How to remove dried blood from clothes: a review of methods and products

Bloody stains on clothing, upholstery or bedding are much easier to wash off if they are fresh. But if for some reason you were unable to immediately wash away the mark with cold water, there is no need to rush to throw away your favorite item. With the help of simple home remedies and modern commercial stain removers, even old, already dried blood stains can be removed.

Why is it difficult to clean blood from things?

Fresh traces of blood can be identified by the color of the contaminated area. Bright red marks indicate that the stain is fresh, while a dark brown tint indicates an old, dried one.

The main rule for removing dried blood stains from any product is a categorical ban on washing in hot water.

Protein, which is part of the blood, under the influence of high temperatures is able to coagulate and eat into the tissue structure for a long time. It is impossible to remove dried stains. Boiling white items is not an option; boiling water will only worsen the situation and you will have to say goodbye to your items.

It is easy to remove fresh splashes; they do not have time to penetrate the fibers and cling tightly. If the blood has not had time to dry, you can soak it in cold water for a while, and then wash it in the usual way. Newly left marks can be easily washed off under low-temperature running water. Turn the item inside out, only then expose it to a cold stream.

Features of denim processing

To remove blood from jeans, you need to follow these steps:

Place the area with the stain under cool running water and wash it with your hands. If the formation is fresh, the blood will be washed out before your eyes. If it is old, it will shrink slightly and soften.
After the marks can be removed to the point of residual stains, rub the area with laundry soap and leave overnight.
In the morning, we rinse the item; if any traces are still visible, soak it in a salt solution for an hour.
Finally, wash the product as usual. If necessary, repeat the entire cycle of manipulations.

Even if none of the proposed options helped remove the hated dried dirt, you should not immediately get rid of your favorite thing. On the surface of the carpet, the problem area can be covered with pieces of furniture, a beautiful applique will look good on clothes, it is recommended to decorate household items with interesting embroidery.

Using folk remedies to remove stains

Depending on the type of fabric, housewives use various methods of cleaning surfaces. As soon as contamination is detected, begin removing it immediately, do not delay washing. More often, dried marks are only partially removed, leaving a red mark on your favorite T-shirt or sneakers. The blood will saturate the fibers of the fabric, become well established and begin to dry. It will take a lot of effort to wash it.

General recommendations:

Do not iron items that have dried blood spattered on them. It is impossible to remove stains after ironing.
Wash and soak only in cold water, high temperatures provoke protein coagulation and ensure rapid impregnation of the material.
When using household chemicals or traditional methods, check their effect on an inconspicuous area - this will reduce the likelihood of damage to the appearance of the product.
For safety reasons, put on rubber gloves and only then proceed with the procedure for removing dried blood.

With the help of available products in the kitchen or in the medicine cabinet, you can wash off fresh and old traces of blood; the main thing is to take into account the type and color of the product.

From colored fabrics

Fabrics with colored prints are recommended to be cleaned with special compounds to keep the color and pattern intact. There are several methods to remove old dried blood:

Brine. Dried stains can be removed using table salt, available in every kitchen. This method is convenient if a towel or bed linen is dirty; you can prepare the required amount of liquid for soaking bulky items. For one serving of the prepared solution you will need a liter of cold water and 20 grams of salt. Dissolve the crystals and place the product. The effect will occur after prolonged soaking; it is recommended to leave the clothes in the bowl overnight. In the morning, place it in the washing machine and run it in the desired mode. For better results, you can add a stain remover or wash it with laundry soap first.
Fresh lemon juice. You can remove dried blood stains from printed materials and fabric shoes. Just take half a lemon, squeeze the juice onto the contaminated area, and wait a few minutes. After soaping the area or sprinkling it with powder, use a brush to remove the stain. Rinse in cold water, check the result, repeat the procedure if necessary.
Tar soap. The alkali contained in tar soap removes not only dried blood from the fabric, but also other stubborn stains. Wet the area with cool water, wash well with soap, place in a bag, tie to create a vacuum. Leave in this position for three hours. Afterwards, you can scrub the area with a brush or by hand, rinse off the residue with plenty of running water or wash it in a machine. If desired, you can replace tar soap with laundry soap. This method can remove stains from jackets, underwear, and colored items.
Glycerol. Printed fabric should be cleaned of dried blood with warm glycerin, preheated in a water bath. Using a cotton pad, apply warm liquid to the area and leave for five minutes. Wash off the residue with cool water, then rub the area with soap to completely remove traces of glycerin.

With white clothes

Dried blood on white clothes does not always wash off completely. To remove such contaminants, it is recommended to use products with a bleaching effect that can restore whiteness.

Ammonia. Ammonia is able to remove blood stains and restore a snow-white appearance. To prepare the solution, use 1 liter of cool water and 20 ml of the substance. Mix the ingredients and soak the product for several hours. After soaking, apply a small amount of alcohol to the area and rub lightly to completely remove the dried mark. Wash as usual.
Hydrogen peroxide. You can remove old blood from white clothes with peroxide. Apply the liquid to the area and leave for 10 minutes. Avoid contact with other areas of the fabric. Prepare a paste by mixing washing powder and water. Apply and scrub with a brush. Machine wash.
Lemon acid. An effective assistant in the fight against stains on light-colored products. To remove dried blood stains on clothes, mix a paste of acid powder and water, apply to the stain, wait 30 minutes. Then put it in the machine or wash it by hand. Avoid contact with other surfaces; citric acid can cause lightening. If it doesn’t wash off the first time, you can sprinkle it with potato starch and repeat the procedure.

The methods are suitable for removing from cotton, linen, wool; methods are not recommended for delicate materials such as silk.

Starch mixed with water will help remove dried stains. Apply the resulting mixture to the area with dried blood and leave until completely dry. Afterwards, wipe off the remaining mixture, rinse with the addition of vinegar (in a small amount). Gives the fabric shine.

Jeans is a dense material that causes difficulties in cleaning; blood penetrates deeply into the structure of the fabric and is difficult to wash out. Baking soda can be removed by rubbing into the stain and leaving for half an hour. Then rinse and wash away any remaining residue. If you cannot wash the mark, use a stain remover.

Review of effective remedies for removing blood stains
How to quickly remove blood from clothes

You can wash the carpet with tar soap. The method is effective and will completely remove even dried blood stains. To begin, clean with a brush, wet with cold water, and soap the area. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for an hour. The lye will dissolve the marks. Wash off any remaining soap and pat dry with a cloth.

There are several ways to remove splashes from sofa upholstery, depending on the type of upholstery. The fabric covering can be cleaned with dishwashing detergent or a paste of salt and soda, which is left for an hour and washed off. You can remove dried old blood from artificial leather using a prepared solution of dishwashing detergent (0.5 tsp/l) and ammonia (1 tbsp/l). Place in a spray bottle and spray onto the area, wait about five minutes and wipe with a dry cloth. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

Use of special compounds

You can remove blood using store-bought products. Stain removers act aggressively on stains, effectively removing them. Among the most popular:

Vanish Oxi Action. First you need to pre-treat the blood on the product. To do this, apply the product to the blood stain and rub it in. Then the item needs to be soaked in a solution at the rate of 25 ml of gel per 1 liter of water. Immerse the product for 4–6 hours. During washing, you can also add Vanish either to the powder compartment or pour directly onto the laundry. Advantages: lack of chlorine, which allows it to be used with most fabrics, cost. Disadvantage: does not take all stains. Price 150 rubles per 100 ml.
Ecover Ecological Stain Remover. Before application, moisten the fabric with water and apply the product evenly in a thin layer. For convenience, a brush is included. Place the item with the applied product in the washing machine and wash the item as usual. Advantages: washes well without leaving any unnecessary odors, is gentle on the fabric, gentle on the skin of the hands. Disadvantages: does not always work the first time, not sold in stores, high cost. Price 700 rubles for 200 ml.
Dr. Beckmann. Wet the blood stain well with the product and leave for 15 minutes, then wash the item as usual in a washing machine. Advantages: gives good results, does not harm fibers, easy to use. Disadvantages: sold only in online stores and large household chemical hypermarkets, high cost. Price 200 rubles for 50 ml.

Often professional products are quite effective, but they cannot always be easily purchased in a store.

If a blood stain appears on clothing or fabric, do not rush to throw away the product. It can still be saved using folk remedies or purchased chemicals, the main thing is to follow the instructions.

Review of household chemicals for removing old stains

In addition to available products, you can wash at home with powders and stain removers designed specifically to combat various dried stains (traces of blood, oil). When purchasing, pay attention to the composition, the label, which indicates which fabrics the composition is suitable for. Among the popular ones are:

Vanish Oxi Action;
Amway PreWash;
Sarma Active;
Frau Schmidt;
Edelstar.

Some chemicals come in the form of a spray, stick, or soap that is applied to the dried blood stain immediately before washing. After processing, the item must be washed in the usual way.

Carefully read the instructions on the packaging; ignoring the requirements will lead to poor results and damage to the appearance of the product.

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What not to do

When dealing with scarlet marks, it is not recommended to:

Use hot water. Under its influence, the blood will only penetrate deeper into the fibers, so prohibiting the use of boiling water is one of the important conditions for success.
Use a stiff brush. It will rub the stain and make it even wider.
Wash immediately. This type of stain requires a long preliminary soaking. During the process, water saturates the fibers of the fabric and prevents blood particles from settling between the threads.
Store dirty laundry for a long time. The further you delay the washing process, the less chance you have of saving your items.
Immediately use folk remedies. The market is full of stain removers that are much more effective and convenient than available products.

We hope that the materials from our article helped you solve the problem of how to remove old blood stains and remove the slightest reminder of them. But if all of the above methods do not bring the expected effect, do not rush to give up and say goodbye to your clothes. Even such a problem can be solved simply and creatively: decorate the place with embroidery, appliqués or patches. Then your item will receive a new life and become exclusive.

What not to do

To remove dried bloody marks at home, you should remember tips that will help preserve the product. Prohibited:

Wash in hot water. High temperatures cause coagulation and rapid penetration deep into tissues. As a result, the item does not wash well and leaves a yellow mark.
Do not rub over fresh stains. Mechanical effects with a brush or napkin rub blood into the material, saturate it, and make the mark dry. To remove moisture, blot with a dry napkin or cloth, then proceed to wash, following the recommendations.
Choose the right product to remove dried blood stains. Some substances can damage the material, leaving the clothing unsuitable for further use.

By following simple tips, you can remove even dried blood stains without worrying about the appearance of the product.

The article has been verified by the editors

How to remove old blood stains from a mattress

If you notice bloody spots on the mattress, try to return it to its former neat appearance with this remedy:

Potato starch - tablespoon;
Table salt - half as much;
3% hydrogen peroxide – 25 ml.

After mixing the components, get a paste-like mass, which must be applied to the stain and wait until it dries. Remove the product with a spoon. Apply wet and dry wipes to the treated area alternately until no traces remain on them.

A few words about precautions

First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that washing clothes with hot water and drying them with unremoved blood stains will lead to the blood being completely and irrevocably ingrained into the fabric, and this will most likely force you to say goodbye to your favorite item.

Hot water will “brew” the blood proteins, tightly gluing them to the tissue fibers

Before sending items for washing, blood stains on linen and clothes must be pre-treated - wash off the main contaminants from the inside out under cold running water, soak and wash by hand.

It is recommended to wear gloves when treating stains using industrial bleaches and stain removers, especially those containing chlorine, or homemade solutions with ammonia and hydrogen peroxide.

Gloves will protect the skin of your hands from the negative effects of chemicals

When using aggressive chemicals, it is first better to make sure that they will not damage the item itself, especially if it is made of delicate, thin or woolen fabrics. To do this, a test is made on an inconspicuous area somewhere in the corner on the wrong side. Drop a few drops of the chosen product and see after 5-10 minutes how it behaves - whether it changes the basic color of the fabric or begins to corrode the structure of the fibers.