Help cut my arm and got a few drops of blood on bedding in a holiday cottage

[Gr33nSpot]

Do we need to let the owners know?

It’s a very nice white duvet cover.

Is there a washing machine? It should come out if you soak it in cold water then wash it after.

They’ll wash it anyway, but you could try to get it out before it stains.

Hot water and washing up liquid and rub it to remove . Only works if it's happened recently

When are you leaving? Can’t you rinse out the blood (in cold water with salt added to it!). Then rinse that and let it dry? I’d just put the bit with the blood in under the cold water tap, rub some salt in then rinse and let it dry. Don’t use hot water!!

Yes, I would own up. Most owners are aware that accidents happen.

I broke a glass on one once and brought a set if four from local supermarket to replace it. The owners thanked me, but said that evicted things like this to happen, and had soared.

The bedding will be washed anyway.

I’ve always been told hot water kinda burns the blood into the fabric. Certainly always had success with cold water 👌

No! That's what your rent covers!

I say that as a short term landlord. I've had beds and walls soaked in red wine, blood, coffee (the worst), black hair dye, make up, fake tan and hair clippings 🤮

Honestly, specks of blood are nothing to worry about. I think I might expect a note (apologising) about spillages on walls (I had to repaint to cover the red wine stains) but most stains come out of bedding and towels (apart from hair dye 🙄) but again, it's factored in, within reason, to the rental price.

Sadly from experience I know blood never comes out from white cotton. Owner really nice so feel I should let her know as we leave.

We paid an Extra insurance so presume we’ll be covered?

I have white cotton and the pink stuff stain remover powder works amazing on blood when it’s soaked in cold water with it for an hour (incase you need any blood removing in the future lol)

Thanks - top tip!

Try and clean it yourself but if it doesn’t come out, let the owners know.

I manage a couple of holiday cottages and one of my biggest bugbears is bloodstains. There are washing machines and we leave washing liquid but guests will often not bother and by the time our cleaners get in, the stains have set and they can’t get them out. I’ve just had to charge a guest for a replacement duvet because the blood had soaked through and ruined the duvet, and it wasn’t just one small stain, it was significant.

Honestly, I wish guests would just tell me that something is broken or there’s been an accident. When you try and hide it, it just creates extra hassle for me and the cleaning team.

Spit on it. It needs to be the spit of the person whose blood it is but it will then come out. Don't use hot water because blood is a protein and gut water will set the stain in. Cold only.

The old Hawk Tuah?

OP, I'd not be too concerned. Its part and parcel of running a hotel/cottage etc isnt it.

Just to add to this, if you’re on your period and want to have sex, don’t just whip your tampon out and drop it on the carpet on your holiday cottage either. Another thing that’s surprisingly common.

COLD water and salt. Salt in cold water and rubbed into the stain

it will deffo come out as long as you do it asap.

My daughter had an axe-murder-level nosebleed over her cotton hoodie when she was away fro a week. I soaked it in salt water for a day and it came out completely. So I wouldn't worry too much.

Ewwwww!!!!!!

I've never had any issue getting blood out of cotton. Just spray with laundry bleach and wash with biological detergent.

Definitely cold water, before the blood dries and sets.

I thought it was cold water as hot sets the stain? Not sure though.

Cold water, hot water will set the stain and make it harder to shift. Vanish is very good at getting out bloodstains, I think products like Napisan are good too; biological washing powder for the enzymes which will help get rid of the blood

I'd message them asap then they can give you clean bedding and get to work on it

Oh yes, it’s surprising how often we have to get the carpet cleaners in for this.

We honestly don’t mind (and don’t charge for) genuine accidents, small breakages like glasses etc. It’s when people break something significant and don’t tell us so we only find out during changeover and have to either scramble to get it fixed or let the next guest know it’s broken which obviously isn’t ideal for them.

I used to let a lot of stuff go, but when guests are frequently ruining bedding, breaking fridge shelves, breaking shower heads, leaving blood on the bedroom carpet or just generally leaving the place in an absolute state, I’ve started deducting from their housekeeping deposit and fuck them.

I genuinely think, and based on numerous MN threads about self catering, that a lot of people believe that as they’re paying for a place for a week, there’s no requirement for them to behave like a decent human being.

Also eeeeeew from here too!! Time to get some little rugs to go either side of the bed? I always wondered why those were put in carpeted rooms- now I know!

OP - defo blood needs cold water soaking as PPs have said. Otherwise you are right, it will stain. The hot water cooks the haemoglobin into the material

I always wonder on these crime forensic programmes what would happen if they sprayed luminol onto bedding, whether it would show up or not. Then I start thinking about hotel bedding because that stuff must really glow