Blood Stains Can Be Removed – Know How to Do it Properly
Should you use hot or cold water for blood stains? Blood does stain and there are lots of old wives’ tales about how to remove blood stains from your sheets, shirts, jeans, and other clothes, and some tried-and-true wisdom is passed down through the generations. We've taken the best ideas and tested, tested, tested to come up with a reliable, repeatable method to remove blood stains from all fabrics. Because of its makeup and strong protein strands, this is a stain that needs a different approach from other stains.
Removing Blood Stains with Simple Stain-Fighting Solutions
The proteins in blood want to bind together, making it difficult to get blood out of clothes or sheets, and completely remove dried blood stains. When blood gets on clothing or linens, the protein strands try to bind to the fabric. Cold water is superior to hot water for blood stain removal. Attempting to remove the stain with hot water only helps blood to adhere to the material. Instead, cold water can help remove the blood without "setting" the stain in the process. It’s also important to use a stain solution designed especially for protein stains like blood, such as Stain Solution. The sooner you can rinse the blood stain with cold water from the fabric, the better chance for full removal. However, it is possible to remove dried blood stains with a little extra elbow grease.
Aside from the water temperature, the process for removing blood stains is largely similar to that for other kinds of stains. It’s easiest to lift stains on everyday fabrics like cotton, linen, and durable synthetics, as these fabrics can tolerate more vigorous stain removal methods. Start by thoroughly rinsing the stained area with cool water to help release it from the fabric. Often, this will remove most of the stain. Once rinsed, Stain Solution, applied will remove most marks all on its own. Work in using a soft Stain Brush, then let soak in a basin of cool water for up to 30 minutes as needed. You can also work the stain by pouring cool water from a height over the stained area, or by using your sink’s water sprayer.
Once removed, wash your garment as usual with Signature Detergent. Avoid machine drying garments until you are sure stains have lifted.
For heavy stains on delicate, dry-clean tagged garments such as silk, consult a professional.
