How to Remove Blood From White Linen

Whether it's a nose bleed, a paper cut or from another injury or accident, blood is one of the most difficult stains to remove. The longer it's left on, the harder blood becomes to remove. However, there are a few tried and tested methods that will remove even the most stubborn blood stain from white linen.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gloves
• Sponge
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Toothbrush

1. Wear gloves before attempting to remove the stain, in order to protect your hands from the chemicals you'll be using. You can use any type of waterproof gloves.

2. Sponge the blood stain straight away with cold water if it's a fresh stain and dry using terrycloth. You'll have to repeat the process several times before the stain is completely removed. Alternatively, you can treat the stain with club soda instead of cold water.

3. Place a clean, dry towel underneath the blood-stained linen and scrape off excess dried blood with any flat-surfaced tool such as a chisel or knife. Pour a few tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide in a cup.

4. Run the stained area under cold water, soak the toothbrush in the hydrogen peroxide and gently brush over the stain, taking care not to scrub too hard--otherwise, you'll damage the linen fibers.

5. Rinse with cold water and repeat the above process until the stain starts to fade. Finally, launder the sheets in the washing machine using detergent.

Tips & Warnings

• Spitting on blood stains will also aid removal. Spittle contains enzymes that are effective in breaking down the proteins in blood, which can further be removed in the washing machine.
• Don't rub the blood stain. Doing so will cause it to spread and become embedded further in the linen, making removal more difficult.

References

• Chemistry and New Zealand: Stain Guide