Excellent Carpet Cleaning Guide to Remove Blood Stains Easily

Jan 8
09:14

2013

Ma. Theresa Galan

Ma. Theresa Galan

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Even though most carpets are stain-resistant, you'll have a hard time removing dried and coagulated blood. It is easiest to remove blood when it is still wet. Dried blood stains are notoriously harder to remove. Also be sure throughout the process to blot the stain, not rub it, as this will only push the stain further into the carpet fibers.

mediaimage
The longer a blood stain is allowed to set,Excellent Carpet Cleaning Guide to Remove Blood Stains Easily Articles the more difficult it will be to remove. With carpet, the blood will seep down into the fibers underneath the surface, which will cause the stain to appear no matter how long or hard you scrub the carpet.

You should never use hot water to remove a blood stain from either carpet or fabric because the heat will speed the drying and setting process. Get a tub of cool or cold water and a clean sponge or rag, then lightly begin sponging the stain from the outermost edges to the center of the stain. If you try to sponge outward, you can spread the stain, which will make it that much harder to remove.

Once you've sponged the blood stain carefully for several minutes, use a clean sponge or cloth to mop up the excess water. Again, make sure to use outer-to-inner strokes to avoid spreading what's left of the stain. If you are concerned about spreading it, you can always use a shop-vac or other suction device to dry the area. You should also avoid pressing down on the stain, as that will help to set it faster.

Continue repeating the cold water and drying until you can't get the sponge to bring any red out of the carpet or fabric. Make sure that you allow the water to dry thoroughly between each sponging; let a fan blow over it or set a towel with something heavy on top of it.

If the cold water sponging doesn't remove enough of the stain, you can use club soda to extract the remnants. This will work on some types of carpet and fabrics, but not all. It is especially helpful with thin carpets and fabrics as you are able to get to all the fibers that contain the blood stain. Just make sure to use a soft sponge or rag; even though you can scrub with the club soda, you don't want to damage the fibers in the carpet or fabric.

A wet spotter is a combination of cool water, glycerin and dishwashing detergent, which can remove some blood stains that plain water and club soda won't touch. Make sure that the solution contains at least 80% water, with only a cup or two of glycerin. Use cold water versus hot, and shake the solution thoroughly before applying it to the stain. Be sure to wipe up the solution when you're finished and to flush it with cool water to remove it from the fibers.

The following common household items can be used to remove blood stains: baking soda, meat tenderizer, salt, or hydrogen peroxide along with cold water.

  • For baking soda and meat tenderizer, make a paste using cold water and apply to the stain.
  • Pour salt on the stain and blot with a towel dampened with hydrogen peroxide solution (2 parts water to 3 parts hydrogen peroxide). Rinse by blotting with a clean, damp towel.

What to Avoid

  • Use laundry detergent or dishwasher detergents as they may damage the fibers of your carpet.
  • Use bleach or ammonia on wool carpets as it will damage the fibers.
  • Avoid using warm water, it speeds up the setting process and makes the blood stain more difficult to remove.

For more helpful tips on this topic, check out our main page here:

Auckland carpet cleaning