How to Remove Blood Stains from Your Clothes

Reading time: 10 minutes

No one wants blood stains on their clothes, but accidents do happen. Your blood stains could come from a paper cut, or you fell and scraped your elbows or knees. The blood stain can even come from a nose bleed or your period. It not only leaves you in pain but also leaves that blood stain on your clothes. While this stain not only looks bad, it is also a reminder of the time you got hurt and is unhygienic to keep on your clothes. Thus, it becomes important to clean those blood stains as soon as possible. And the trick, as with any other stain, is to act as quickly as possible. Also, remember that once the blood dries, the stain will set, and it becomes harder to clean. 

However, it does not matter if the stain is fresh or dry; it can still be cleaned, so you do not need to worry about that. 

Before starting to clean the stain, always check the wash care label on the garment to know if you can launder the garment at home.

Try these simple tips to know how to remove blood stains.

Method 1: Use Lemon Juice for Viscose Fabric

1. Step 1: Pre-treat the Stain

   Before using any cleaning method, you need to pre-treat the stain. This is especially important if the blood has already dried or is starting to dry on your garment. First, tackle the solid deposits. You can take a hard brush or even a blunt knife to scrub or scrape off these solid deposits. If you are using a blunt knife, even though the blade is blunt, be careful not to hurt yourself. Once you scrape off the solid deposits, rinse the garment under cold water. This will help remove any loose deposits stuck to your clothing. Follow this by washing your garment as you normally would. 

2. Step 2: Rub Lemon on the Stain

   Lemon juice works well to clean blood stains on your garments. This simple kitchen ingredient can be very effective. However, do be a little careful while using lemon juice to remove blood stains, especially from dark coloured garments as this can cause the colour to fade. So, we suggest you test it on a small inconspicuous area to ensure it does not affect your clothes. Cut a lemon in half. Take one ½ of the lemon and rub it directly on the blood stain.

3. Step 3: Make a Solution

   Take the next half of the lemon and squeeze it in a bowl. Next, add 2 tbsp. of salt in the bowl along with ½ a cup of cold water.

4. Step 4: Soak the Garment

   Soak your garment in this solution. Alternatively, you could pour the solution over the stained area and leave it for at least 15 minutes.

5. Step 5: Wash the Garment

   Now wash your garments as you normally do, and you will notice the bloodstain has gone. Use a good quality detergent to wash your garments. If you prefer to wash your clothes in a washing machine, you can use Surf Excel Matic Liquid, which is specially formulated for washing machines and is easily available in the market.

Method 2: Use Baking Soda for Cotton Fabric

1. Step 1: Make a Cleaning Solution

   Baking soda is also known to work well when it comes to removing blood stains from your clothes. Take a small bucket. Add ½ a cup of baking soda and 2 tsp. of dishwashing liquid in it. Fill half the bucket with cold water.

2. Step 2: Soak the Garment

   Next, take your garment and drop it into this bucket. Let it soak for half an hour.

3. Step 3: Wash the Garment

   Finally, wash your garment like you normally would. Once your garment comes out of your washer, you’ll notice that it looks as good as new.

Method 3: Use Talcum Powder and Detergent Powder for Chiffon Fabric

1. Step 1: Make a Cleaning Solution

   Another option to help you remove those unwanted blood stainsfrom your clothes is by using talcum powder. Fill a bowl halfway with water. Next, add enough talcum powder in this bowl to form a smooth paste.

2. Step 2: Apply on the Stain

   Take this paste and apply it over the blood-stained garment. Now let the paste rest over the stain for 20 minutes or until it dries.

3. Step 3: Brush Off the Paste

   Once the paste is dry, scrub it with a clothes brush. It will lift the blood stain.

4. Step 4: Wash the Garment

   If you prefer to hand wash your clothes, you can use a detergent powder such as Surf Excel Easy Wash. It is easily available in the market. You’ll notice your garment looking clean. You could also machine wash if you would like. Check the pack to understand correct usage instructions. You’ll notice your garment looking clean.

Method 4: Use Cornstarch for Polyester Fabric

1. Step 1: Make a Cleaning Solution

   Cornstarch is another simple household ingredient that can be used to remove those pesky stains on garments. Take a bowl and add 3-4 tbsp. of cornstarch to the bowl. Add ½ a cup of water to the bowl. Mix well until it forms a paste.

2. Step 2: Apply the Paste

   Cover the affected portion of your clothing with this paste, then, allow it to settle for 15-20 minutes.

3. Step 3: Wash the Garment

   Wash your garment as you normally do and leave it out to dry naturally.

Method 5: Use Salt for Silk Clothes

1. Step 1: Make a Cleaning Solution

   Silk is a delicate garment and it needs mild method and extra care while cleaning. Add 1 tsp. of salt in 1 cup of water. Mix it well.

2. Step 2: Dab the Stain

   Now, dampen a sponge in this solution and dab at the stain. You will see the stain will begin to fade. Repeat the step if necessary.

3. Step 3: Wash the Garment

   Once the stain is lifted, wash with plain water. Delicate garments made from silk, wool and cotton require extra care and using a mild detergent can work wonders. We recommend Love and Care, which is available in the market.

You can use the above methods for dark as well as white coloured fabrics. If you find it difficult to clean the stain from white garments, you can use 2-3 drops of bleach to clean it. You can use a bleach (sodium hypochlorite) like Rin Ala for sheets and clothes. Rin Ala being sodium hypochlorite bleach is recommended to use it on white clothes only. Do not use on coloured clothes. Check the label on the pack to understand correct usage instructions. Then wash your clothes as you normally do. Avoid using bleach for delicate materials like silk.

It is simple to clean even stubborn blood stains on your garments. Do not worry if the stain does not leave in the first attempt, it doesn’t mean there is no hope. Blood stains, just like any other stain, could take longer to come off or could need more treatment. You could repeat the same process or try any other method from the list given above. As the saying goes, try until you succeed.