Blood stains are notoriously difficult to remove from fabrics, and after testing many of the best stain removers and laundry detergents, we've found that only a handful of products can completely eliminate this type of stain.
The key to restoring your clothes to their former glory after a run-in with blood is to act quickly. But before you begin, always check the care labels to ensure that heavy-duty stain removers or bleach (a powerful stain-fighting tool) won't damage the fabric. Bleach should never be used on delicate fabrics like wool, silk, mohair, leather, spandex or anything that isn’t colorfast. And exercise caution when turning to the latest internet hack. While there are lots of home remedies like hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or toothpaste, our cleaning pros say some can do more harm than good.
To help you make sense of it all and tackle the stubborn stains a skinned knee, a nosebleed, or period blood can cause, Carolyn Forté, executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, shares her expert tips on how to get blood out of clothes, whether they're made of cotton, polyester, linen or other materials.
How to get fresh blood out of clothes
Like most other stains, blood is easiest to remove when it's fresh. The steps below are the same for most types of colorfast fabrics, including jeans and white cotton tees, and will even work well for removing blood stains from sheets. As soon as you notice blood on your clothes, head to your medicine cabinet and laundry room to gather supplies, and then get to work by following these steps:
What you'll need:
- Bar soap
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Fabric-safe bleach
- Laundry pre-treater
- Enzyme-containing liquid laundry detergent
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Instructions
- Soak the stain in cold water as soon as possible. If the stain is super fresh, place it under cold running water and try to flush out as much of the fresh blood as you can.
- Treat the stain with hydrogen peroxide or rub bar soap into the stain. Apply the hydrogen peroxide to a cloth and then use the cloth to blot the stain. For very heavy stains, and only if the fabric is colorfast, carefully apply the hydrogen peroxide directly to the stain or soak the stain in a small bowl of hydrogen peroxide. Scrub the stained garment by hand with bar soap in cold water.
- Apply a laundry pre-treater or rub in an enzyme-containing liquid laundry detergent. Machine wash the garment in warm water with a fabric-safe bleach. If your garment can't tolerate chlorine or non-chlorine bleach, try a stain treater like Carbona Stain Devils #4. Always spot-test new products first by applying a small amount to an inside seam or hem of your garment.
- If the stain remains, repeat the steps above. Refrain from putting the garment in the dryer until the stain is completely gone.
How to get dried blood out of clothes
Just because you waited to remove a blood stain doesn't necessarily mean it's permanent. Instead, all you need is a little patience and a heavy-duty stain remover. Follow these steps:
What you'll need:
- Stain-removing laundry soaker
- Bar soap
- Fabric-safe bleach
- Enzyme-containing liquid laundry detergent
- Ammonia
- Laundry pre-treater
Instructions
- Presoak the garment. Prepare a mixture of cold water and one to two teaspoons of liquid laundry detergent or a stain-removing product like Carbona Oxy Powered Laundry Soaker. Allow the garment to soak in the mixture for several hours or overnight.
- Pretreat with a laundry pre-treater, or rub the stain with bar soap. Then, launder in warm water with fabric-safe bleach.
- If that doesn't work, repeat the presoaking step. Presoak for a longer period of time, or mix one quart of water with one teaspoon of laundry detergent and one tablespoon of ammonia and let the garment soak in the solution. (This may take several hours, depending on the severity of the stain.)
- Pretreat the stain and launder the garment.
Will vinegar get blood stains out of clothes?
Some find that distilled white vinegar can be an effective at-home hack for removing blood stains from fabric, especially when the stain is fresh. But Forté says, "I’ve never found white vinegar particularly effective on blood stains." Not to mention, undiluted vinegar might break down the fabric's fibers over time.
Is toothpaste useful in removing blood stains?
While toothpaste can treat blood stains, it's not the recommended method since it can't be used on unwashable fabric. It can further stain the garment and leave it with an unpleasant smell, so it's best to stick with tried-and-true methods.
Does Dawn remove blood stains?
Dawn dish soap can be a powerful stain-fighting tool — especially for grease stains — and it may help wash away some fresh blood stains. But for set stains, you’re better off rubbing the fabric with an enzyme liquid laundry detergent that’s specifically formulated to remove protein stains.
How to get blood stains out of clothes with salt
Salt may absorb some fresh blood, but you have to get to it quickly, says Forté, noting the pantry staple isn't likely to remove set-in blood stains.
How to get blood stains out of clothes with baking soda
Though it's not our top-recommended method of removing blood stains, a baking soda paste (two parts baking soda, one part water) may help — particularly if nothing else has. Simply work the paste into the stain and let it sit for 30 minutes before laundering.
Expert tips to keep in mind
- Though it's easy to assume differently, period blood can be removed from clothing using the same steps and products as blood stains from a scraped knee, nicked finger or cut on your ankle.
- When removing blood stains from jeans, turn the jeans inside out to apply stain remover directly to the spot that is stained.
- Never use hot water on blood stains to avoid setting the stain into the fabric. If you've forgotten and already washed a blood stain in hot water, you can try the steps above, but you may not be able to completely remove the stain from the fabric.
- Though we're all searching for a quick fix, remember that blood stains are tricky and often require pre-soaking and a lot of time to remove. There really aren't any speedy remedies, and unless you're dealing with a small, light stain, repeated attempts are often needed.
Amanda Garrity is a lifestyle writer and editor with over seven years of experience, including five years on staff at Good Housekeeping, where she covered all things home and holiday, including the latest interior design trends, inspiring DIY ideas and gift guides for any (and every) occasion. She also has a soft spot for feel-good TV, so you can catch her writing about popular shows like Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart and more.
Cailey Lindberg (she/her) is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience covering products, lifestyle, entertainment and food. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, she was a staff writer at USA Today's shopping network, Reviewed.com.
