How to Remove Bloodstains Out of a Mattress
Although a protective mattress cover can reduce the severity of stains, the material can't always block the concentration of a blood stain from seeping into the cushion. A few drops or splashes that happen to get on the mattress aren't difficult to clean. More effort will be needed for a stain that happened while you were asleep, like a nosebleed or leaking menstrual fluid, that had hours to settle into the sheets. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Clean plastic spray bottle Clean towels or rags Cold water Ammonia or white vinegar Lemon liquid dishwashing detergent Small scrub brush Hydrogen peroxide
Instructions
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Cleaning Blood Out of a Mattress
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1
Work on removing the stain as soon as it's discovered. The longer the blood is left in the mattress, the more time the stain has to set, which increases the difficulty of removing it.
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2
Blot any excess blood with a clean rag or towel. Lightly press on the cloth to absorb the fluid so you don't push it deeper into the mattress fibers.
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Fill a clean plastic spray bottle with cold water. Add two tablespoons of ammonia or white vinegar to it and shake the bottle to mix the liquid.
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Spray the stain until the area is completely damp. It's OK if you create a small puddle, but don't let it get any bigger. You don't want to make the stain wider with the runoff created by the cold water.
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Blot the area with a clean part of the towel to soak up the liquid. If you have a small stain or one that isn't very deep, repeatedly spraying and blotting it will bring it up.
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For deeper or wider stains, after initially spraying and blotting the area, squeeze a few spurts of lemon liquid dish detergent on the stain. Use a small scrub brush to lightly work it into the area. Blot again with a towel to absorb the excess moisture, then spray it to rinse it off. If this is working, keep applying small amounts of detergent, rubbing the stain, blotting it and rinsing it.
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For intense or broad stains, add a splash of hydrogen peroxide. Let it foam up and bring the bacteria to the surface. Blot the peroxide, spray it with the spray bottle to rinse it, and blot away the residue. Add the hydrogen peroxide as needed to pull the stain out.
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Tips & Warnings
You can always flip your mattress over if you're not happy with how much of the stain you were able to remove. This can help in the case of a guest bedroom where you don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable sleeping on the mattress if they notice the stain.
