Here’s Exactly How To Get a Blood Stain Out of Your Clothes

Most of the time, it really is possible—and pretty simple, too.

It’s bound to happen that you or someone in your household will get a few drops of blood on their clothing. Maybe you cut yourself cooking dinner or start your period a little early, or your kids cut and scrape their knees on the playground. So, knowing how to get blood stains out of your clothes is useful, to say the least.

Keep in mind, though, blood stains don’t always come out, says Jonathon Reckles, vice president of marketing for CD One Price Cleaners. “It really depends on how long the stain has set. The newer the stain, the more likely it is to come out.”

So, acting fast when you get blood on your clothes gives you the best chance of getting the stain out. Swift action actually matters more than the type of fabric that’s gotten stained with blood—but, sometimes, you can’t take care of a stain right away and it settles in.

“Methods for removing blood stains don’t typically depend on fabric type,” Reckles says. “More so, the method you use for removing blood stains would depend on the length of time the stain has been setting.”

Before trying any blood stain removal technique, check the care tag on each item of clothing. Make sure the blouse, dress or sweater can handle bleach, presoaking and laundering, and that bleach won’t ruin or discolor the fabric.

Just keep in mind: It’s never recommended to bleach silk, wool, leather, mohair, or clothes made with dyes that bleed or run.

Here are some tips for getting blood out of clothing, whether it’s a fresh stain or the blemish has settled in.

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How To Get New Blood Stains Out of Clothes

Fresh blood stains are much easier to remove than ones that have been there for a while. That’s true for most other stains too. So as soon as you notice a drop of blood on your outfit, follow these steps:

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1. Rinse with cold water ASAP

Run the stained fabric under a stream of cold water, Reckles says. Don’t use hot water, which can make the stain set. If cold water doesn’t work, try rubbing the stain with an ice cube. “Since blood is a protein-based stain, the colder the water, the more likely the stain will come out, and ice is about as cold as water can get,” he says.

If you can’t take the garment off to rinse it with cold water, dab the stain with a paper towel to soak up the blood, according to laundry detergent brand Persil.

2. Scrub the stain

Use bar soap (or hydrogen peroxide if it’s appropriate for your garment) and cold water to scrub the stain. You can also rub with a laundry pre-treatment product or enzyme laundry detergent, like Arm & Hammer Bioenzyme Power Laundry Detergent or Presto! 96% Biobased Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent. Enzyme laundry detergents contain natural proteins that break down stains and stinky bacteria in fabric, especially blood, food or grass stains.

Related: How to Remove Ink, Grease, and Fruit Stains on Clothing

3. Launder the garment

After you’ve treated the stain with an enzyme detergent, wash the garment using bleach—if it’s safe for your clothing (be sure to double-check the label). Continue washing with bleach until the stain is gone. Avoid putting the item in the dryer until the stain is completely gone.

How To Get Dried Blood Out of Clothes

Getting dried blood out of clothing is a little trickier.

“If the stain has been setting for a longer period of time, you may need more than just the help of water to get the blood stain out,” Reckles says. “We recommend a good cold water bath for the stained garment, ahead of applying a product as it will help with the stain removal process.”

The products to use include enzyme laundry detergents, bleach or a stain-removing product like the Carbona Stain Devil.

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Related: How To Dry Clean Your Clothes at Home

Here are some tips for getting dried blood out of your clothes:

• Presoak the item in cold water and laundry detergent or a stain-removal product

• Rub the stains with bar soap or pretreat the item with an enzyme detergent

• Wash in cold water with bleach if it’s safe for the fabric type

For extra stubborn stains, repeat the presoaking stage for a longer period of time, like a couple of hours. Then, pretreat and re-wash the garment.

Next, read about what all those laundry symbols mean on your clothing tags.

Sources:

• Jonathon Reckles, vice president of marketing, CD One Price Cleaners

• Persil: Dirty Secrets: How to Remove Blood Stains from Clothes