“Soap and cold water will take out most bloodstains out of sheets. Erin Charbonneau/Getty Images
We all hate getting stains on our sheets, but one of the most annoying is blood. It seems impossible to get out and throwing it in the washing machine may preserve the stain forever. But don’t worry: You can get those stains out with just a few tricks.
Here’s how to get blood out of sheets [sources: FabricLink, MrsClean]:
- Flush your stained sheet with cold water, as soon as you notice any kind of stain. The longer stains have to set in, the harder they are to get out.
- If your sheet is cotton, pour shampoo on the stain and rub it. Rinse with cold water. Magically, this might be enough to get all the blood out.
- If your sheet is not cotton (or shampoo isn’t working), soak the sheet for 15 minutes in a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand dishwashing detergent, 1 quart of cool water and 1 tablespoon ammonia. Rub stain and rinse. Then soak the sheet in an enzyme cleaner and cool water for at least 30 minutes. Rinse again. Never use hot water on a bloodstain.
- Keep soaking and scrubbing until the stain is gone or it doesn’t get any better. This process may take several hours.
- For older stains (those older than 48 hours), moisten the stained areas with a mixture of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia. Leave the solution on the sheets no longer than 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and repeat as necessary.
- When the stain is finally gone, wash your sheet in the washing machine. Whatever you do, do not put the sheet into the dryer until the stain is absolutely gone. Heat will set the stain into the fabric.
Originally Published: Apr 8, 2011
