Blood
What You Need:
- Salt or unseasoned meat tenderizer
*When more than one product is named, use the product that is named first; if this is unsuccessful, rinse and proceed to the next product.
To Clean:
Rinse under lots of cold water. Then follow one of these:
- Make a paste of salt and water and rub into stain for 3-4 minutes. Rinse well.
- Make a strong salt solution of 1 cup salt and 2 litres water. Soak garment for 30 minutes or more, agitating the stain by rubbing it every 30 minutes. Rinse well.
- Make a paste of unseasoned meat tenderizer and water. Work into stain and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse well. Do NOT use meat tenderizer on silk or wool.
To attack a stain on fabric, you must know something about it. Be a detective and ask the following:
What is the material (e.g. cotton, cotton blend, polyester, acrylic, rayon, silk, wool)?
Is there a care label and what does it say? If it says to dry-clean the garment, that should be your first choice of treatment. Fabric or construction details can be damaged by washing a dry-clean-only fabric.
What is the stain or, judging by its position on the garment, what is it most likely to be?
How old is the stain? Stain removal is much more successful if the stain is fresh.
Tips to help you do stain removal on washable fabrics:
Have a few basic stain removal products in your home. We recommend:
- Sunlight Pure Soap, a bar that is great for laundry and other uses
- Mechanic’s waterless hand cleaner
- Spray oxy laundry pre-treater
- Powdered oxy cleaner.
For small stains, work in suggested product using cotton-tipped swabs. For larger amounts, use cotton balls.
Always test on an inconspicuous area of garment before applying to the stain.
Follow instructions on stain removal product and care label on garment.
Use warmest temperature of water that is recommended on the care label.
Protect your working surface and/or put a pad of cloth behind stain before starting.
For delicate fabrics, avoid rubbing vigorously as this could damage the fabric.
Products with enzymes cannot be used on wool or silk.
Acetone or acetone-containing products cannot be used on acetate or triacetate.
It may be necessary to repeat the procedures as some stains are difficult to remove.
Thoroughly wash out all products used.
Be sure that the stain is completely removed before washing. Let the treated area air dry to determine if the stain has been completely removed after pre-treating. If it has been removed, wash and dry as usual.
When more than one product is named, use the product that is named first; if this is unsuccessful, rinse and proceed to the next product.