Step by step: how to remove blood stains from clothes and sheets, fresh or dried
Safety first. Wear disposable gloves when you handle someone else’s blood, and wash your hands afterward. Hydrogen peroxide can lighten dyes, so test it on a hidden seam. Do not mix stain removers, especially ammonia and chlorine bleach, and rinse between products.
- 1
Rinse with cold water from the back
Turn the fabric inside out and run cold water through the back of the stain, so the blood is pushed out rather than deeper in. Keep going until the water runs mostly clear. Warm or hot water cooks the proteins in blood and sets the stain.
- 2
Soak in cold water for 30 minutes
Submerge the item in a bowl or sink of cold water for about 30 minutes, which Mississippi State Extension recommends for fresh blood. Weight it down so the stained part stays underwater. The water will turn pink as the blood loosens.
- 3
Rub in detergent or an enzyme remover
Work liquid laundry detergent or an enzyme stain remover into the remaining stain with your fingers. Enzyme products break down protein, which is exactly what blood is. Leave it for 5 to 15 minutes, as the label says.
- 4
Treat what is left with hydrogen peroxide
On white or colorfast cotton, dab 3% hydrogen peroxide onto any remaining mark after testing a seam. It will fizz as it reacts with the blood. Blot with a white cloth, repeat until the fizzing stops and the color is gone, then rinse with cold water.
- 5
Wash in cold water
Wash the item on its usual cycle in cold water with your normal detergent. Tide suggests putting the garment in with the detergent still on it rather than rinsing it off, for an extra boost on the stain.
- 6
Check, then air dry
Look at the spot while the fabric is wet. If any brown or rust-colored mark remains, repeat the enzyme or peroxide step and wash again. Air dry, because the dryer will make any remaining blood permanent.
How to remove dried blood stains
Soak dried blood overnight in cold water with an enzyme laundry presoak, then treat and wash as for a fresh stain. Dried blood turns brown and bonds to the fibers, but it is usually still removable as long as it has not been through a hot wash or dryer.
New Mexico State University Extension recommends an overnight soak in a laundry pre-soak (or any laundry detergent if you have no pre-soak), and names it as very good for protein stains such as blood, milk and egg. After the soak, gently scrape loosened flakes with a dull knife, apply an enzyme remover, and wash in cold water. If the stain is still visible, Mississippi State University Extension says to rewash with a bleach that is safe for the fabric.
Blood on sheets, mattresses, jeans and carpet
The cold water rule is the same everywhere; what changes is whether you can soak the item.
| Item | What to do |
|---|---|
| Sheets and pillowcases | Strip the bed right away, rinse cold, soak the stained section, enzyme pretreat, cold wash |
| Mattress | Blot with a cold damp cloth, dab on an enzyme cleaner or peroxide, blot dry; use as little liquid as possible |
| Jeans and dark denim | Cold rinse and enzyme remover; skip peroxide, which can lighten indigo |
| Carpet and upholstery | Blot with cold water and a little dish soap, then an enzyme spotter; never steam or hot-water extract over it first |
| Silk, wool, dry clean only | Blot with cold water only, then a dry cleaner |
For a mattress that also needs a deodorizing clean, see our mattress cleaning guide.
What not to use on blood stains
Avoid heat and harsh bleach; they turn a removable stain into a permanent one or add a new stain on top.
- Hot water, an iron, or the dryer. Heat sets protein stains, which NMSU warns about for all stains.
- Chlorine bleach on colors, which removes dye along with the blood, and on silk or wool, which it damages.
- Enzyme products on silk or wool, since those fibers are protein too.
- Hydrogen peroxide on dark or untested fabric. Tide’s method relies on cold water and detergent alone, which is the safer first try on colors.
- Scrubbing hard with a brush, which frays the surface and spreads the stain.
Mistakes to avoid
- Rinsing in warm or hot water, which sets the blood in the fibers.
- Putting the item in the dryer before checking the stain is gone.
- Pouring hydrogen peroxide on dark clothes without testing first.
- Soaking a whole mattress with water, which spreads the stain and can lead to mildew.
- Using an enzyme remover on silk or wool.
Products that make this easier
Optional. Everything above works with basic supplies; these just save time or effort.
- See it on Amazon
Enzyme spray
Biokleen Bac-Out Stain and Odor Eliminator
Enzyme cleaner that breaks down protein stains like blood on fabric, mattresses and carpet. Give it time to work, and keep it off silk and wool.
- See it on Amazon
Enzyme pretreat
Shout Active Enzyme Laundry Stain Remover Spray
An enzyme spray that breaks down protein stains such as blood. Let it sit as the label directs, then wash in cold water.
- See it on Amazon
For white cotton
Hydrogen peroxide 3% (brown bottle)
Fizzes blood out of white and colorfast cotton. It loses strength once opened, so if it no longer fizzes, buy a fresh bottle.
- See it on Amazon
For overnight soaks
OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover Powder
Good for soaking sheets and towels with old blood stains. Use cool water for blood rather than the hot water the tub may suggest for other stains.
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