstains the important thing is to use COLD water, never hot. Blood is a protein stain and using hot water will change the shape of the proteins and basically cook the stain into your fabric. Exactly what you don’t want to do.

So what’s the process of removing a blood stain?

First you want to scrape off as much blood as you can.

Use the flat edge of a knife (not the cutting edge) or a plastic knife. You don’t want to scrape too hard and press the stain deeper into the fabric. The goal here is just to get rid of anything clinging to the fabric.

Run the fabric under cold water.

This will remove blood between the fibers rinsing away as much as possible.

Use an enzymatic cleaner.

An enzymatic cleaner will break down the proteins that it can reach. Soak the fabric if the item is small or spray the fabric if you are working with a larger item (like a comforter where soaking is a bit of a challenge).

Kids’n’Pets is an enzymatic cleaner that is generally pretty easy to find.

If the stain is still there, rinse again, gently rub only the stain with salt, and rinse again. Then do another soak.

Rinse

The last weapon in your arsenal is oxygen bleach. Yep, good old Oxiclean or its competitors. You can learn about oxygen bleach in our guide to household chemicals.

Use oxygen bleach in a cold wash with regular detergent.

Check the item carefully before drying. Once you’ve dried the garment, your chances at ever removing the stain are pretty much toast. Set-in stains are often permanent.

If you are trying to remove a blood stain on something like an upholstered couch, you can still use this tactic, however skip the detergent at first. Just mix some oxygen bleach into water, according to the directions (it varies by brand) and test in a hidden area to ensure you won’t be bleaching the fabric. Then blot, wait, blot, wait until the stain is gone. Once the stain is gone. Blot with a dry, white cloth to wick away as much moisture as possible.

Good luck on that whole “avoiding jail” thing!

UPDATE: A commenter, Stacie told us about Folex. She says she has used it on all sorts of stains and fabrics, including vintage fabrics with no damage. She told me you can find it with the carpet cleaners at Home Depot and with regular cleaners at the grocery store. With such glowing reviews, I’d say it’s worth a shot!

Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.