No matter how much you’re trying not to get that crisp white linen dirty, accidents happen most of the time – even in the comforts of our bed. Whether you had a cut, a nose bleed, or the unexpected Red Day, it is handy to know how to remove blood out of a mattress.
How much we can clean from those stains depends on how early you’ve tended to the stains. If you don’t act quickly, there’s a possibility that the stains are there to stay.
We will share simple yet effective ways to get blood stains out of a mattress. Whether it’s fresh blood or even dried blood that’s been there for how long, we’ve got you covered!
Cleaning Ingredients To Prepare
You might be surprised that you may only need ingredients already in your cupboard.
- Coldwater
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Table salt
- Cornstarch
- Optional: vacuum, spray bottle, meat tenderizer, enzyme cleaner
Removing Fresh Blood Out of a Mattress
If you could tend to the stain immediately, we recommend beginning with a cautious approach. Because blood dissolves in cold water, we recommend starting here.
Tip: After cleaning, we recommend entirely drying the mattress before putting on new sheets. A damp mattress may cause moulds or mildew problems later on. To ensure that the mattress is dried enough,
- Air out on the sun
- Use a hairdryer or vacuum if you can’t get to a sunny area
remove fresh blood Using cold water
You may wonder why to use cold water and not hot water. Hot water or even warm water burns blood proteins and binds haemoglobin to cloth, permanently creating a stain. So make sure to stay away from hot water when dealing with bloodstains.
- Start by simply dabbing the blood stain with a cloth dipped in cold water until it disappears.
- Dabbing will help you carefully lift the bloodstain from the mattress to the cleaning cloth.
- Be cautious also not to soak or oversaturate the mattress in the process.
Best Method To Clean Dried Blood
It may be more difficult, but not impossible, to remove dried blood from a mattress.
We’ll share these three simple methods used on dried blood and if the cold water approach did not work for you. These methods are considered spot cleaning and will help you remove blood stains from bed without washing.
- Using vinegar
- Using baking soda
- Using hydrogen peroxide
remove old blood stains Using vinegar?
If the stain isn’t coming out using only cold water, it’s time to bring out the vinegar. Vinegar contains acid that breaks down stain molecules.
We recommend using distilled vinegar such as Golden Swan or Jocker Woods available in the UK market.
- Start by mixing equal distilled vinegar and water parts in a small container or spray bottle.
- Apply the solution to the stain by carefully dabbing using a clean cloth.
- Repeat until you are satisfied with the removal of stains.
- Make sure not to oversaturate and squeeze out any excess liquid.
remove old blood stains with baking soda?
While using the vinegar method alone, pairing vinegar with baking soda can speed up the stain removal process. White vinegar and baking soda are famous tandem in the cleaning world.
Baking soda is a base compound, while white vinegar is acidic. When mixed, they create a fizzy reaction that helps with the cleaning and odour.
Vinegar and baking soda deal with other mattress cleaning duties, too, including how to clean urine out of a mattress.
Here’s how to remove blood stains off a mattress with baking soda:
- Sprinkle baking soda on top of the blood-stained area.
- Spray or dab white vinegar over the baking soda.
- This mixture will bubble as a result of the chemical reaction.
- Allow thirty minutes for the mixture to work its magic.
- Vacuum the leftover mixture or blot the mixture away with a damp cold cloth once it has dried down.
- Repeat this technique a few times if the stain hasn’t entirely lifted.
remove old blood stains Using hydrogen peroxide?
Did you know? Hydrogen peroxide is also a good ingredient when dealing with how to clean red wine out of a mattress. Hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleaching agent that breaks down the stain’s colour-causing components, so it becomes invisible.
A mixture of table salt and hydrogen peroxide is recommended for stubborn bloodstains.
But, why mix sodium with hydrogen peroxide? The finished product is called ‘oxygen bleach’ and the ‘oxygen’ in it is caused by water. When you add the oxygen bleach to water, oxygen molecules start to form and help lift stubborn stains from the surface.
If you don’t have hydrogen peroxide at home, 3% hydrogen peroxide solution like Care+ and SafeSol can usually be bought in supermarkets.
Time to make a stain-removing paste using this potent recipe below. Here’s how:
- Mix 1/2 cup corn starch, 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide, and a tablespoon of salt to make the paste.
- The cornstarch is used to make the mixture like a paste. You can modify the consistency of the mixture as needed by adjusting the amount of cornstarch. The paste should be similar to toothpaste.
- Dampen the blood stain with cold water.
- Apply the paste to the bloodstain. Make sure to cover the entire surface using a spoon or old toothbrush.
- Allow for 30 minutes of resting time. You should see that the paste dries, and the hydrogen peroxide begins to bubble.
- When the hydrogen peroxide bubbles have subsided, blot the stain with a clean and wet towel to remove the solution. Hopefully, the stain goes with it.
How To Clean Period Blood Out Of Your Mattress?
Ladies, I know the struggle is real. But when dealing with period stains, you can treat them like any other bloodstains. The question, though, is how early you tended to it.
Most of the time, we can’t attend to bloodstains immediately because of a busy schedule. For ladies, the sapped energy from
You can try the simple cold water method for fresh stains, as discussed previously. If you’re a busy gal and the colours dry out, you can try the three methods shared above.
Other Tough Alternatives You Can Try
Sometimes, tough stains call for tough alternatives. Here, we gathered some of the ingredients people swear by in dealing with tough blood.
Meat Tenderizer
“Fun fact, it’s because meat tenderizer is an enzyme and helps break down the meat to make it softer. It’s doing the same thing to the blood.” Source: Reddit
Yes, the same seasoning mixture in your cupboard — is an enzyme that works to break down the proteins in the blood. To do this method,
- Make a paste with meat tenderizer and cold water.
- Apply it to the stain to see if it works.
- Allow for an hour of resting time.
- After that, dab it away and repeat if still unsatisfied. Or maybe you can just save this for dinner.
Enzyme Cleaners
If the meat tenderizer didn’t work, let’s go with the “real enzyme” cleaner. Enzyme cleaner can break down molecules from a protein-based stain like blood. We recommend brands like Simple Solution, one of the UK’s leading brands.
For this method,
- Do not apply directly to your mattress; instead, spray or pour on a towel or rag and blot the area.
- You can also check with the cleaner’s instruction for safe procedures.
FAQ: Will Vanish remove blood stains from A mattress?
“Yes, it’s great stuff. Give it time to do it’s magic though… it ain’t going to work with a quick dab and rinse.” Source: Reddit
“This stuff has been a lifesaver. For example, this week I cut my leg and managed to smear blood all over the sheet-like a horror film, gross I know! I poured on the liquid using the cap. Rubbed the area together for a bit, add a dash more, pop it in the washing machine and let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes and wash. It’s got all the stains out. Brilliant stuff.” Source: Amazon UK
Vanish is one of the top stain removal products in the UK. It claims to remove both fresh and dried blood stains effectively.
And based on user reviews, Vanish’ claims are true to their words. (Well, also I know it’s great!)
So, yes, you can definitely try out Vanish to remove blood stains on your mattress. Make sure to follow their instructions on the application.
How To Remove Blood Out Of A Mattress? Final Word
Prevention is always better than cure. If your bed is prone to accidents, a mattress protector or mattress is an inexpensive solution to protect your crisp linens and an affordable solution to avoid the stress of dealing with blood.
Mattress protectors will prevent naturally occurring stains like sweat, urine, blood and even accidental spills on the bed. Mattress protectors also come in handy in controlling bed bugs, especially those water-proof ones. For an in-depth guide on how to get rid of bed bugs.
Do a regular check on your mattress, even if using mattress protectors. We should look out for suspicious stains that might be bed bugs or mould infestation. After all, we invested in an excellent mattress to have quality rest and sleep. Let’s take good care of it.
