Set In Blood Stains

[dirtybuck]

I have some beige pillowcases that have blood on them. Although I didn't put anything directly on the stains, I did an overnight soak in some cold water and detergent, and then pre-treated with Shout before I put them in the washer at the laundromat. A warm wash was used, but remnants of the stains still exist. They also went through the dryer.

I know this has been discussed before, but I forgot what advice/solutions were given (I think I remember something about hydrogen peroxide?).

Any suggestions or advice will be appreciated.

 

[austinado16]

Usually, once you "bake" a stain in, in the dryer, you're done racing.

Hydrogen Peroxide is your new best friend, and it won't hurt the fabric. Also nice to brush your teeth with from time to time. Does a nice safe job of whitening.

 

[MrX]

Fill a bucket with warm water (not hot).

Add Tide Laundry Liquid Detergent HE (Not the fancy versions, just the straight forward version! Doesn't matter which sent you use.

This contains the right combination of enzymes to break that down overnight.
Amylase, Mannanase, Pectinase and Protease.

The non-HE version isn't as enzyme based and won't do the job.

It is extremely important that you use warm water.

It's also extremely important that you do not soak items in Tide Total Care, as it contains cellulase and will quite likely weaken the fibres of the clothes.

Give it a try, I would be interested to know if it works!

 

[MrX]

After that, you might want to run the item through a normal wash with the same liquid detergent to flush out the stain.

 

[launderess]

If the stains were soaked in cold water mixed with an enzyme detergent, then pre-treated with an enzyme product before laundering, it is pretty safe to say you have dealt with the protein part, but now must remove the remaining color.

If the textile is white or colourfast, apply normal drug store peroxide to the stained area, allow to remain about a minute, then launder again with an enzyme & oxygen bleach containing detergent in the hottest water possible.

Or,

Make a paste of either an enzyme & oxygen bleach based laundry "booster" or detergent, apply to stains, allow to remain several minutes then launder as above.

Finally if all else fails, one can use a rust treatment safe for textiles. Follow directions on bottle CAREFULLY!

Blood like rust contains iron, which is why the last is often effective for stubborn stains of this nature.

Personally have always had best results on blood stains by first applying an enzyme based pre-treat product, waiting several minutes,splashing a bit of peroxide , then laundering. Often will simply treat the stains with "Spray & Wash" stick before they go into the hamper (if not doing wash that day), and give the peroxide treatment before bunging the lot into the washer. Though have to say if the enzyme product has been left to sit long enough, stains are often "digested" and gone before wash day.

 

[MrX]

I have always found a good enzyme-based detergent and plenty of soaking time does the trick without damaging the fabric.

I'm always a bit loathed to try strong oxygen bleach on anything, unless it's pure white cotton.

24 hours in a bucket of Persil or Ariel liquid or powder in solution will usually remove pretty much anything. I'm assuming Tide HE Liquid might have the same effect.

P&G US seems to have pretty much given up on the powders. Looking at the ingredients, they're quite old-fashioned compared to Ariel and Persil. They'd be more equivlent to some of the budget brands.

Meanwhile, the P&G US Liquids seem like they should work very well!

I'd say you might need a blast of peroxide bleach once in a while though to keep your whites actually white

 

[launderess]

Chemist Sold (3%) Peroxide

Properly used will not damage textiles and is one of the mildest bleaches known.

Indeed oxygen bleaches when properly used on coloured textiles will not cause damage. Hence the term "colourfast bleach".

Far better to treat the stain and move on, than to subject the entire garment to the harsher treatments often used such as boiling or worse, chlorine bleach.

The only enzyme that really matters for blood stain removal is protease. The rest may have some benefit in helping shift the spot, but without the former it is very difficult to remove all traces.

Of course, if one has a washing machine with a built in heater, then setting the machine for a cold fill but final temp to warm or hot along with a good oxygen based detergent should do the trick. However with energy prices being what they are recently, prefer to deal with the blood spot before laundering, thus can go straight to a warm wash.

 

[MrX]

I'd say hot fill machines will start to reappear here in the next few years. All older machines on the Irish & UK Market offered hot/cold fill. If you didn't have a suitable connection you had to use a Y connector to connect both pipes to the cold water.

With solar heating, and when hot water is already heated in the winter because the central heating is on, it makes sense to have hot fill!

I know all the arguments about cold fill being more efficient etc etc however I think they just went with lowest common denominator design! So, we lost our hot water hook up to save a few Euro on a second valve...

Although, it's also true that the fills are somebody that the hot water might not even get to the machine by the time it's ready to start washing - it takes a few moments to flush the cool water lag out of the pipes

 

[akronman]

Launderess and "IIRC"

Hello----In reading a few of your posts, I see the phrase "IIRC." Please explain to his newbie--
Thanks
Mark

 

[launderess]

IIRC

"If I Recall Correctly".

 

[sensi-temp]

Blood stains

I have frequent nosebleeds so have lots of experience. I use Biz, 2 tablespoons to a quart of warm water, (hot water sets blood stains), usually a few hours removes all traces of blood, if not, soak overnight. I then rince out the article as I don't like the smell of the Biz in my regular wash. Also works for imossible stains in tablecloths & potholders. A tablecloth may take a week to get all the stains out but they will come out. Biz will cause red colors to bleed !!

 

[mixfinder]

Hot Tip

I am in a rental house that has large brown gradiant stains looking like cola or coffee. Nothing I tried would make these areas budge. After reading this post I loaded my Hoover cleaner with peroxide and tide and recleaned the area. The rug is totally spotless, the brightening only took 45 seconds and it dried without any redisposition. Thanks Laundress for helping me solve the problem and escape embarrassment when guest arrive.

 

[MrX]

Just be careful about cleaning wool with biological laundry products. The enzymes can cause serious damage to wool and silk.

Wool carpets often come out hard and lumpy if they're cleaned with that kind of product.

I've found ChemDry contractors amazingly good at getting carpets clean. I don't know what the heck they use, but it works fantastically well on our sofas and carpets.

They also sell these little ChemDry 'stain extinguishers' in some upholstery shops. They are basically an aerosol can but, they're styled like a small fire extinguisher. They do an absolutely amazing job at lifting stains from carpets.

I've never found anything else that seems to work quite as effectively.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I have had success in using a product called Whink Rust Stain Remover. You wet the stained area of the fabric and drip this on the stain.. Since it is a rust (iron oxide) remover, it has the reducing agent (acid) to break the bond of the oxygen and iron so it also works to break the iron-oxygen bond in the blood (hemoglobin). Citric acid can sometimes work well also. This is a process that takes a minute at most. Don't let this splash on porcelain, glass or any surface that can be damaged by acid.