Whether it be a pretty blouse or sundress, getting rid of stains from clothing is not an easy task. Sometimes, it can leave an unpleasant mark or even make more damage than you intend.
From food to sweat and makeup stains around the neckline, armpit, or outside of garment, there is a high chance of creating a mess. Most importantly, a single solution does not always work in every situation.
When it comes to stains like blood, it is pretty difficult to remove on colored or white clothing without discoloring or making a permanent brown spot.
How do you remove blood stains from clothing? There are many ways to remove blood stains from clothing. However, it is best to take an action immediately when it happens.
Run the blood stains under cold water to rinse it off instead of using hot water that causes the proteins in blood to set the stain into the fabric.
When a blood stain occurs on shirts or jeans, consider soaking the affected area with vinegar for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, rinse with cold water repeatedly until the stain is gone.
If the garment has small areas of blood stains, dabbing with ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, cornstarch, and cold saltwater are household items that can be used to resolve the issue.
Refer to garment care label to ensure the method you choose is the proper technique to prevent from discoloring or setting the blood stain forever.
Simply throwing the blood stained clothing into the washer does not help. In fact, it can create a disaster that may mark the stain forever.
Be aware that removing blood stains is not easy. The size, type of fabric of the garment, and how long it has been sitting on the fabric will affect the result.
Having a variety of methods at your disposable to apply is helpful in case of emergency. This article answers frequently asked questions about different technique and method to remove blood stains from clothing, especially in colored clothes and jeans.
Does blood stain clothes permanently?
It really depends. Blood stained clothes may leave a permanent mark when it is treated with hot water in the first place.
Blood is an organic substance that consists of protein and iron. When the proteins integrate with hot water, the heat activates the proteins in blood and makes a permanent mark, especially on natural fibers such as cotton or linen.
Additionally, putting in dryer too soon increases the risk of setting the stain into your fabric. Therefore, don’t put the clothes in the dryer until the stain is completely removed.
Can vinegar remove blood stains?
Yes, vinegar can remove blood stains. Distilled white vinegar is a successful blood cleaning item that is accessible in most households.
However, it only works on the fresh blood stains. Using proper amount of vinegar and soaking time will not ruin your clothes.
Always measure the amount of vinegar, and spot test on a hidden portion of the clothing before soaking the entire garment.
Be careful when spot cleaning or soaking cellulose fibers such as cotton, linen, rayon or nylon that are colored because the color may alter due to pH-sensitive dyes.
Check the care label, and if needed, consider diluting the vinegar with cold water to remove the blood stains.
Does salt remove blood stains?
Yes, salt does remove blood stains from clothing. Depend on the condition of the stains and fabrication, apply a thick paste with salt or soak in cold saltwater to get rid of the stains.
Other than vinegar, salt is an inexpensive stain removal product that also works to brighten colored clothes.
Salt has strong dehydrating properties and aids at lifting up the water and the blood. So, using salt paste method works well on dried up blood stains and soaking in cold saltwater works wonder on fresh blood stains.
Furthermore, when dealing with delicate fabrics, a paste of salt and water is a great way to get rid of blood stains. When rubbing the salt and water paste onto the stained area, be careful to not rub aggressively since the abrasiveness of coarse salt can damage the surface of the garment.
How do you get dried blood out of clothing?
The easiest way to remove a blood stain is when you take care of it as soon as possible before it has a chance to set any further. But sometimes you may not recognize the blood stains until later on.
To get dried blood out of clothing, a stronger stain remover, longer time, and specialized techniques are necessary.
- Prepare the garment by removing any solid blood deposits on the surface.
- Mix a teaspoon of laundry detergent with cold water at a ratio of 1 teaspoon for every quart of water.
- Let the clothing soak for 3 to 4 hours. Check the surface of stain to apply more detergent if needed. Rub the stain with a gentle brush.
- Repeat the process by adding a teaspoon of ammonia to the soaking mixture.
Depend on the fabrication, use a small amount of hydrogen peroxide or an enzyme-containing liquid laundry detergent directly on the stain.
Once the blood stain is completely gone, wash the clothes according to the care label instructions before drying.
Tips to remove blood stains from clothing
Depending on the blood stain amount and age, there are many ways to remove blood stains from clothing. Furthermore, the fabrication of the clothes will affect the soaking time and method to use for blood cleaning success.
Here are useful tips to remove blood stains from clothing:
- Before starting any blood stain removal, check the care label to prevent from discoloring or ruining the fabric.
- Rinse the blood stain with running cold water immediately before it has a chance to set in.
- Avoid using hot water to contact the blood. The iron and proteins of blood will set in the garment permanently.
- Apply vinegar or salt paste to remove blood stains.
- Soak for an extended time period with an enzyme laundry detergent for dried blood stains.
- Use hydrogen peroxide to spot clean a small blood stains.
Always take action when the blood stain just happened. The longer time it sits on the fabric, the harder it is to get rid of completely.
Best way to remove blood stains from clothing
The best way to remove blood stains from clothing is to first run the stains under the cold water to rub and rinse it off.
The cold water eliminate the blood stains from smearing into the fabric. In comparison, hot water will trigger the blood protein to coagulate and permanently create a stain.
Soak the blood stained clothing in a distilled vinegar for 10 to 15 minutes and observe whether the stain is completely gone or not. Rinse in cold water and repeat the process if needed.
If vinegar is not available, cornstarch, salt paste or saltwater, ammonia, and hydrogen peroxide are great alternatives to spot clean.
Check the care label and apply the method that is suitable for your clothing. It is easier to clean the fresh blood than dried up blood, so take precautions to save your favorite clothes with these clothing cleaning techniques and tips.
Remove Blood Stains from Clothing: Conclusion
There are various ways to remove blood stains from clothing. The technique and resolution will vary based on how old the stain is and type of fabrication the garment is made out of.
The best way to remove blood stains from clothing is to pretreat the stain as soon as possible.
Remove any particles on the stain so the cleaning treatment can interact directly.
Use vinegar, salt paste or hydrogen peroxide to gently rub it off. Allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes to deep clean as best as possible.
Afterwards, rinse off the residue under cold water before checking the affected area. If necessary, repeat the process before washing and drying.
Always test the technique on a hidden part of the clothing to make sure that the cleaning agent does not discolor or ruin the fabrication.