How to Clean Dried Blood Stains

Dried blood stains are among the hardest to remove from any kind of fabric. If not treated properly, the stain may become set in the fabric, especially if the fabric is placed in a dryer before the stain is completely removed. Taking the time required to remove a dried blood stain will be well worth the effort. It could save one of your favorite articles of clothing from your collection of cleaning rags.

Things You'll Need

• Laundry detergent

Instructions

1. Scrape dried blood off the surface of the fabric with a fingernail or the dull side of a butter knife so that the fabric will not be damaged. Removing dried blood solids will allow stain treatments to act on the stain itself.

2. Rinse the stain with cold water to remove as much of it as possible. Do not use warm or hot water to do this, as it may help set the stain in the fabric.

3. Add 2 1/2 gallons of cold water to a plastic bucket along with a half-cup of liquid laundry detergent and mix the solution well.

4. Put the stained fabric in the bucket and place a white towel or garment on top of it to keep the stained area submerged. Soak up to 30 minutes.

5. Wash the stained fabric in a normal laundry cycle using cold water and regular laundry detergent.

6. Remove the fabric from your washing machine and check it for the presence of residual staining. If part of the stain remains, re-treat the fabric according to Step 3 and rewash. Repeat as needed before drying.

Tips & Warnings

• Applying a stain pre-treatment before washing the fabric will greatly improve the chances of complete stain removal.

• Drying the stained fabric before the stain is completely removed will set the stain into the fabric permanently.

References

• Tide Solution for Blood Stains

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish