Blood is one of the hardest stains to remove from the carpet. Many people don’t know how to get blood out of carpet without paying for laundry service.
Luckily, you can remove a small amount of blood stain using household products. Just make sure you do it quickly before the stain becoming too old and crusty.
1. How to Get Blood Out of Carpet, the Easy Way
The easiest way to remove blood from carpet is by using a clean cloth and cold water. A clean towel or dishcloth can absorb wet blood from the carpet.
The key is to gently press the stain to absorb the blood, not rubbing it. If the stain is large, start from the edge and finish at the center to prevent spreading.
If the blood still presents, spray cold water on the surface, and let it soaks for a while. Blot the stain with cloth and use the new one if the cloth becomes too red or wet.
Do it repeatedly until the blood stain disappears. Turn on the fan to speed up the drying process, or just place several paper towels on the wet spot until it dries. Vacuum the carpet to restore the fiber.
You can only use this method if the stain is new and still wet. If it does not work, you may want to use more sophisticated methods and products.
2. Removing Blood with Salt Paste
If cold water does not work, the salt paste can be great for getting blood out of carpet. Start by blotting the stain with water like in the above step.
Mix regular cooking salt with some water until you get a thin, slightly-coarse paste. Apply this paste on the wet stain, and let it sits for five minutes. Blot the salt and stain with a clean cloth until the stain is removed.
You can repeat this step if the stain refuses to disappear after just one attempt. Dry the carpet by turning on the fan and vacuuming the area. This method works on a wet stain, but don’t do it too often since salt can damage the fiber.
3. Removing Blood with Dishwashing Liquid
Salt does not work? Use dishwashing liquid to clean blood from carpet. Create a cleaning mixture with two teaspoons of detergent and one cup of cold water.
Blot the carpet with clean cloth and water first, before using detergent mixture the same way. When you finish, spray cold water on the area and blot again to remove the mixture.
The detergent mixture works if the blood in carpet is still relatively new, although not immediately noticed. Choose any product that does not contain lanolin or bleach to protect your carpet. “Natural” dishwashing liquid may not work well. The best product is commercial detergent that has a soft formula.
4. Removing Blood with Shampoo and Ammonia
How to remove blood stains if they are dry? You need a more sophisticated method with a butter knife, shampoo, and ammonia. Here are the steps:
- Scrap the dry blood as much as possible with a butter However, this is not recommended for fine carpets, such as silk.
- Mix two teaspoons of shampoo with a cup of cold water. Put it in a spray bottle, shake, and spray on the stain. Let it sits for five minutes.
- Mix a tablespoon of ammonia (household grade) with a cup of cold water. Put it in another spray bottle.
- Blot the shampoo mixture with a clean Spray ammonia mixture immediately on the stain. Let it sits for five minutes before blotting it dry.
- Spray cold water and blot the spot dry for the final time. Turn on your fan or use a hairdryer on the stain if necessary.
This method works on the carpet with coarse or synthetic fiber, but unsuitable for fine fiber such as satin and silk. Also, you need to be careful not inhaling the ammonia fume when making the mixture. Open all the windows for air circulation when doing this method.
5. Removing Blood with Meat Tenderizer or Enzyme Cleaner
Meat tenderizer and enzyme cleaner may look different, but they both work in similar ways. They break down chemicals in animal protein, which make them effective for blood stain removal.
Meat tenderizer powder is available at various household stores, while enzyme cleaner can be found at pet stores, since it is used to clean animal urine.
You can use enzyme cleaner directly on dry blood stain, using the same direction to clean urine (use the cleaning direction on the label for sure).
Meanwhile, the meat tenderizer must be mixed with an equal amount of cold water before you blot it on the dry stain. Wait for 30 minutes. Afterward, spray the spot with cold water and blot it dry.
Since meat tenderizer and enzyme cleaner work on animal products, you cannot use them on wool, silk, or any fiber that comes from animals.
6. Removing Blood with Hydrogen Peroxide
This is the final method of removing blood stains from carpets if all the above methods fail. Use regular hydrogen peroxide available at drugstores (choose the 3% solution). Apply it directly on the stain, and let it sits for five minutes. You may notice small bubbling actions on the dry blood stain.
After five minutes, blot dry the spot, and brush it slightly to remove the remains. This method is quite effective on the carpet with a light color, but not on the darker one, because the peroxide can discolor it. You also cannot use this method on a carpet with fine fiber.
If all of the above methods fail, your only option is to bring the carpet to a professional cleaner. The cleaner not only will remove the stain, but also treat hidden stains that you may not see (usually if the stain has been on the carpet for weeks).
The best way to clean blood from the carpet is by doing it quickly. Using household products and even simple water works on new, wet stain.
Other products such as ammonia and peroxide work on the dry stain, but they bring greater risks to your fabric. Knowing how to get blood out of carpet is important to remove it as quickly as possible.