How to remove a blood stain?

Following my intimate confessions on the dictates of my very heavy periods, I did a little research and I discovered that there were thousands of us suffering monthly hemorrhages. So I decided to concoct a little guide for you to clean a fresh or dry blood stain on any type of material, including wool and silk. I know from experience that when you shelter Niagara Falls (also called menorrhagia or hypermenorrhea), it's the 12 labors of Asterix to successfully remove stains from your mattress, sofa and linen. So until you see the light at the end of the tunnel and order your emancipator, the ruler panty , here are my top tips for removing a bloodstain!

Removing a blood stain: no, no, especially not hot water!

When you are young and a novice, you have other things to do than spend your evenings on the internet doing research on Google that you would like no one to ever discover. So we walk on intuition and run to hot water to remove a bloodstain from a piece of clothing. Fatal error ladies.

Hot water fixes the blood. Half of my sheets and especially my mattress have kept traces of it. So, we don't listen to our intuition on the matter and we also ignore those who advise lukewarm water. I've always been wary of these people, you know the chilly ones, the people who never get wet, the undecided, those who say things like "maybe", "lukewarm water", "it's not so simple as that”, “I don't want to take sides”… You should never listen to these, EVER: removing a bloodstain is not an insurmountable task as long as you know the effective methods.

Removing fresh blood stains including silk and wool

For a fresh bloodstain on a sheet and on the laundry: we get started as soon as possible! Rinse with cold water or better: dilute the stain with an ice cube. Dab with a few drops of lemon and let soak in cold water before putting in the washing machine with the usual detergent!

You can also dissolve effervescent aspirin in cold water and soak the fresh blood stain with it, or even dab it with a clean cloth soaked in physiological saline: it works wonderfully!

Getting rid of a blood stain on a delicate material such as silk or wool is also possible. To do this, we will draw on the side of effective tips that grandmothers have the secret.

When the blood stain is still fresh, gently rub the silk or wool garment with a paste of cornstarch, flour or talcum powder and cold water. When the paste is dry, the crust formed on the stain is brushed off and the fabric is rinsed.

Remove old blood stain with baking soda

Treating a blood stain with bicarbonate: yes, I made the mistake, it's fine, I had read the article diagonally. He recommended baking soda and also white vinegar. So I did both at the same time because I do everything myself! It turns out that baking soda combined with white vinegar or lemon is perfect for... unclogging the toilet, not for removing stains from laundry. I almost lost 2 panties that day.

Jokes aside, the subject is of the utmost importance. Sodium percarbonate is hydrogen peroxide. It is used diluted on the fabric. It's much less dangerous than soda crystals and it works better than baking soda. Especially on a dried blood stain. You know, the one that we encrusted with hot water or that we left lying around for a few years... We soak in cold water, we insist on the blood stain with hydrogen peroxide, and let it soak in water… cold! Preferred for a white fabric (blood stain on a sheet, a garment, a duvet or a sofa cover)

Remove a stubborn bloodstain from his mattress

With hydrogen peroxide, you can also concoct a variant of the paste mentioned above. As a reminder, we hang corn starch or cornstarch (60 g) and replace the water with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide (60 ml) then add salt (20 g). Here again, the starch can be replaced by flour or talc. Apply the paste to the bloodstain. Leave to act until the paste is completely dry. The crust formed by the dough is scraped off with a spatula and vacuumed with a special upholstery brush.

But the ideal thing for a bloodstain on a mattress that no longer wants to leave your bed or to dislodge a bloodstain on a sofa that persists in squatting in your living room, is to soak a clean cloth with a few drops of Dakin that found in pharmacies. Dab the stubborn blood stain with the cloth until it is gone, rinse with cold water and let air dry.

You can also make a mixture of water and ammonia (be careful, it stings: wearing a mask is recommended) and use it to dab the stubborn blood stain (except linen, silk and wool) with a clean cloth or a sponge. Then rinse with cold water. Guaranteed result without halo!

If you don't have ammonia on hand, you can remove the dry blood stain on your mattress by applying 70° alcohol to it using a cloth or sponge.

Say goodbye to bloodstains with your period panties

Alternatively, you can also decide to stop marking your territory and use your free time to do chemical experiments and buy period panties . For those who don't trust, I understand you, it's hard to believe that Niagara Falls can be contained (but I assure you it works!). Use it with a tampon or a cup on high tide days and alone at low tide. You will finally be free from the Stain!

By Valerie