If you forget to care for a blood stain right away, have no fear! Here’s how to remove set-in blood stains from clothes and other fabrics! There is hope for taking care of that stained area to get out that stubborn stains!
This past year we had a lot of rain and with that rain came lots of mosquitoes.
My kids love playing outside and quickly amassed multiple mosquito bug bites, which they went on to itch, and itch, and itch, despite mom and dad repeatedly telling them NOT to itch!
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From the itching and scratching, they developed scabs, which they then loved to pick! This meant they were bleeding all over our house, on their clothes, on their bed sheets, and more.
I wasn’t able to treat every bloodstain on these fabrics quickly and promptly, which is much, much easier than trying to remove set in blood stains!
Dried blood stains are tricky and difficult. The more traditional blood stain removal methods don’t frequently hack it!
So, I did some experimenting to discover how, if at all, you could remove dried blood stains, set-in blood stains, old ones that perhaps already went through the wash or dyer.
Not everything I tried worked, and one product seemed to work the best, although some stains I still could not lift, the stains that had been through the wash and dryer one too many times, and ignored for too long.
So, if you are dealing with old blood stains from bloody noses, cut lips, bloody picked scabs, period stains, or whatever, here’s how to remove blood stains from fabrics and clothes.
Watch my TikTok Video or my Youtube video on how to remove blood stains with ammonia.
How to Remove Dried Blood Stains on Clothes
First, some general tips for removing blood stains. The following methods and tips have helped me get out some areas where that stubborn stain remains no matter what I’d done before.
- Never use warm or hot water on a blood stain. Doing so may bond it permanently to the fibers of the fabric. Cool water works best and should be the first step.
- Always flush the stain first with cold water and gently rub to remove any loose bits. Different kinds of stains may require you to work a bit harder.
- Work stains from the backside first.
- Test spot to see if any method will damage the fabric or dye it. An inconspicuous area is best.
- Don’t put the fabric in the dryer until the stain is completely removed or you risk it permanently setting into your fabric.
- Never mix ammonia and bleach
Method 1: How to Remove Blood Stains with Hydrogen Peroxide and Hot Iron
Hydrogen Peroxide is generally really great for removing blood stains on fabrics and doesn’t usually bleach the material either (though it might, so test a small area first if you are worried).
I found, however, that it does not work very well for old bloodstains unless you do the following (found this tutorial idea here):
To Remove Blood Stains with Peroxide You will need:
- Blood Stained Material
- Hydrogen Peroxide (3% is preferred)
- Spray Bottle (this one is perfect for hydrogen peroxide use!)
- Water
- Clean Cotton Rag (or cotton balls)
- Hot Iron
- Ironing Board (I use this small tabletop version)
Instructions for Removing Blood Stains with Peroxide:
1. Pour some Hydrogen Peroxide onto the stain (or use the amber spray bottle to spray it onto the stain).
2. *Gently blot the stain with a clean rag (or cotton ball).
3. Pour more hydrogen peroxide on the stain, and let it sit and soak for 5-10 minutes.
4. While you wait, **heat up an iron, and set up your ironing board.
5. Place the still wet material onto the ironing board, and go over the set in bloodstain with the hot iron until the stain disappears!
6. If the stain is still there, resoak the blood spot again, and go over again with the iron. Depending on how much blood there was, you may have to do this a few times. Excess blood stains mean that it takes a few times of doing this.
7. If you notice a light ring on the fabric from the peroxide, spray with fresh clean water via a spray bottle, and go over those areas with the iron. Do the same for your ironing board if there is a ring on it (there was on mine after doing this).
*Try to avoid rubbing the stain as rubbing and scrubbing can cause pilling or fraying of your fabric if you aren’t careful. If you are worried about it doing so, skip the blotting step altogether.
**Only use the highest heat allowed for the material you are working with! You don’t want to melt or damage your garment!
I was able to successfully remove this bloodstain spot from my white sheets using this method! I was pleased with the results of this stain remover and found that it did a good job on the affected area. This is good news for people who are trying to clean up old stains from a bloody nose or an unexpected scratch in the night.
Here is the result:
I found this method worked pretty well; but, it wasn’t perfect. Sometimes you could still faintly a light yellow spot left behind from the blood stain.
It could be because that particular blood stain was older and more set-in, or because it isn’t the best, most effective, blood stain removal method.
How to Remove Blood Stains with Ammonia
Instead, I found this laundry stain removal tip to be much better!
Ammonia works better to lift the old set-in blood stains from clothes! I did this method multiple times with overall very satisfactory results.
In fact, the following stain that I removed using ammonia, I had already tried removing with a mixture of lemon juice, salt, and sunshine to no avail, like none at all!
This ammonia began working immediately! It is impressive stuff.
When you work with ammonia, it is a good idea to wear gloves and use it in a ventilated area.
You may also want to spot test an area of the clothes first for colorfastness as well, but I have done this on colored fabric with little to no difference in color.
It’s best to wash the garment immediately after treating though.
Alright, here’s how to get rid of blood stains using ammonia:
Materials Needed to Remove Blood Stains with Ammonia:
- Bloodstained material
- Ammonia
- Small dish/bowl
- Water
- Cotton Balls
- Gloves (optional)
- Old Toothbrush or a small cleaning brush
Instructions on How to Remove Blood Stains with Ammonia
Time needed: 10 minutes.
Do the following in order to remove old blood stains with ammonia.
- Pour an about 50/50 mixture of water and ammonia into a small dish or bowl.
- Put on gloves (optional) and then dip a cotton ball into the ammonia/water mixture.
- Apply ammonia to the blood stain and gently begin to rub it into the stain.
- Repeat. Rewet the cotton ball (or get a new one) frequently, letting the ammonia sit for a few seconds in between, and scrub the stain with the ammonia-covered cotton ball again.
- If stain persists after multiple passings, you can dip a toothbrush into the ammonia water and gently scrub with it onto your fabric
Scrubbing fabric can damage the fabric, so make sure it is up to the friction before trying this.
- Blot the stain one more time with an ammonia-soaked cotton ball.
- Launder normally.
I did this on several spots on a white pillowcase my kids had. It did a great job of removing them all!
I then went on to use it on cotton bed sheets, blankets, and more.
For set-in bloodstains, ammonia is my favorite chemical to get the job done.
I am usually one for more “natural” products, but am also a big fan of ammonia, despite the noxious smell!
Here is the pillowcase before and after!!
Amazing, right?? There have been a few blood spot stains that I have not been able to remove with ammonia, but I think they are just really old and been through the dryer one too many times, but it still will generally lighten them up regardless!
Obviously, it is best to treat blood stains immediately, but sometimes they sneak by, or get forgotten.
Use these methods and remove set-in blood stains! Fresh stains are so much easier to get out and you’ll find the best results typically that way. However, this step by step guide proves that stained fabric isn’t a total loss! Stained sheets and white clothes can look as good as new with the right ingredients and a little bit of work!
Your sheets, pillowcases, and clothes will thank you for not throwing them out, and your scab-picking kids might rejoice too, as you won’t be quite as hard on them for bleeding all over everything… again… as you have this cleaning tip up your sleeve!
Keep these tips in mind when you’re cleaning up period blood stains, fresh blood stains, and any spots that you find after the stain sets. Who knows – these might even work on helping to get rid of some of those spilled red wine stains, too!
For even more tried and true cleaning tips, be sure to pick up a copy of my ebook Speed Clean the Deep Clean: A Collection of Time-Saving Cleaning Tutorials and Tips for Busy Moms.
More Laundry and Stain Removal Tips
How to Remove Baby Poop Stains on Clothes
How to Remove Lip Gloss Stains from Fabric
How to Remove Gum from Clothes
Best Way to Remove Yellow Pit Stains from Shirts
DIY Solution to remove odors from clothes that smell after washing
Tammy says
Step daughter ruined three sheets with her monthly visiter. I went straight to the ammonia method. I had to really work at it but eventually it all came out of one of them. I’m soaking the other two now since those were washed and dried. I’m hoping for the same success. Thank you for your tips and tricks
Katelyn Fagan says
Oh yeah!! I’m glad it’s working! It does take a little effort, but I’ve seen a pretty good success rate with it (not 100% – some are too set). My daughters still love to pick their scabs at night in their beds… Ugh.
Angel says
Just warn you, I just read a tutorial for the peroxide with iron method on Instructables(Instructibles?) and there were comments from people who tried it and found that the fabric was ruined afterwards. Something about the combination of heat and peroxide deteriorated the fabric causing it to fray. This wasn’t discovered until after doing the method and then laundering it. They took the fabric out of the dryer and found the treated spots damaged. Just a warning before attempting this method.
Jennifer says
I have actually had that happen with peroxide in the past. I am not sure what the reason was, but I do know both times it was on t-shirt material. The peroxide ate at the fabric around the perimeter that it bled out to. It totally destroyed the fabric and tore as if it was perforated. Prior to that I thought peroxide couldn’t harm anything. Now I am a little more nervous.
Melinda Mitchell says
Hey Katelyn, I needed this! My acupuncturist made my hand bleed, and I have a nice, new, huge! red polka dot on my jeans!!
Thanks for trying everything for me, so I don’t have to!
Maz says
Just tried this and it works!
Thanks for the post.
Catherine Ponticelli says
Omg, thank you, thank you, thank you! My husbands favorite golf shirt had dried blood stains on jt, sprayed with Spray N Wash, washed and dried it, nothing! I found your website and did the Peroxide, and woo hoo the blood stains came out, thank you so much for the info 🙂
Katelyn Fagan says
Oh yeah!! SO glad to hear that it worked for you!
Caroline says
Hi I just read this and another article you wrote about stains. So I have a question, is it safe to assume that you almost never use hot water when you launder your clothes? I ask because I’ wasn’t really taught the right way to wash clothes so I just made it up as I went along. I just wash almost everything in hot because germs and stuff. I knew I’m supposed to use bleach with hot water and my delicates go in cold. But stains rarely come out with hot water and bleach. So maybe if I use cold water more often I’d have better luck. Thank you for your blog and your time. Caroline
Katelyn Fagan says
Using hot water is not recommended for a lot of clothing. It’s too harsh on the clothes often and it uses up more energy too. With all the better HE washers and such out there now, you shouldn’t ever have to use anything warmer than “warm” setting setting on your washer. I am not a laundry expert, but YES! Start washing more things in cold water! Some stains are better removed in hot, and whites are good to be done in hot water, but everything else, do cold!!
Amber says
Wash your jeans inside out- I always use hot water on those because of private parts.
As for the rest of your clothes warm water is fine. Just don’t over fill the washer.
I hate putting clothes away, so I find if I was all my towels first I get them put away faster. Then do my jeans, then shirts. This way if I don’t get it all don’t the easy stuff to fold and put away makes me feel accomplished when I am overwhelmed.
As for blood , you don’t want to wash or rinse with hot water right away or even later because blood is a protein . Something about it makes the protein in the blood and the fabric bond in hot water.
Borax in laundry in general is a booster for making the clothes extra clean. You can also. Throw in some white vinegar every now and again for getting clothes un musty .
If you have a non agitator drum, then you line the walls like a donut and don’t just throw them in the middle. They are made to agitate differently. Hope this helps some, I’m sorry no one taught you but the internet is a beautiful thing. Take care.
Shary says
Thanks for sharing this.
It works for my mattress.
Jennifer Knopf says
I came across this tip while trying to remove an already washed/dried (and pre-treated with hydrogen peroxide) blood stain on light colored sheets that didn’t come out. I thought I’d give it one more try. I soaked the spots for 5 minutes in peroxide, then washed with Tide Pods with ULTRA OXY. Stain is completely gone!! This detergent is amazing!
deidre says
This was such an amazing stain removal tip! I am actually back for the second time haha! This worked so amazingly, like a magic trick I made the mistake of not pinning the first time, lesson learned. Thanks for sharing!