How to Remove Old Blood Stains From Clothes

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Finding an old blood stain on your clothing is disheartening. You may think that there is no hope for the clothing since the blood stain has dried onto the fabric. Although blood stains are easiest to remove when fresh, dried blood stains can be removed successfully as well. There is no need to throw out an otherwise good piece of clothing just because of an old blood stain. Common household products can be used to treat blood stains.

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Things You'll Need

  • Bucket or sink

  • Water

  • Bowl

  • 1 tbsp. meat tenderizer

  • Spoon

  • Old rag

  • Washing machine

  • 1/8 cup ammonia

  • Laundry pretreatment spray

  • Bleach-free liquid laundry soap

  • Old toothbrush

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Step 1

Fill a bucket or the sink with cold water. Place the blood-stained clothing in the water and allow it to soak for at least three hours.

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Step 2

Fill a bowl with one tbsp. meat tenderizer. Add two tsp. cold water to the bowl, and stir to form a paste.

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Step 3

Spread the mixture onto the blood stain. Use your fingers to work the paste into the stain. Allow it to sit for half an hour.

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Step 4

Brush off the paste with an old rag. Wash the garment in the washing machine in cold water.

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Step 5

Allow the garment to air dry once the wash cycle is complete. Do not place the item in the dryer until you are sure that all of the blood is gone. The heat from the dryer will only set in the stain further.

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Step 6

Fill a bucket or the sink with one gallon of warm water if the blood stain is still present. Add 1/8 cup ammonia and place the item in the water to soak. Allow it to soak for at least three hours.

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Step 7

Remove the garment from the water and rinse it well with cool water. Treat the stained area with a laundry pretreatment spray. Let the pretreatment spray sit on the fabric for 10 minutes.

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Step 8

Apply a few drops of bleach-free liquid laundry soap to the stain. Use an old toothbrush to work the detergent into the stain.

Step 9

Launder the clothing as usual. Inspect the clothing for any traces of blood prior to drying.

Tip

Soak the blood-stained area of the clothing in hydrogen peroxide for half an hour if the blood stain is still present after trying the above treatment methods.

Warning

Never mix bleach and ammonia, or products containing these ingredients. The results could be fatal.

Always test the product you are using on a small, inconspicuous area of the clothing prior to applying it to a more noticeable area.

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