How to Get Blood Out of Clothes, Sheets and Mattresses

To get blood out of clothes, rinse the stain from the back of the fabric with cold water, rub in an enzyme laundry detergent, soak for about 30 minutes, then wash in cold or warm water as the care label allows. Never use hot water or a dryer until the stain is gone, because heat sets protein stains. On white, colorfast cotton, 3% hydrogen peroxide can lift what’s left; test it first.

Blood is a protein stain. Heat cooks the protein onto the fibers, much like an egg setting in a pan. That’s why extension stain guides consistently say to keep stained items away from hot water, irons and dryers until the mark is gone (see the New Mexico State University stain-removal guide).

What you need

• Cold running water
• Laundry detergent that lists enzymes (often “protease”) on the label, or an enzyme pre-soak or stain spray
• A bowl or sink for soaking
• Optional: 3% hydrogen peroxide for whites
• Optional: a soft brush or old toothbrush

How to remove fresh blood from clothes

1. Rinse from the back with cold water. Turn the garment inside out and hold the stain under cold running water. Flushing from the back pushes blood out the way it came in, instead of deeper through the fabric.
2. Rub in enzyme detergent. Work a small amount of liquid enzyme detergent or stain spray into both sides of the stain with your fingers or a soft brush.
3. Soak. Leave it in cold water with a little detergent for 30 minutes. Stubborn or larger stains can soak for several hours.
4. Check, then repeat if needed. Rinse and look at the spot in good light. If it’s still visible, repeat the detergent and soak.
5. Wash normally. Launder at the temperature on the care label. Cold or warm is fine once the stain is mostly gone.
6. Air-dry and inspect. Don’t machine-dry until you’re sure the stain is out. A dryer can make any remaining trace permanent.

How to remove dried blood

Dried stains need more soaking time, not stronger chemicals.

1. Gently scrape off any crusted surface with a dull knife.
2. Soak the item in cold water with an enzyme pre-soak or detergent for several hours or overnight, following the product label.
3. Rub the stain between your fingers to loosen it, then rinse in cold water.
4. Treat any remaining color with hydrogen peroxide (whites) or an oxygen-based bleach that is safe for the fabric (colors), following the label and care tag.
5. Wash and air-dry. Repeat if needed.

Using hydrogen peroxide on blood

3% hydrogen peroxide is the drugstore kind. It foams on contact with blood and can lighten what’s left of a stain. It is also a mild bleach, so it can fade dyes.

• Use it on white or colorfast cotton and synthetics. Test an inside seam first.
• Dab it on with a cloth or dropper, wait a few minutes, then rinse well with cold water.
• Don’t use it on silk or wool, and don’t mix it with vinegar, bleach or any other cleaner.

Which approach for which fabric

Enzymes that digest protein can also affect protein fibers like wool and silk, so check both the detergent label and the garment care label. Our guide to laundry care symbols explains what the tags mean.

Blood on sheets

Strip the bed as soon as you notice the stain. Rinse the stained section under cold water from the back, apply enzyme detergent, and soak the sheet in a tub or sink of cold water for 30 minutes or longer. Wash at the temperature on the care label and air-dry, or check before tumble drying. For a routine, see how often to wash sheets.

Blood on a mattress

You can’t soak a mattress, so use as little liquid as possible.

1. Blot fresh blood with a cloth dampened in cold water. Don’t pour water onto the mattress.
2. Dab on a little enzyme stain spray or a solution of cold water and a few drops of dish soap. Blot, changing to clean areas of the cloth.
3. On a white mattress cover fabric, test 3% hydrogen peroxide on a hidden spot, then dab a small amount on the stain and blot after a few minutes.
4. Blot with a cloth dampened in plain cold water to rinse.
5. Let it dry completely, with a fan and open windows, before you make the bed. Trapped moisture can lead to mildew.

Check the mattress maker’s care instructions first; some foam mattresses should not get wet at all. More detail is in our guide to cleaning a mattress. A waterproof mattress protector is the cheapest way to avoid the problem next time.

Safety notes

• Follow label directions on stain removers, detergents and bleaches, and test on a hidden area first.
• Don’t mix stain removers. Rinse with water between products.
• Work with a window open or a fan running when using sprays.
• Keep detergents, especially single-dose pods, in their original containers and out of reach of children and pets.
• If someone swallows, inhales or gets a cleaning product in the eyes, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (US) or emergency services.

Bottom line

Cold water first, enzyme detergent second, patience third. Treat stains from the back of the fabric, soak longer for dried blood, use 3% peroxide only on whites after a spot test, and keep the item out of the dryer until the stain is gone.

FAQ

Does salt water remove blood?

Cold salt water is a traditional remedy, but plain cold water plus an enzyme detergent is more reliable and leaves no salt residue.

Can I use chlorine bleach on blood?

On white cotton that the care label says is bleach-safe, it can remove leftover color, but treat the protein first with an enzyme detergent. Never mix bleach with peroxide, vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners.

What if the stain went through the dryer?

Try a long enzyme soak, then peroxide on whites. Heat-set stains sometimes fade with repeated treatments but may not disappear completely.

Does hot water ever help?

Not at the start. Once the stain is gone, you can wash at whatever temperature the care label allows.