Getting blood on your sheets is never fun. Whether it’s from a minor scrape or something more serious, getting it out can be a real challenge.
So, let’s talk about how to get blood out of sheets to avoid the nasty stains left behind. The ten methods that we’ll discuss work like a charm to get rid of pesky blood stains from different types of fabric and prevent you from throwing perfectly good sheets in the garbage.
So, let’s not waste more time and save your bedding from a bloody mess!
Why Does Blood Stain Sheets?
There are a few different reasons why blood is so clingy to fabrics in general.
For one, blood is naturally very sticky and viscous, meaning that it tends to cling to surfaces easily, especially fibers.
In addition, the iron content in the blood can react with certain fabrics or chemicals in detergents, resulting in staining. Finally, blood contains hemoglobin, a molecule that, once exposed to air, bonds with anything it can.
Before You Start to Clean Blood Out of Your Sheets
1. Strip the Bed Sheets
First things first, you need to remove the blood-stained sheet from your bed to avoid getting your mattress dirty. Do this as soon as you notice the staining.
2. Read the Care Tag on Your Sheets
The first step in getting blood out of your sheets is to read the care tag, which will give you information about what types of stains the fabric can handle and how best to treat them.
Most fabrics, including cotton and bamboo, can be treated with harsher cleaners and detergents, and others, like linen and silk, may require special treatment or dry cleaning.
3. Treat the Stain as Soon as Possible
We get it, nobody wants to deal with blood stains first thing in the morning, but this is the most important step if you want to get period blood out of sheets. So, treat your sheet as soon as you stain it, or at least soak it in cold water until you have the time to deal with it.
Keep in mind that if left for too long, blood can cause permanent staining.
4. Check Your Laundry Supplies
It’s always a good idea to check your “arsenal” before you spring into action. If you have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide or some liquid dish soap on hand, these can be very effective at breaking up blood stains and lifting them out of your sheets.
How to Get Blood Stains Out of Sheets: Cotton and Bamboo
1. Blot the Blood Out
Blot the affected area with a clean cloth or paper towel to remove excess blood. If you don’t have any laundry detergent or other cleaning agents on hand, sometimes simply blotting the stain with a clean cloth or paper towel can help lift out some of the blood.
2. Soak in Cold Water
Heat and warm water can actually make blood stains set, so it’s important to use a cool temperature when treating your sheets for blood.
Regardless of whether you want to get blood out of white sheets or colored ones, first you need to put your sheet in cold water and wait.
The blood will start to disperse into the cold water, making your cleaning job a lot easier!
3. Pre-Treat the Blood Stain
Apply a pre-treatment solution or detergent to the blood stain. If you can’t get rid of the blood stain by simply rinsing it out, you may want to try using a pre-treatment solution or laundry detergent before throwing your sheets in the washer.
4. Vinegar
Vinegar can also be used to help remove blood stains from sheets. The best part is that white vinegar can help you get blood out of colored sheets without bleaching them. However, vinegar works best for fresh stains.
Simply soak the stained sheet in a mixture of vinegar and water for an hour or two, then launder as usual. You may need to repeat this process if you are still seeing blood on your sheets after washing them.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide
Another effective treatment for blood stains on sheets is hydrogen peroxide. Try pouring just a bit of hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain, then gently rubbing it with your fingers or soft cloth until the stain disappears.
Very soon, you’ll see hydrogen peroxide is a great way to get dried blood out of your sheets, especially light-colored ones.
6. Salt and Lemon Juice
If you don’t have any hydrogen peroxide on hand, another option is to combine salt and lemon juice in a bowl, then use the mixture to treat your blood stains. Once the stain is gone, launder your sheets as usual.
Rinse thoroughly after treating the stain.
7. Use Enzymatic Cleaner
Enzymes, the active substances in the enzymatic cleaners are very potent, and they seem to know exactly how to get blood out of cotton sheets without leaving a trace.
To use an enzymatic cleaner on your stained sheets, simply spray or dab some of the solutions onto the stain and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes before rinsing it off and washing it as usual.
You may need to repeat this process a few times in order to completely remove the blood stain from your sheets.
8. Add Baking Soda or Borax to Your Washing Machine
If you have some baking soda or borax on hand, these can also be very effective at removing blood stains from sheets.
Firstly, you can make a baking soda paste for blood stain removal. For this, just mix it with water, apply the mixture to the stain, and let it sit for up to half an hour. Next, blot it out with a damp cloth until the last baking soda residue is gone.
You can also use borax to remove the stains from your sheets. Simply add 1/2 cup of borax to your washing machine along with the detergent you usually use.
9. Use Bleach
Fabric-safe bleach can also help you deal with blood stains. All you need to do is apply a small amount of bleach onto the stain before laundering.
If you want to get a blood stain out of white sheets, this is the perfect method.
After treating your sheets with bleach, turn your washer to the hottest recommended setting to wash your sheets off of blood or any cleaner residue.
10. Use Ammonia and Water Mixture
Diluted ammonia is effective in treating dried blood stains. Just mix some non-colored and non-fragrant ammonia with water and use this solution to blot blood stains. Let ammonia sit on the blood stains for at least half an hour before washing it away.
How to Get Blood Out of Linen Sheets and Other Delicate Fabrics
If you have delicate fabrics like linen, putting them through the washer and dryer is likely not an option. Instead, you can try soaking the fabric in a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide for about 15 minutes before tossing it into the washer.
The peroxide will help to break down and get blood out of bed sheets with ease, and you can wash the fabric, as usual, to get it completely clean and stain-free.
Alternatively, you may also want to try using a commercial stain remover or specialized laundry detergent on your sheets to lift out any remaining blood stains. Just be sure to check the care label on your linen sheets before treating them.
Conclusion
Whether you decide to use laundry detergent, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, or another cleaning agent, the key to lifting out those unsightly blood stains is to act fast and take the necessary steps.
We bet that with these tips, you’ll be able to get blood out of your sheets fast and restore your bedding back to its original condition! So what are you waiting for? Go give them a try!
FAQ
Does dried blood come out of sheets?
Yes, dried blood can usually be removed from sheets with some effort. There are a variety of methods that you can try depending on the severity of the stain and your personal preferences, including using cold water or hydrogen peroxide to treat the stain.
Can vinegar remove blood stains?
Yes, vinegar can be effective at removing blood stains from sheets. You can try mixing equal parts of white vinegar and water to create a homemade cleaning solution or simply dabbing the stain with plain white vinegar. Just make sure to rinse the area well after treating it with vinegar.
How do you get blood out of sheets without peroxide?
There are a number of different methods you can try in order to get blood out of sheets without using hydrogen peroxide. Some popular options include using cold water, salt, and dish soap to help remove the stain, letting the area sit in direct sunlight, or applying an enzymatic cleaner.
How to get dried blood out of sheets?
There are a number of different ways you can try to remove dried blood from sheets, including using a damp cloth or towel to dab at the stain, applying hydrogen peroxide or cold water, soaking the sheets in warm water with dish soap, enzymatic cleaner or laundry detergent.
What is the best stain remover for blood?
There is no single “best” stain remover for blood, as different people may have different preferences for how they like to tackle stains. Some popular options include enzymatic cleaners, hydrogen peroxide, and even household items such as cold water or salt.
For more tips on how to get blood out of sheets, check out our detailed guide above.