Why Are Blood Stains Hard to Remove?
Blood stains on clothes and other laundry items can be difficult to remove. One reason is because of clotting. While clotting can help heal wounds and prevent further blood loss, it also results in the blood binding to fabrics. Additionally, blood stains may set in on clothes if they are not treated and washed correctly.
The longer the blood stain is exposed to air, the more chance it has to clot and dry into the fabrics. So, you want to act fast to pretreat or wash blood stains if you want to get them out of clothes, bed sheets, or other laundry items.
Do You Wash Blood Stains in Hot or Cold Water?
Wash items with blood stains in cold water whenever possible. Washing clothes and other laundry with blood stains in hot water can cause the stain to set. This can make them increasingly difficult to remove after each wash.
You’ll want to check your garment care label before washing blood stains on clothes or sheets. It’s possible you will need to wash by hand or pretreat the stains before throwing them into the wash.
Period Blood Stains vs. Normal Blood Stains: What’s the Difference?
Menstrual (period) blood differs from the blood in your veins both in terms of coloration as well as consistency. Period blood is often thicker than regular blood and may leave stains in shades of brown or pink in addition to the red you may be accustomed to when you accidentally cut your finger.
The differences between period blood and regular blood can be attributed to concentration. Menstrual blood has lower concentrations of things like hemoglobin, platelets, and proteins than venous blood, which in some cases actually makes period blood stains easier to clean and remove from clothes or other laundry items.
Does OxiClean™ Remove Blood Stains?
Yes, OxiClean™ stain removers can help get blood stains out of clothing items like pants, plus bedding such as sheets or your washable mattress cover!
While some OxiClean™ products use a process called oxidation, others use enzymes to help break down tough stains. Both processes make even tough, set-in stains from things like blood easier to remove in the wash.
Some OxiClean™ powders that use oxidation, like OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover and OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover Free, can help you get rid of period stains on your underwear. Got blood stains on white items? OxiClean™ White Revive™ can help! Meanwhile, OxiClean™ Max Force™ Laundry Stain Remover Spray uses enzymes and is especially useful when pretreating regular blood or period blood stains on clothes.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the use cases for various OxiClean™ products when you need to get blood stains out of clothes and other laundry items.
How to Get Blood Out of Clothes and Sheets
Accidents happen, and sometimes blood stains accompany those accidents. Maybe your kid is learning how to ride a bike and got some blood on their pants or shirt after a failed first attempt. Perhaps you cut your leg during a late-night basketball game that resulted in a blood stain on your athletic shorts. You may have gotten your period in the middle of the night and now need to remove blood stains on your sheets.
Whatever the case may be, if you need to get blood stains out of clothing or sheets, OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover can help give your items a reset! Or, if you’re wondering how to remove period blood stains from your underwear or pajamas but have a sensitivity to fragrances, you can use OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover Free! It’s chlorine bleach-free and color-safe, minus any of the dyes or perfumes that might give you trouble.
1. Remove
Remove any excess blood by rinsing clothes or sheets with cold water.
2. Fill
Fill the OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover or OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover Free scoop to line 4 per 1 gallon of cold water. To help the powder dissolve, first add powder to 16 oz. of warm to hot water and then add to the rest of the cold water.
3. Soak
Submerge blood-stained clothes or sheets in the mixture. For best results, soak for six hours.
4. Wash
Wash as normal with detergent. Choose a cold-water cycle or advise your garment care label for the proper wash temperature. You can also add an extra scoop of Versatile Stain Remover or VSR Free to the washer drum for extra stain-fighting power!
Always test OxiClean™ on an inconspicuous area first. Rinse, and allow to dry. Safe on colorfast fabrics only. Always follow the item manufacturer’s instructions for water temperature and for cleaning. Do not use on wool, wool blends, silk, silk blends, leather, or on fabrics labeled dry-clean only. Do not use OxiClean™ to remove period blood stains on denim, lace, or silk fabrics.
Just like that VSR and VSR Free help you get rid of blood stains on clothes and bed sheets, you can also use both VSR and VSR free powders to blot blood stains on mattresses (if the care label allows, soft surface directions must be used) and help power them out. The cleaning powers of VSR can also help you remove blood stains on water-washable upholstery and carpets.
How to Get Blood Out of Carpets and Furniture
Did your kid get a bit of blood on the couch when you were trying to cover their wound with a bandage? Or did some accidentally drip onto the carpet after cutting your finger? Versatile Stain Remover is there to provide the assist and help remove those blood stains, too!
1. Remove Excess Stains Before Treating
For fresh stains, treat with cold water to prevent stains from setting into the upholstery or carpet.
2. Fill
Fill the OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover or Versatile Stain Remover Free scoop to line 1 per 16 ounces of water. Mix until fully dissolved.
3. Apply
To remove blood stains from water washable upholstery, apply the solution to a clean white towel and use the towel to blot out the stain. Repeat until the blood stain is no longer visible. To remove blood stains from carpets, saturate the stained area directly with the solution. Wait 1-5 minutes, then blot the stain(s) with a white towel until no longer visible.
4. Blot
Dampen a clean white towel and blot to rinse upholstery. For carpets, rinse with fresh water before blotting with a clean white towel.
Always follow manufacturer’s instructions for the item for water temperature and for cleaning. Do not use on wool, wool blends, silk, silk blends or leather. Any carpets, rugs and upholstery being treated must be water-washable. Metals must not be soaked and must be rinsed immediately and thoroughly.
How to Get Blood Out of White Clothes
Worried about that white shirt or sleek pair of white golf pants or summer white capris having a permanent red spot from a blood stain? Fear not! OxiClean™ White Revive™ powder and liquid can help to get blood out of white clothes and restore the brightness of white items!
1. Mix
Add 1 scoop of OxiClean™ White Revive™ powder or 1 capful of White Revive™ liquid per gallon of water. Dissolve completely.
2. Soak
Fully submerge stained white clothing in the solution. For best results, soak for 6 hours.
3. Wash
Wash items as normal with detergent. Choose a cold-water cycle or advise your garment care label for the proper wash temperature, and add a scoop of White Revive™ to the drum for some added oomph!
Always test OxiClean™ White Revive™ on an inconspicuous area first. Safe on colorfast fabrics only. Do not use on wool, wool blends, silk, silk blends, leather or on fabrics labeled dry clean only.
Boom. You don’t need chlorine bleach to remove blood stains or whiten clothes. In fact, White Revive™ whitens whites 40 percent better than chlorine bleach per load. And it’s safe on colors, so you can wash white items with pinstripes, logos or other designs.
While that blood stain may appear especially bright and red on your white items, it’s only a temporary setback. Turn to White Revive™ to get blood and other stains out of clothes so you can restore the look of white laundry items.
How to Pretreat Blood Stains with Spray
If you’re wondering how to remove spotty period blood stains from your clothes and sheets, OxiClean™ Max Force™ Spray is the key! It’s important to pretreat blood stains because you may not notice them on laundry items before throwing those items in the wash, causing them to set. By treating with Max Force™, you can loosen pesky dried blood stains so they are easier to remove in the wash! Specifically for period blood stains, we recommend spraying OxiClean™ Max Force™ Spray and letting sit for at least 10 mins before washing. A great benefit of OxiClean™ Max Force™ Spray is you can spray now and wash up to 7 days later!
1. Rinse
Rinse blood stain(s) with cold water.
2. Spray
Spray OxiClean™ Max Force™ Spray directly onto period and other blood spots or stains until the area is fully saturated.
3. Wait
Let the blood-stained garment stand for 10 minutes or up to a week, depending on the severity of the stain. For set-in stains, allow the spray to penetrate overnight or up to a week. For clothes and laundry items prone to color change, do not let stand longer than 10 minutes.
4. Wash
Wash as normal with detergent. Choose a cold-water cycle or advise your garment care label for the proper wash temperature. Add a scoop of Versatile Stain Remover or VSR Free to the washer drum for more stain-fighting power!
Test in an inconspicuous area prior to use. Do not use on silk, wool, leather, and fabrics labeled dry clean only. Pre-treat tough clothing stains. Shake before use. Do not use OxiClean™ to remove period blood stains on denim, lace, or silk fabrics.
Dried blood stains can be tough to remove but treating those stains with Max Force™ Spray makes that process a whole lot easier! You can use Max Force™ Spray to treat clothes up to a week before washing. So, if you get your period while on vacation or need to treat dried blood stains after skimming your knee during your annual skiing or hiking trip, you have the resources needed to treat laundry items so those stains can be washed away upon your return!
Plus, Max Force™ comes in a refillable size that allows you to avoid buying a new spray bottle every time.
For All of Life’s Curveballs, Turn to OxiClean™ Stain Solutions!
Don’t let the occasional boo-boo or period blood spotting ruin the integrity of your favorite garments. Instead, wash your clothes and bedding with OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover to help remove blood stains, and pretreat with OxiClean™ Max Force™ to tackle old and dried blood stains so you can give your laundry items new life and keep them in the rotation!