Imagine you spread a clean white bedsheet, and the next day you wake up only to find bloodstains on your bed sheet. You pinch yourself to check if it’s a nightmare. It’s not. You try to clean it, making it only worse. So, how to get blood out of sheets?
The first step you must take as soon as you notice bloodstains on your sheet is to soak them in cold water, preferably overnight. In the morning, pour some hydrogen peroxide on the stain and gently scrub it using a gentle brush. Next, machine wash the sheets with a mild detergent, and voila! You are good to go.
In this article, we will walk you through all the necessary steps on how to remove blood from sheets to make them look pristine again right at home. Read on!
7 Steps to Get Blood Out of Sheets
Seeing dried blood on bedsheets can be annoying since not only do you have a mess to clean up, but you’ll have to remove blood from your sheets and mattress as soon as possible. So, if you were planning to snooze for a few more hours, we suggest it’s best to get up now and jump on the process to ensure your sheets look snow white. And, don’t worry, it’s not going to take long.
So, If you are wondering how to remove blood stains, try these effective tips.
1. Move Your Sheet
You have noticed period stains as soon as you are up, so how to get period blood out of sheets? First thing first, strip your sheet immediately. This will help prevent the spreading of bloodstains onto your mattress and blankets.
2. Use Cold Water
If you want to remove blood stains immediately, you will have to wash the blood off as soon as possible. Coldwater can be more effective than hot water, as it stops blood from settling on the fabric. Ensure to rinse the blood with cold water as soon as you see it. The longer you take, the more difficult it becomes to remove the stain.
3. Dab, Don’t Rub
Dab the stained area with a wet cloth. Rubbing can create a mess by spreading the stain. Dabbing removes the excess blood. Make sure to dab instead of rubbing. So, this is a crucial step for removing blood stains from sheets.
4. Soak It
Once you have dabbled the sheet with water, soak the bed sheet in cold water for 30 minutes.
5. Use an Effective Stain Fighter
There are numerous household items you can use for removing blood stains, but it’s advisable to use hydrogen peroxide and water. The 3% solution sold in drugstores is an excellent blood stain remover. It is generally classified as an oxidizing agent, which means it can break down in water and oxygen: this is actually how it helps address your stain. Additionally, it is known to be friendly to all kinds of fabric, colored or not.
6. Machine Wash
After soaking the sheet in the solution for 24 hours, wash it in the machine in a regular washing cycle.
7. Let it Dry
Let the sheet dry naturally. Place it under the sun or a fan. Make sure you don’t use a dryer. A dryer can make the stain worse. If the stain does not disappear, repeat the process with a different stain fighter.
How to Get Dried Blood Out of Sheets in Easy Steps
If the stain was fresh, there are chances you might have dealt with it calmly. But, how to get rid of blood stains if it has dried? Follow the steps below to get rid of dried blood stains:
- You have to soak the sheet in cold water for a night. This loosens the dried blood, making your next steps easier.
- The next step and the best way to get blood out of sheets is to pour hydrogen peroxide into the bloodstain.
- Use a soft brush to pat it. Dab the stain with a cloth after 10 minutes.
- Machine wash the sheet in a regular washing cycle. Let your sheet dry naturally.
- The stain may not come out in one go.
- Don’t worry; you can repeat the process by using one of the stain removers mentioned below.
How to Get Blood Out of Different Types of Sheets?
If you wonder what gets blood out of sheets of different varieties, we are here with all the information.
Cotton sheets
When it comes to tackling blood on white sheets that are cotton, you can use a mixture of baking soda and water. Make a paste of these two ingredients and apply it to the sheets. Let it sit for a few minutes and gently rub it off. Finally, when washing it off, make sure you use cold water as it will not damage your sheets.
Linen sheets
Adding white vinegar to the linen sheets is the best way to clean blood stains off them. First, rub some white vinegar on the spot and rub it gently. Then, wash it off with cold water.
Bamboo sheets
Remove the sheets from the mattress and soak them in cold water with a mild detergent overnight or for a few hours. This usually gets most stains out of the sheets. However, if you still notice bloodstains, rub white vinegar on them and wash them off.
Microfiber sheet
Wash your microfiber sheets with a mild detergent. But, make sure you avoid any bleaching agent. But even after washing, if you notice blood, then getting blood stains out of sheets can be done with the help of white vinegar.
8 Best Blood Stain Removers
You can easily find these household items which work efficiently on how to get blood out of white sheets.
1. Cold Water
Coldwater can be more effective than hot water, as it resists blood from settling on the fabric. Ensure to rinse the blood with cold water as soon as you see it. The longer you take, the more difficult it becomes to remove blood from sheets.
2. Enzyme Cleaner
You can soak the stained sheet in cold water, and an enzyme cleaner can lighten the stain. Afterward, you can wash the bedsheet with the rest of your laundry.
3. Lemon Juice or Hydrogen Peroxide
It’s difficult for enzyme cleaner or cold water to get rid of stubborn stains. In that case, lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide comes to the rescue. It’s great if the sheet is light in color. If your sheets are dark, apply the mixture to a smaller portion first to see if the color fades. If not, then proceed with lemon juice.
4. Salt
Add salt to a bucket full of cold water. Soak the stained sheet for 3 hours in the water. After 3 hours, rinse the bed sheet with cold water.
5. Cornstarch or Baking Soda
On how to get blood stains out of sheets, you can always use cornstarch or baking soda. For this method, you need to make cornstarch or baking soda paste. Then, apply the paste to the stain and leave it to dry naturally under the sun. When it dries, remove the residue with a brush. If it does not work, repeat the process.
6. Vinegar
The best thing about this bloodstain removal is you will find it easily in your house. Use vinegar instead of hydrogen peroxide and follow the same process. Just rub it on the stain and then wash it off in cold water with mild detergent.
7. Meat Tenderizer
While it may sound odd, a meat tenderizer is an excellent way of getting blood out of sheets. First, grab a bottle of unsalted meat tenderizer and sprinkle some of it on the stain. Next, mix water and create a paste. Let it stay for 30 minutes. Then, rinse with cold water.
8. Cola
It may sound bizarre, but it actually works! This is in fact, one of the best blood stain removers. You need to soak the sheet in cola for a few hours and then rinse it with cold water using a mild detergent.
There is no better feeling than sleeping in clean bedding after a stressful day at work. Now that you have learned to get rid of stains, use the tips to make your sheets cleaner.
