To use AIBU to ask about cleaning blood?

[Foggyday124]

Massive nose bleed, I put it on bedlinen, T-shirt, herethereandeverywhere. I washed it all with With Vanish in the washing machine but the stains are still there, although darker now.
What’s your secret to get old blood off clothes? I don’t want to throw it all away but I don’t want to sleep on bloody linen either!
Thank you

Soak in cold water. If you use hot it sets it.
Try adding soda crystals.

I would hang it out in the sun, it's actually amazing how stains vanish after a day in direct sunlight. I don't know about blood stains but it gets rid of the worst tomato stains from kids clothes! Worth a shot as the weather is gorgeous and it's free!

Salt and cold water soak

soak in cold water and salt. Better if you do it before washing but worth a try. Other wise Stain Devils for blood

Pre soak it in a bucket of cold with your vanish for the longest time it says on the tub the rewash. You are really meant to cold rinse blood out

I’m so sorry, and it won’t help now, but always soak bloody items in cold water first, and it’ll come out, then launder as usual. Warm or hot sets the stain.

If the colours will stand it you could try bleach, which worked on a white cotton sheet for me.

Water*

I think I read before that salt on the blood stain may get it out! My child gets nosebleeds and I have removed stains from their bedlinen by using Vanish and a nailbrush and lots of scrubbing. I have thrown out pjs a few times though as I have been unable to remove the stains.

Aah! Should have soaked it in cold water first to get out as much as possible before washing in machine.
You could try soaking items in Napisan.

Er, if you’ve washed it in hot water you’ve set the stain in. It’s too late.
All you can do is try rewetting it and sun bleaching as true friends has said.

You always wash blood, coffee, tomato based stains, and grass stains in cold water with preferably bio liquid soap.

Get it straight back in the machine with Ariel powder on a long 60 cottons wash. That gets old blood out in my machine.

And yes to a PP, it is better to remove before putting into the washing machine.

Ideally, salt and cold water soaking before washing. But, as they have been washed already, I would dampen the stains and hang the items in direct sunlight - it works marvels on cloth nappies, tomato stains and even ink stains, so I'd try it on bloodstains. After all, what have you got to lose now.

I've had blood stained sheets from DS's bed after a nosebleed. 90 degree wash and vanish did the job

Salt isn’t really necessary in my experience.

Now they have been washed in hot water the brown staining is rust, so treat for that. Use household ammonia or hydrogen peroxide as directed, then launder again.

Cold water. Stains might get less worse after washing stained item a few times though.

You are all stars! Thank you so much! Obviously I should have asked before doing the laundry but lesson learned! Will try the other suggestions but next time COLD WATER. They are out in the sun now, so I might as well see if that does anything.
Thank you!

OP I have a special 'lingerie detergent' as they call it here. It's for removing period accidents from underwear but obviously blood is blood so you can use it for nose bleed stains as well.

I live outside the UK but perhaps it's worth to check if Boots FE sells something similar.

I cold rinse blood asap. Then while it's still wet put any stain removed on. Even if your out of the house just keeping it damp by dabbling with a wet tissue then blotting it off with dry tissue and repeating will remove blood and stop it staining.

Once its baked on it's much more tricky

Try oxygen bleach, which is a powder for use in both white and coloured fabrics to remove stains.

Cold rinse and wash in bio powder in the machine

Bit of a gross tip - and it is no good for large amounts of blood - spit on it. Apparently there is an enzyme in your saliva that breaks down your own blood.

Disclaimer: although this trick works, I am fully prepared to be corrected on 'the science' I read it on a sewing blog not a science journal

Stripy I’m all for using my body to clean up what my body has caused!! Thank you!

I've used hydrogen peroxide to clean old blood stains with excellent results. If you have any hair lightening sprays you may find it's an ingredient.