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Wondering how to get blood out of clothes, sheets, or even a mattress? You're not alone. You'll be dealing with your period and all the blood stains that come with it for a long, long time. Period stains show up everywhere from panties and denim to towels and more. Over time, you'll likely stain just about everything it's possible to stain. And if your monthly flow starts to, well, flow while you’re out of the house or sleeping, you’re likely to wind up battling the dreaded dried blood stain from time to time. (To that end, who hasn’t woken up to the discovery they had a Carrie-esque bucket-of-blood moment overnight?)
The good news, though, is that blood stains are SO not a big deal, and nothing to be embarrassed about. And the even better news is that there are a ton of options for how to get rid of period stains that totally work. (Don’t forget, people with periods have been finetuning the formula for removing blood stains since pretty much forever!) Here, find proven ways to get blood out of clothes (and more) according to how old the stain is. Some of these are bound to really surprise you!
In this article, you’ll find:
How to get new blood stains out of clothing
How to get dried blood stains out of clothing
How to get blood out of sheets and bedding
How to get new blood stains out of clothing
When it comes to getting period blood out of clothes, especially items made of lightweight fabric (like underwear or PJ bottoms), first try holding the stained area taut under cold running water—you'll be amazed at how much stuff a steady stream of H2O can coax out of a garment! Sometimes cold water is enough to get fresh blood stains out entirely, especially if you act quickly! Immediacy is key here, since the fresher a blood stain is, the easier it is to get out. If you're, say, running late and really can’t deal with a stain at the moment, at least throw the garment in a bowl of cold water to soak. It’ll be much easier to deal with later if the blood didn't have the opportunity to dry first.
You might need something stronger than water for more set-in period stains. Thankfully, there are loads of common household items you can use to remove stubborn stains! For lighter colored clothes, hydrogen peroxide or lemon juice are great options. Just be aware that they can cause color loss on darker items, so test them on an inconspicuous area to be sure they're safe to use. Here’s how you’ll use ‘em:
1. Soak a sponge in hydrogen peroxide or lemon juice.
2. Blot at the blood stains.
3. Run the stained area under cold water.
4. Repeat until you’ve lifted as much of the stain as you can.
This hack for how to get blood stains out was handed down to my best friend by her mom. (Thanks, Angela!) After first rinsing stained fabric under cold water, letting as much blood as possible wash away, grab an ice cube. Ice cubes are great for protein-based stains, including blood — they are, after all, the coldest that cold water can get! Simply use the edge of the cube to rub at the stained area.
And, on the subject of ice, a note about its opposite: When it comes to blood stains, know that hot water will do more harm than good. Hot water (and warm water, for that matter) heats the stain, and in the case of blood, it will cause the blood to seep deeper into the fabric's fibers. Not only that, but hot water should never be used on delicate fabrics, as it can warp or shrink them.
Two other super common items, aspirin and baking soda, can also be used to treat blood stains. As far as aspirin is concerned, crush up a few tablets and mix the resulting powder with water to form a paste that can be applied to the stain. Same thing with the baking soda—just mix some with water to make a paste (how much really depends on how large a stain you're dealing with!). Allow the paste to sit for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight, and then launder the garment as usual.
If you literally have access to none of the above, there's still one last option that can actually work: your own spit. We know — it's sort of gross, but saliva really works as a cleaning agent. That’s because our spit contains amylase, an enzyme that’s helpful for breaking down food and for breaking down other organic stains, blood included, too! It’s a useful hack to keep in mind when you're on the go and don't have anything else on hand.
You’ve run your stained fabric under cold water and given hydrogen peroxide and other household items a chance to work their magic. If you’re still seeing a stain, before tossing your garment in the wash, pretreat it with a laundry product that’s good at ghosting ugly blotches.
Oxygenated bleaches and enzymatic cleaners are both all-purpose stain treatments that are aces on blood. Carbona Stain Devils #4 is a great product for dorm-dwellers, too, since it comes in teeny-tiny bottles; a little goes a long way, and it won't take up a lot of storage space! Residual blood stains can also be treated using whatever kind of soap you have nearby; hand soap (both liquid and bar) will work, as will liquid laundry detergent or a laundry bar like Fels-Naptha. Another #ProTip: Toothbrushes are great for when you’ve reached the liquid soap-scrubbing stage of removing blood stains! (Especially when you consider that the alternative is using the pads of your fingers.)
Try, try again! Sometimes with blood stains, or really with any stains, you need to give it more than one pass to save your clothes. And sometimes you just have to try something different! The important thing to remember is that if a stain doesn't come out the first time, all is not lost. Give it another shot, and remember not to put your garment in the dryer until you’re totally happy with your stain removal efforts. Heat will set your stain for good! When you are done, treat yourself to some chocolate. You earned it.
How to get dried blood stains out of clothing
Unfortunately, sometimes blood stains happen when you're out of the house, and at that point, soap and laundry products won't do you any good. Luckily, salt water or saline can come in handy in a pinch. Plain old table salt and cold water do really well for getting period blood out of clothes after the stain has dried. If you're a contact lens wearer, you can use your saline solution to the same effect, which is pretty handy when you're traveling. Who knew?!
This is pretty much the cardinal rule of getting dried blood stains out of clothes. Fill your sink with cold water, then add a teaspoon of an enzyme-based stain remover. Look for products that contain enzymes called proteases; they’re great for breaking down proteins, like blood stains. (Bonus? An enzyme cleaner can help with sweat stains, too!) Now, let the garment soak for at least three or four hours. If the stain is still visible at this point, apply a little more of the stain remover and scrub to loosen things up — toothbrushes come in handy again here! — before throwing the garment in the wash. And after a normal wash in cold water, if the stain is still there, give it another soak. As annoying as it may be to repeat the process, a little patience and persistence can be the ticket to keeping your favorite pair of panties out of the trash!
Here's one totally oddball thing that will remove blood stains. You ready for this? Unseasoned meat tenderizer. Told you it was weird! It's really good on older, set-in blood stains. To use it, sprinkle the stain with the tenderizer powder and add enough water to make a paste. Let that sit on the stain for 30 or so minutes, and then finish by rinsing with cold water and washing as usual.
How to get blood out of jeans
If you need to get blood out of jeans, the approach is slightly different. Since the fabric is thick, you'll start by blotting the stain from the inside. Soak a washcloth in cold water, wring it out, and then blot away. Avoid the temptation to rub the stain — that will only spread the blood. Keep blotting until no more blood comes off on the washcloth.
After blotting the stain, let your jeans soak in cold water for at least half an hour. You can add some salt or a half cup of baking soda to the soak here if desired, or just stick to plain ol’ water. The important thing is to give the stain a chance to lift.
While some of the household spot-treatment remedies listed above definitely do work for jeans, one you’ll generally want to steer clear of is hydrogen peroxide. Especially for darker and medium wash jeans, hydrogen peroxide can act as a mild bleach and will change the color of your denim. No, thanks! Simple dishwashing soap or even shampoo may be enough here; dab a little onto the stain before scrubbing the area over with a toothbrush. Now, toss it into the wash (on a cold water setting, of course!).
If your jeans, after being soaked and spot-treated, are still coming out of the wash stained, it might be time for an ammonia soak. Soak your jeans the same as you did in Step 2, only this time, add both a teaspoon of laundry detergent and a tablespoon of ammonia to the mix. Let it all soak together for several hours, if not overnight. Then, give ‘em another wash.
How to get blood out of sheets and bedding
Those middle-of-the-night leaks sometimes make it all the way onto your bedding. We’ve been there. You'll be happy to know that the techniques above for how to get blood out of clothes are exactly the same for ordinary linens. Your sheets should be easy enough to get clean by employing any of the products and techniques you use on your clothes; just be careful to use hydrogen peroxide only on white or lighter-colored sheets, since it can permanently discolor darker fabrics. To that end, white vinegar can be a handy soaking alternative; as a bonus, it’ll help soften your sheets and remove detergent residue, too! And don’t worry about the smell; it’ll disappear as soon as your sheets are dry.
For a mattress pad or comforter — or anything else that's oversized but washable — treat the stain just like you would one on your clothes and wash it in cold water. (Note: If you get a stain on silk bed sheets or anything else super delicate, make sure to read the care label to see what the manufacturer recommends.) You may need to take some bedding to a laundromat if your washing machine isn't big enough; just remember that nothing should be put in the dryer before you’re happy with its stain state! For that reason, you might want to do a soak or two at home first, so you’re not stuck at the ‘mat waiting (and waiting some more) for your bedding to go through multiple wash cycles.
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#ProTip: When it is time to dry your bedding, toss some clean tennis balls or dryer balls in with your comforter to help redistribute the stuffing and make it nice and fluffy.
The trick for how to get blood out of a mattress is to use as little liquid as possible—you don't want to saturate it, or else it won't dry! Pick any of the blood stain removal products mentioned above, and dab it on stains using a cotton ball or a clean cloth. The key, again, is to not soak the mattress. Go slowly and use several applications. Then allow the mattress some time to air dry before re-making the bed. If you live in a damp climate, turning a standing fan toward the mattress will help aid the drying process.
Ultimately, most blood-stained things can be salvaged with fast action, a little cold water and a lot of patience. Cue the sound of your underwear drawer cheering in the background!
This story has been updated to include the most up to date information.
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