best way to get fresh blood stain out of carpet please

[mckenzie]

DS just gave DD a nose bleed (don't ask )

We now have about 5 droplets of blood on the carpet. I've used kitchen roll to get rid of the surface blood but any tips please on how to proceed.

TIA

[ragged]

I think...
Cold water (very important), plenty of soap (detergent or handsoap will do). I'd scrub with a flannel. Rinse flannel out, scrub again, keep going until it's not apparent.

Get it while it's fresh (next 24 hours) and it will come out, will set badly if you leave it much longer.

[maktaitai]

Mmm. I'd agree cold water, but I would get a bowl of water and a rag, get the rag really wet, and pat/blot the water for ages into the carpet rather than scrub?

have to say I am not the stain queen - somebody who is will be along no doubt

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

your DD's spit, it has to be hers, she has enzymes in her spit that will deal with her own blood.

[mckenzie]

thanks very much guys and there were enough spots that I've done at least one which each method and we'll see which way is best . I'll post the results tomorrow.

[Ponders]

I was going to say cold water - blot (with eg white tissue) - cold water - blot - continue until all gone!

If there's any residue, try using cold water with a bit of ammonia (you can get it from the chemist I think. Don't inhale!)

[ChippingIn]

Water - absorb with white cloth
Water - absorb ditto
Water - absorb ditto

No detergent, no scrubbing.

[jollyoldstnickschick]

DH used to be a bouncer and he used to soak his bloodstained shirt in salt and water ....

[ChippingIn]

Yes, but the difference with any of those other things (clothes etc) is that you then machine wash them, which you are not going to do with your carpet. Trust me, it's better to use water & flush it out, not leaving any salt/chemical residue in your carpet.

Most solutions will make the blood appear to have gone, what it wont do is show you the damage you are doing to your carpet, until you get it cleaned or until it grows bacteria.

[WingDad]

Just cold water if it's a carpet. Dab, don't scrub or smear.

[ragged]

What was the best result, Mckenzie? I am happy to stand corrected. Are you trying the spit method, too? That bit about the child's own enzymes sounds like hooey to me, though.

[thumbplumpuddingwitch]

I would have made a salt solution, actually, about half a spoonful in a glass of water, and used that. Whenever we used to get blood on us at work (worked in blood labs), if it was our own clothes (accidental, under the labcoats usually) then saline ALWAYS worked better than water, purely because it tended not to split the red blood cells, and if they don't split, they don't leak haemoglobin and don't stain.

So in future - weak salt solution - if you wear contact lenses, use your contact lens solution. Much better than plain water.

Then wash it again with plain cold water after.

[ragged]

I thought it was salt for wine, too?
Come on, McK, results?

[thumbplumpuddingwitch]

salt for red wine, IME, turns the stain grey rather than removing it. White vinegar works much better.

[mckenzie]

morning all.
Well the saliva definitely didn't work any better than the cold water but DD is quite young and struggled to do it properly anyway.

The rubbing ones are the worse as the stain area is definitely larger that the ones where i just dabbed gently.

I think all in all that perhaps I didn't spend enough time on any of them - there were about a dozen spots in the end. None of them look like blood spots any more but they are still noticeable.

[LittlebearH]

Tiny amount of washing powder in warm water and a toothbrush works well on most things. Then blot with dry towel/flannel.

[talkingnonsense]

Vanish carpet cleaner that foams up like a mousse ( blue can), is very good got honey and soot out of my bedroom carpet ( bees nest in chimney, don't ask!)

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

thanks for the experiment mckenzie!!
fascinated to see the results, so dabbing not rubbing is clear.

what wouldyou do next time??

[mckenzie]

Next time I would make DS and DD clear it up

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

sounds like a good call