How to Get Blood out of White Fabric
Blood can be one of the toughest stains to remove, particularly from white fabric. However, the right techniques and materials can remove blood from even the most delicate fabrics. The biggest things you can do to prevent permanent staining is to tend to the stain immediately and never use hot water on blood stains. Blood is a protein-based stain, so the heat will cook the proteins onto the fabric and make removal next to impossible. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Liquid dish soap, laundry detergent or shampoo
- Foaming denture cleaner
- Unflavored meat tenderizer
- Salt
- Lemon juice
- Laundry stain remover
- Hydrogen peroxide
Instructions
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Basic Blood Removal
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1
Remove fresh blood by placing the spot under a faucet of cold running water. Let the water pour through the fabric and use a little bit of rubbing with your finger to loosen the blood.
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2
Soak the fabric in cold water for about 20 minutes, pre-treating dried stains with clear dish soap, liquid laundry detergent or shampoo.
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3
Wash the garment in the washer using warm or cold water, depending on the fabric type.
Other Methods
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4
Dissolve a tablet of foaming denture cleaner in a bowl of cold water, and soak the fabric in the mixture for 30 to 45 minutes. Wash as usual in cold or warm water.
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5
Wet the stain with cold water, rub in a little unflavored meat tenderizer, and let it sit overnight. Rinse well with cold water and wash as usual.
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6
Soak the fabric in cold salt water before washing as usual.
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7
Pour lemon juice on the stain, let it sit for 5 minutes and then apply a laundry stain remover. Rinse the stain with cool water. Repeat as necessary until the stain is gone.
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8
Pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain or dab it on with a cotton ball. Let it foam, checking to see if the stain is gone when the foaming stops. Repeat until the stain is gone, and then rinse with cold water.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Do not use bleach or vinegar to remove stains, as they are very harsh and can damage fabric.
References
- Photo Credit hand with blood image by Ivonne Wierink from Fotolia.com
