Blood stains are the worst. Cleaning blood in your carpeting is hard, but only because most people do it wrong. Whether your stain is fresh or months old, here is everything you need to know to get blood out of carpet.
8 Things You Will Need
- Cloth or paper towel
- Baking soda
- Cold water
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Scrub brush
- Liquid dish soap
- Spray bottle
- Enzyme stain remover (optional)
How To Remove Blood From Carpet
If the stain is less than six inches around, you can safely clean blood out of your carpet. However, never clean larger stains due to the risk of bloodborne disease. Call a biohazard restoration company for help cleaning large spills or if the stain contains more than just blood.
Cleaning Blood From Carpet
You can get blood out of your carpet as long as you act fast. The longer your wait to start cleanup, the greater the chance that it will set. Get blood out of your carpet in about 30 minutes with these four easy steps:
- Blot the blood with a dry cloth or paper towel gently. Do not rub the stain! You will only push it further into the carpet fibers.
- Cover the blood stain with baking soda. Then pour a cup of cold water on top and blot with a fresh cloth until the baking soda dissolves and the stain is gone.
- Vacuum your carpeting with a wet vac to remove the water and baking soda.
- If you can still see the blood stain after vacuuming, pour a cup of hydrogen peroxide and blot with another fresh cloth.
Removing Dry Blood From Carpet
You can clean set in blood stains in some cases. It usually depends on the age and size of the stain and the carpet material. Here are 6 steps to get dry blood out of your carpet in about an hour.
- Break up the dried blood with a scrub brush. The bristles will loosen the stain and make it easier to clean.
- Vacuum your carpet to remove the flaked blood. Vacuum back and forth in many directions to remove as much of the stain as possible.
- Add two drops of dish soap to a spray bottle, fill it with hydrogen peroxide, and shake to mix. Spray the stain until it is completely saturated and wait at least 30 minutes.
- Blot the stain with a cloth or paper towel, using up and down motions. Do not scrub back and forth because this can spread the stain.
- Rinse the blood-stained carpet with cold water, then use a wet vacuum to dry your carpeting.
- If the stain remains, use an enzyme stain remover. Follow the instructions for your product.
How Difficult Is It To Clean Different Carpet Fibers?
You can get blood out of most types of carpeting, but only if you use the proper method for your carpet fiber. Here are tips for removing stains for the most common styles.
- Olefin: Olefin is a stain-resistant synthetic fiber. Friction will damage it, so never scrub this kind of carpeting.
- Polyester: Polyester is another stain-resistant synthetic carpet fiber. It is easy to get blood out of polyester carpeting using the methods above.
- Wool: Wool carpeting is easy to clean. However, too much water can damage the carpet fibers. Avoid using too much water.
- Nylon: While it’s easy to clean blood from nylon carpeting, it is prone to fading and discoloration. If needed, test the enzyme stain remover in a closet or other hard-to-see spot first.
- Acrylic: Acrylic carpeting shows stains faster than other carpet fabrics, so clean the blood up quickly.
If you have blood spills in your home, let our experts help. Call 888-790-7879 now for a fast, free quote and discreet, compassionate service.
