Are you looking for a better way to clean your mattress and bed linens? This, as you know, is not always an easy thing to do, especially when items like mattresses cannot be loaded into the washing machine and dryer. Never fear we’ve got a variety of solutions here, and they work on carpets and furniture too!
Probably the hardest stains to remove is blood. The varied ways to approach removing blood stains revolve around if the stain is fresh or dried. If you're like me, you’ve been told repeatedly that once a bloodstain has dried it cannot be removed. Well, let me state clearly that's not true.
So, how do you get blood out of sheets? Steve Economides of the website MoneySmartFamily.com tested 11 solutions, not only on stain removal but on cost-effectiveness. There is a most helpful video on the website that illustrates the effectiveness of each tested solution. For now, let’s briefly look at his list:
1. Hydrogen Peroxide and Water
2. Dawn Dish Soap with Hydrogen Peroxide
3. Club Soda and Salt
4. Dawn Dish Soap (Alone)
5. Vinegar
6. Bleach
7. Oxi-Clean Products
8. White Wine
9. Contact Solution
10. Ammonia, Bar Soap, Stain-Removal, and Laundry Detergent
11. Steam Treat Washing Machine
As you can see this list moves from the least to most expensive stain removal solutions. The tests were all performed on 12-inch squares cut from an old 100% cotton, 600 thread count sheet. Author Steve Economides used blood from his own finger. Note not all blood stains are equal, blood is a protein and so many variables that relate to the amount of protein, impurities, illness, etc.all play a part in how easy or difficult it is to remove blood stains. In the tests, all stains were allowed to set over a 24 hour period and then ironed to further set them. One further note blood is usually easier to remove when it's fresh, so the test was specifically meant to target the most difficult to remove stains. Finally, the tests were all done pre-washing and all test squares were washed together.
His findings show that the best working solutions are: 1) Hydrogen Peroxide with Water, 3) the Club Soda with Salt, 6) Bleach and 7) the Oxi-Clean Products. For tougher stains, you may want to use multiple techniques in unison, or you may want to try some tricks from other websites.
The website HealthyCures.info offers 5 home remedies designed to remove blood stains. One of the first things you notice from this list is that all of these solutions have been handed down from grand and great-grandparents, so the mind immediately thinks, “Tried and True.” Let’s see the list:
1. Salt and Water
2. Vinegar
3. Cornstarch
4. Liquid Hand Dishwashing Soap
5. Meat Tenderizer
Vinegar and the Liquid Hand Dishwashing Soap make a second appearance. Only the application of vinegar to the stained area differs slightly. Healthy Cures suggests that undiluted white vinegar be applied directly to the stain and allowed to sit for 5 to 10 minutes then removed by blotting with a clean cloth or towel. Steve Economides stated that the vinegar should be left to sit for several hours followed by thorough rinsing with water. The difference is significant. If you blot the still dampened stain you can use this method on furniture, carpet, and your mattress. All items for which full immersion in water is not plausible.
The meat tenderizer is the big standout on this list. Just what is meat tenderizer in this context? It seems ridiculous to think they are referring to the handheld mallet that so many of us associate with the term meat tenderizer. In this instance, the meat tender is a powder commonly found among in the spices and seasonings section of your local market. Note: you’ll want to use an unflavored tenderizer to remove protein stains, like blood
Finally, here are step by step instructions on how to get blood out of sheets. It will walk you through pre-treating, when to soak, and how to get rid of heavy-duty stains.
What stands out at House Cleaning Central, aside for the step-by-step instructions, is the mattress stain remover. The website provides a recipe consisting of cornstarch, salt, and hydrogen peroxide, which when mixed together creates a paste. The paste is then placed on the stain and allowed to dry, then scraped or brushed off.
So in future, when you're looking to remove a pesky blood stain from sheets, carpet, furniture, mattresses, or anything else, remember to check out the valuable resources listed here.
