How to Remove Dried Blood Stains From the Carpet

Dried blood stains on your carpeting are unsightly and unsanitary.

When blood stains end up on your carpeting it's always best to tend to the stain right away. Sometimes this isn't possible and you end up with a dried blood stain on your carpeting. Dried blood is a protein stain which you can successfully remove from your carpeting using products around the house and cold water. Hot water will actually cook the protein in the blood causing the stain to set.

Things You'll Need

• Club soda
• Clean white cloths
• Wet vacuum
• Liquid hand dishwashing detergent
• Bowl

Instructions

1. Soak the dried blood stain on your carpeting with club soda. Club soda will soften the dried blood stain, making it easier to remove, and club soda is a known, natural blood stain remover.

2. Blot at the site of the dried blood stain on your carpeting with a clean cloth. As the blood stain transfers to the clean white cloth, move to another portion of the cloth and continue to blot and lift the stain.

3. 

   Use a wet vacuum to extract cleaning liquid and stains from carpeting.

   Pour cold water onto the blood stain on your carpeting. Immediately use a wet vacuum to remove the water and some of the blood stain from your carpeting. Continue to pour cold water on your carpet, then wet vacuum it up until the water being extracted is as clean as possible.

4. Combine a few drops of liquid hand dishwashing detergent in 1 cup of cold water in a bowl. Soak a clean cloth with the soapy solution. Dab at the remaining blood stain in your carpeting, working from the outside of the stain toward the middle.

5. Rinse your carpeting by wetting a clean cloth with plain water and applying the cloth to the carpet. Continue to rinse until no further soapy residue transfers to the cloth.

6. 

   Fluff carpet fibers with your fingers so the area that was stained blends in with the rest of the carpet.

   Allow your carpeting to air dry, then fluff the carpet fibers with your fingers.

Tips & Warnings

• A dried blood stain may have really soaked into the carpet fibers before drying. Repeat the blood stain removal method a few times for stubborn blood stains.

• Blot or dab when removing a dried blood stain. Rubbing and scrubbing will spread the stain.

References

• Creative Homemaking: Blood Stain Removal
• Good Housekeeping: Stain Buster: Blood