Carpets are often an essential part of the aesthetics of your house. And while it may be fairly easy to maintain your carpet, getting a bloodstain out can become a problem.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll end up with a dull pink stain that would stick out like a sore thumb and ruin the overall look of your house. Read on to know how to get blood out of the carpet.
Bloodstains on A Carpet
Accidents happen. You could have tripped and scraped your knee, or cut yourself by accident and a few droplets of blood may have fallen on your carpet. Even menstrual stains can end up on the carpet if you’re unaware.
These stains can be easily washed away. You can use items in your house or use store-bought bloodstain removal products, whatever is more convenient for you.
Home Remedies
Are you worried that you’ll have to spend hundreds of dollars on cleaning or end up having to buy a new carpet? You don’t have to!
There are several household items that you can use that will answer your question “how to get blood out of the carpet” within a few minutes to an hour, depending on the stain. Here’s a list of items that come in handy.
#1. Baking Soda
Using baking soda is definitely one of the most effective cleaning agents there is. It can be used to remove any stain, including blood, from your carpet and other surfaces as well. You don’t have to make a trip to the store; you’re bound to have some baking soda in your kitchen.
Make a paste of two parts baking soda and one part cold water. Rub this paste onto the bloodstain and leave it be for about 30 minutes. The paste would’ve dried up by then. Remove the dried pieces, and rinse the carpet again with some cold water.
#2. Peroxide
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Hydrogen peroxide is a common household item, given its use in laundry and first-aid. Due to its oxidizing properties, it is also very effective in removing blood stains from clothes and carpets.
Before using it, perform a patch test on a waste cloth to check if there is any discoloration. If it is negligible, you can go ahead and dab 3% of hydrogen peroxide directly on the bloodstain. Keep rubbing very gently until the stain has disappeared.
Wash off the peroxide with some cold water.
#3. Salt
You can remove blood stains off of carpets using saltwater solutions as well.
All you have to do is pour some cold water on the carpet first, so the blood doesn’t dry up. Next, make a salt and water paste, and rub it onto the bloodstain. Let it stay on for about 10-20 minutes, and then rinse the carpet again with cold water.
Since salt is a dehydrating agent, it will remove the blood along with the water when applied to the carpet.
#4. Detergent
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Laundry and dish detergents would, of course, be a go-to to get stains off quickly. When it comes to getting blood stains out, it’s best to use this method before the blood has dried.
You can even use the likes of hand soaps to loosen up the blotches of blood. Scrub gently till the stain is removed, and rinse properly with some cold water.
You can also try using cleaning products with enzymes, like Oxiclean or Tide. Spray them onto the stain and let the magic happen.
#5. Using Water and Ammonia
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Ammonia is an excellent cleaning agent that is especially used to remove old bloodstains. It can remove sweat and urine stains as well.
First, wear some gloves and grab a toothbrush. Make sure to crack open a window so the stench of the ammonia doesn’t get too intense.
Create an ammonia paste by mixing one tablespoon of ammonia with half a glass of water. Then, rub this paste onto the bloodstain and scrub till the stain begins to disappear.
#6. Using Cold Water
If you have none of the other items listed here, you can always use plain water.
But make sure you use water that is at the same temperature as your stained object, or cold water. A steady stream of cold water may be able to coax out all the blood from your carpet, leaving it stainless again.
However, it may not work if your carpet is heavy and is made of thick fabric.
Expert Tips
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Cleaning companies and detergent-makers have specific tips that you may want to keep in mind while removing blood stains:
#1. Zachary Posniak, the Vice President of luxury dry-cleaning company Jeeves New York, asserts that you always have to check the garment label. Stick to dry cleaning only, in case it has been specified.
#2. Gwen Whiting from The Laundress has one mantra — “dab, not wipe.” Wiping may cause the stain to spread, but dabbing helps lift the stain.
#3. Carolyn E. Forte, the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Lab for Home Appliances & Cleaning Products swears by using laundry pre-treaters like Carbona Stain Wizard. After, she recommends using enzyme detergents to ensure complete stain removal.
FAQ
#1. How to Use Stain Removers?
An often asked question about using stain removers is if hot/warm water can be used while removing a stain. Using hot/warm water will cause the protein in the blood to further embed the stain into the cloth.
When you’re trying to directly rinse a carpet with water, hold the wrong side of the carpet under the faucet. The force of the water stream will flush out the bloodstains.
Soaking your carpet in water after using a stain remover is also recommended for most types of carpets, except the ones that are only to be dry-cleaned. Depending on the material of the carpet, you can soak them according to the instructions provided.
Generally, soaking them for at least two hours up to even overnight is acceptable.
#2. Can Professional Carpet Cleaners Remove Blood Stains?
Absolutely! If you aren’t too confident about using DIY methods to remove blood stains, call your local cleaning professionals.
Generally, professional carpet cleaners are trained to remove all kinds of stains, including blood from your carpets. They can also treat your carpet with protectant solutions. These solutions form molecular shields around each carpet fiber and increase their surface tension as well.
This means your carpet will repel any liquid that is spilled on it and ensure that no dirt or stain is absorbed by the carpet.
A Few Parting Words
If you’ve been confused about how to get blood out of the carpet, try out any of the methods listed here and see what works best. And if nothing seems to work, call the professionals!
