25 Aug 2023
Getting blood stains out of your clothing doesn’t have to be painful. Removing fresh stains is always easier than when they have dried but both types can be tackled so don’t give up! Let’s take a look at the best ways to get your clothing clean and stain-free.
removing fresh blood from clothes.
Removing the stain will be so much easier if you get to work straight away:
- Hold the stain facing down into the sink and run the cold tap through it from the backside of the material. This begins to flush the stain out and off of the fabric.
- Soak the stain in cold water for an hour or so (don’t use hot water, it will ‘cook’ the proteins into the fabric).
- If the blood is still visible, add smol stain gel to the mark and leave for 5 mins.
- Wash according to your garment care label instructions with smol bio at 30°C or less.
Washing your stained item with a bio detergent is always going to give better results. This is because a bio detergent contains enzymes and these are naturally occurring ingredients that actually digest common stains like blood, sweat and grass. They work particularly well at cooler wash temperatures below 40°C which is great for saving energy and £££s.
A non-bio detergent does not contain these enzymes so you might find you need to use slightly longer cycles and higher temperatures to get the same results.
cleaning dried blood from clothes.
Tackling a blood stain that has dried is slightly more tricky BUT it can be removed so don’t panic! N.B. Whichever method takes your fancy, remember to patch test a discreet area of your item first to check for discolouration etc.
lemon juice & bicarbonate of soda.
- Soak the stain in cold water for around one hour.
- Mix 2 parts lemon juice and 1 part bicarb.
- Gently pat it onto the stain and leave for 5 mins.
- Rinse with cold water and repeat if needed.
white vinegar.
- Soak the stain in cold water for around one hour.
- Remove from the water and pour white vinegar directly onto the stain.
- Leave for around 30 mins.
- Rinse in cold water and repeat if needed.
smol stain gel.
- First of all, soak the item in cold water for around one hour.
- Add smol stain gel to the mark and leave for around 5 mins.
- Wash as normal in washing machine.
- For best results try smol bio at a temperature of 40°C or below.
hydrogen peroxide.
If all else has failed you can try some hydrogen peroxide but always patch test first as in some cases darker materials can become discoloured.
If you are concerned about using a harsher chemical such as hydrogen peroxide it is worth noting that it rapidly biodegrades completely into just water and oxygen. This means that it's completely safe for the environment.
To patch test:
Apply a small amount of hydrogen peroxide following pack instructions on a hidden area of the clothing and let it sit for 10 mins. If there are no signs of bleaching then you should find your item is safe to proceed.
- Apply a small amount of hydrogen peroxide onto the blood stain.
- Leave for 10 mins.
- Gently blot the stain with a clean cloth rinsed in cold water.
- Do NOT rub the stain and do NOT use hot water.
- Wash as normal with a smol bio capsule at 40°C or colder.
And REMEMBER! Never tumble dry blood stained clothing for the same reason you shouldn’t wash them with hot water. High temperatures will set the blood into the fabric further, making it harder to remove.
Want more tips? Check out how to remove other stains from your clothes here.