by Gillian Taber

Created on: June 02, 2009   Last Updated: June 03, 2009

Blood can be one of the most difficult stains to remove. Rather than reach for that shop-bought bottle of chemicals which are harmful to the environment as well as potentially harmful to children in the home, try a few of these homemade solutions.

Blood will set into fabric if it is immersed in hot water, so the most valuable piece of advice is to instantly treat the stain by placing the garment in cold water for at least half an hour. If you have no desire to use any chemical-based product this is the simplest solution. Soak in cold water, then launder and repeat the process, if necessary, until the stain is removed.

Dealing with delicate fabrics is also problematic, but there are solutions, literally. After soaking the garment as above, pour liquid soda crystals onto the stain and carefully rub the fabric together by hand (or with a nailbrush if the stain is stubborn) to work the crystals into the stain. You can then wash the item as normal. Repeat as before if the stain is still visible.

For older and dried-in stains on delicate fabrics, you can pre-treat the stain with shampoo or bubble bath before using the soda crystals.

A point of note at this stage is not to dry the garment using any heat if the stain has not completely disappeared. If the stain is still there when you put the garment into the dryer, the stain will set and probably turn brown, becoming permanent due to the heat. Wait until every trace of the stain is gone before drying.

If the soaking in cold water and laundering method is not working, there is a useful solution made from ingredients that we have around the kitchen. Apply a combination of lemon juice and cold water to the blood stain until you can see that it has faded or disappeared (again scrubbing by hand or with a nailbrush). The stain may not completely disappear, but as granny would have done, hanging the garment on the line in direct sunlight will finish the work for you.

Another combination involving lemon juice also requires salt. After the by-now- automatic soaking in cold water, place the item in a plastic bag and pour in 2 cups of lemon juice and half a cup of salt. Tie up the bag and allow the item to soak for at least ten minutes. Rinse in cold water and once more allow the sun to finish the work. Wash the garment out in plain water to remove all traces of the lemon salt once the stain has disappeared.

For those with a slightly more chemical bent, hydrogen peroxide is one of the simplest solutions to the blood-stained clothes problem. Simply pour a little directly onto the stain and wait for it to bubble up. When it stops, add a little more and continue this process until the stain no longer bubbles. Then return to the cold water rinse and hang out on the line. New stains should disappear completely. Older stains may take longer to fade but will eventually become invisible.

A point to note about hydrogen peroxide is the possibility of it being incompatible with the fabric. Always test on a less visible area of the garment before applying to the stain.

All of these methods have been tested and approved by those in the stain-removal-know over the years and will save you money in new clothes and expensive shop-bought treatments.

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