How to remove blood from a comforter

It is well-known among all kinds of stains; blood can be one of the hardest ones to remove from fabrics and comforters. It can happen if you get a bloody nose, start your period unexpectedly, scratch at a bug bite in your sleep, or bleed through a bandage or pad, or some other ways to somehow get blood on your comforter! How do you remove blood without ruining your comforters, and what about those that you simply cannot just throw into the washing machine? The last thing you want to do is get rid of a good comforter because of a few stains. Removing blood stains from your comforters can be done in quite a few ways, and if one method doesn’t work, another might be the trick. As many of this kind of problems, it is always better if you can treat the blood stain immediately, it’s much easier to clean up than if it is allowed to sit for several hours or longer. I’ll tell you how to be an expert in knowing how to get blood out of a comforter following the next tips.

Removing A Fresh Blood Stain

Usually, blood stains are removed very easily with a sponge or paper towels dipped in cold water. If the blood stains are on a counter surface, sink, or another area where germs may congregate and come in contact with people, be sure to use a sanitizer spray or wipe thoroughly with Clorox.

Soak in Cold Water

If your fabric is washable (if in doubt, look at the manufacturer’s suggested cleaning method on the clothing tag), fill a sink with cold water and put the stained item in it. While wet, scrub the stained spot with your fingers or knuckles to loosen the blood as is possible. If the stain is gone, you can go straight to laundering the fabric and skip pre-treating the stain.

Pre-Treat the Stain

If some blood remains after the cold-water rinse or soak, pour one tablespoon straight dishwashing liquid (like dawn) or laundry soap directly on the stain. Let the detergent work on the stain for 15-30 minutes. The stain should be gone or very close to gone.

Cold Wash

Put the stained fabric in the washer on COLD, add detergent, and launder the material as usual. This should eliminate the bloodstain.

Heavy-Duty Stains

If a stain remains, we can still remove it completely- just as long as heat has not been applied to the stain. By heat, I mean warm or hot water and the clothes dryer.

How to remove old dried blood stains from a comforter?

The great thing about these methods is that some of them only consist of safe, non-caustic chemicals. If you can go with something natural and safe first to get blood out of a comforter, why not?

Before you begin

First, remove as much as you can by rinsing the item using only plain cold water- add a dab of dish soap to your fingers to help break up the blood. Besides that, don’t put the item in the dryer. The heat from the dryer will set any vestige of the stain that remains – if there is any. Whatever You Do, Avoid Warm Water Don’t use warm or hot water to try and get blood out. Do not use heat. The heat will set blood stains and make them permanent. This means to use cold water only, not warm or hot. Blood dissolves easily in water – cool or cold water. So, if you are using water to clean out blood as much as possible, make sure that the water is cold. That will prevent the bloodstain from setting into the fabric.

Tip #1: Use regular peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide will bleach fabric and remove fluids from the fibers, which is why it’s your best bet. This method works best for light colors or white comforters—hydrogen peroxide may bleach darker colors. However, I recommend you to test for color-safe first. Hydrogen peroxide can be used full strength and poured directly from the bottle peroxide (the 3% solution, not the higher volume hair color solution). Before reaching, Soak the area with blood stains with cold water to fade them as much as possible. Pour a few teaspoons of the hydrogen peroxide directly on the stains and let it do its thing for a few minutes. After it fizzes for a bit, rub the fabric together to help work the stain out of the threads and then rinse with cold water again. You can repeat the steps if necessary. Then run it through your laundry as you normally would. Check out the stain before putting it in the dryer.

Tip # 2: Use ammonia

Ammonia works best for dried blood stains. It is usually sold for cleaning floors. Ammonia should be diluted with water – one tablespoon to a cup of water, applied and blotted up or the stained item washed as soon as possible. I put it in a spray bottle for this use. Spray the stain heavily with the ammonia. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. You may have to repeat a couple of times, then wash as usual.

Tip #3: Try with this paste

Another option is to combine the following materials to make a paste:

• 1/2 Cup Cornstarch
• 1 Tbs. Salt
• 1/4 Cup Hydrogen Peroxide

1. Using a spoon, daub the paste onto the mattress, directly on the stained area.
2. Allow airing dry until the paste is completely dry.
3. Scrape off and examine the stain.
4. If the stain is still there, reapply paste and repeat.

You may never be able to remove the stain fully, and it’s best to prevent such stains from happening (including urine stains on mattresses) by investing in a mattress pad that can be removed and washed as necessary.

Tip #4: White vinegar

If you’re looking for a natural blood stain remover, white vinegar poured directly on the stain can help dissolve it. For a small stain, fill a bowl with vinegar first, then soak the stain in the bowl. For a larger stain, place towel or rag under stain first, then pour vinegar over the stain. Soak it in the vinegar for about thirty minutes and then rinse with cold water and return it to soak in the vinegar a few times to clear the stain fully. Run it through your usual laundry process after to get rid of the vinegar smell using cold water —if it sticks around, try rinsing it with unflavored vodka to neutralize the scent.

Tip #5: Baking soda and lemon

Lemon juice can be a great lightening agent, and you likely already have both of the things you need in your home. Mix two parts lemon juice, one part baking soda, and blot it onto the bloodstain. Let it sit for five minutes and then remove it with a sponge or by rinsing. Repeat as many times as necessary. If you don’t have a lemon, try with just cold water. For this combination, the mixture is the same: mix one part baking soda with two parts water to form a paste. Dampen the stain with water, then rub the paste onto the stain. Let the fabric dry, ideally in the sun. Brush off any residue, and then wash in cold water. Talcum powder or cornstarch/cornflour will also work.

Tip #6: Wine out

A natural wine stain remover also works great on bloodstains. Just apply the remover and let it sit for five minutes before laundering. The natural enzymes eat away at the stain, and things should look good as new!

Tip #7: Coca-cola

The carbonation and phosphoric acid in Coke can work wonders on bloodstains. Pour a can of Coke directly onto the stain and let it sit until the bloodstain is gone. This might take an hour or two depending on how to set the stain is, but you should be able to tell once it’s fully lightened and wash it as usual.

Tip #8: Saltwater

You can also try for small stains with a spit and soaked in saltwater. Mix 2 tablespoons of salt and one tablespoon of dish soap. Dampen the stain with cold water first, then soak it with the soap mixture. Wait 15 to 30 minutes, then rinse the stain out using cold water. You can also use shampoo instead of dish soap.

Tip #9: Use borax and water

Soak stains in borax and water for several hours to overnight. Follow the instructions on the box of borax to create a soaking solution. Dunk the stain in the solution for several hours to overnight. Rinse it out the following day with water, then hang it up to dry.

Tip #10: Up your laundry game with stain removal products.

Both oxygenated bleaches and enzymatic cleaners are all-purpose stain treatments that are aces on blood. Read the components and instructions of the products before using them. Soaking the stained comforter in the cleaner and cold water for 15 minutes before washing it can help reduce the appearance of the stain. Do not use this method on wool or silk.

Tip #11: Meat Tenderizer

Here’s one oddball tip to remove blood stains. Use this on any fabric, but cautiously on silk and wool. Unseasoned meat tenderizer is excellent on older, set-in spots. Mix 1 Tbs. Meat Tenderizer and 2 tsp. Cold Water to make a paste, and follow these instructions:

• Spread the paste on the blood stain and work in with your fingers.
• Allow it to sit for a half-hour to an hour.
• Shake off excess and launder in the washing machine as usual.

Some details to care

• Treat stains on your bedding before tossing them in the washing machine.
• Allow the stained blood item to either air dry on a hanger inside, or lay it flat on a picnic table or railing to allow the sun to draw any remaining stain and dry it at the same time.
• Launder your comforter after any stain removal treatment. Use cold water, a mild detergent, and your usual cycle setting. Remove the wet comforters as soon as the cycle ends.
• Do not place them in the dryer. Instead, let them air dry either by hanging or in the sun.
• The bloodstains may not come out right away. If this happens, simply repeat the stain removal process.
• Consider using bleach on white comforters.
• Pretest the solutions you are going to use on a small, hidden part of the fabric to ensure there is no discoloring or damage to the fabric fibers.
• Never mix ammonia with bleach, as it creates hazardous fumes.
• Always wear protective gloves when you are handling blood that is not yours. This is to protect you from the risk of catching bloodborne diseases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before you buy bedding items, you might have some questions or concerns. You want to ensure you are making the right choice. To help you do this, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about comforters and coverlets.

How To Remove A Blood Stain From A White Comforter?

I highly recommend you use peroxide to get blood out of a white comforter. Then, follow the next instruction:

1. Fold a white towel until it is eight or more layers thick. Put it under the stain.
2. Soak the stain with regular peroxide. Do not pour on the spot (s). Just dab on till it’s wet. Do not rub a stain, or it may get bigger.
3. Wait and count to 20.
4. Dab and push into the underneath towel.
5. Keep spot wet.
6. Keep pushing spot with a clean damp rag.
7. Move a clean towel under spot as the blood soaks into it. Keep on till it is almost gone.
8. Then you can put a couple of drops of liquid soap on it and let it work.

You can wash the whole thing (in the washer) or just wash the spot with clean, clear water. (using a towel underneath as before.) Press on a dry towel to get the moisture out and let dry, laying or hanging. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to leave it in the sun to help the whitening process. Consider using bleach on white comforters, if the care instructions said so.

How to remove blood from a comforter cover made of cotton?

This method requires no special tools but does take a significant amount of prolonged rubbing. It is especially suited to stains on natural fibers such as linen and cotton.

1. First, turn the fabric, so the stain is face-down. In this position, water can work at the stain from the back, pushing it outward and off the fabric. You may need to turn clothing inside out to achieve this.
2. Then, flush the stain with cold water. Even an old stain typically hasn’t worked its way into the fabric completely, so start by removing the loosely attached surface portions. Hold the fabric in the running water for several minutes, and the stain should be at least slightly smaller.
3. After that, rub the soap into the stain. Turn the fabric over so the stain is face-up. Rub bar soap into the stain generously, to produce a thick lather. Any soap can be used, but traditional solid block laundry soap may have a stiffer, more effective lather than milder hand soap.
4. Next, grip the stained area with both hands. Roll or scrunch up two areas of the fabric on either side of the stain. Grip one in each hand to provide a good grip on the area, allowing you to rub it together.
5. Afterwards, rub the stain against itself. Turn the two handfuls of fabric, so the stain is in two halves and facing each other. Rub the stained fabric against itself vigorously or gently but quickly if the fabric is delicate. The friction you generate should slowly loosen the remaining particles of blood, which will remain in the lather rather than re-adhering to the fabric.
6. Periodically replace the water and soap and continue rubbing. If the fabric starts getting dry or losing its lather, flush the stain with freshwater and reapply the soap. Continue rubbing each stained area in this way until it is gone. If you see no improvement after five to ten minutes, try rubbing more vigorously.

Conclusion

Accidents do happen. We hope that our tips and suggestions for cleaning bloodstains out of bed comforters have been helpful. It’s always sad when you have to get rid of perfectly good fabric comforters because they’ve been stained by blood, and you can’t get them out. Now you know all the tricks and tips to clean it up fast. Best of luck, I hope you get that stain out!