Blood stain removal

So you got some blood on your favourite shirt. Fortunately all is not lost, the sooner you can get to work trying to clear the stain, the better chance you have of removing it, however with modern cleaning materials and a little common-sense, most blood stains, even old ones, stand a good chance of removal. Read this article to get some handy tips on blood stain removal

The easiest way to remove a blood stain is to try it before its had a chance to dry at all. The first thing to do use run the stain under cold water and scrub at it very very softly with a brush(an old toothbrush works well). The scrubbing action should be more like a tapping, so as not to spread the stain around. The most important thing to remember is to not use hot water! hot water sets blood stains, making them much more difficult to remove. After you have scrubbed most of it away washing the item with a modern washing powder (one that contains enzyme or oxy action) should remove completly the stain. After washing, be sure the stain is completly gone before putting it in a dryer, as the hot air of a dryer will cook a blood stain in, making it a huge pain in the ass the remove.

Due to this last fact, it is actually a good idea to drip dry any item of clothing that has a blood stain you are trying to remove.

If the stain you’re trying to remove has been there for quite some time, you have no chance of removing it using cold water alone. Time to bring out the big guns. To tackle this little bugger what you are going to have to do is first loosen the stain somehow before trying to remove. To do this you will need

1. a soft brush, like a toothbrush
   
2. An empty spray bottle, like one used to water plants or an old window cleaning/surface spray bottle
   
3. Some solution to soak the stain or clothing in, which will loosen the blood stain making it possible to scrub away.
   

For the solution many things will work, hydrogen peroxide applied directly to the stain works best but can bleach clothes so it’s not always an option. In such a case you could use some expensive washing liquid, again something with ‘enzyme’ or ‘oxy’ action. This time however you want to soak the clothing in warm water to really unleash the power of the product you’re using. You should soak for at least a few hours. Additionally, you could try some specialist stain removing product, many of which are recommended but I’ve never personally used one.

Once the stain has been softened up a bit, scrub gently again, making certain to not damage the fabric or spread the stain around. Once you have broken up a fair bit of the stain, hold the spray bottle right up to the stain and spray hard and repeatedly, trying to blow away the stain. Often it can work best to approach the stain from the other side as well with the water bottle, to make sure the stain has every chance of being blown away. It may require several cycles of the stain removal process to get rid of every last bit of the stain, but once it is done wash on a regular cycle, dry, and get back to wearing that snazzy bit kit.

Another thing which may work is meat tendeizer. Essentially meat tenderizer breaks down proteins, thats how it tenderizers meat. But blood also contains proteins, which is why it sets. Put 1+1 together and it equals 2. Or at least it should. The same compounds in meat tenderizer will probably break down your blood stain, making it easier to wash away, however you should check first in a hidden corner of the garment, as not all meat tenderizers are made equal, and possible some will break down the protiens in the dye in your clothes(especially if you have vegetable dyes)

try here if your after some ink stain removal tips