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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to throw sheets & duvet cover away....

152 replies

postitgirl · 03/08/2021 19:49

Does anyone have trouble getting period blood out of sheets. I've washed my daughter's sheets once at 60 with washing liquid stuff, and then again on a long cold wash with bleach. Hasn't made hardly any difference. Anyone any tips, Im tempted to throw them out but it seems wasteful! They're 100% cotton, but white - I know... have just bought her some dark coloured sheets 😜😏 I mean hotels must be able to get the stains out right

OP posts:
mumwon · 03/08/2021 21:02

do not use salt its what they use to set dyes!
if its only a spot of blood wet with cold water & put a drop of washing up liquid or dab with soap or hand wash (rinse a bit after or you will soap bubble your machine)or wash powder (powder detergent is soo much more useful than the other types - use neat down drains than rinse with hot water, clean enamel sinks, useful at an ant deterrent etc etc etc)or put into large container with detergent & cold water for a soak for a couple of hours, than rub stained surfaces together until most of blood comes out, Than do a cold prewash followed by normal 40degree. Bad stains leave over night with a strong solution of detergent
By the by, I wanted to wash my double duvet which wouldn't fit into my washing machine -so- I placed it into bath filled with hot water & mixed in washing up liquid & stamped on it (like wine pressing) dh helped me turn it & than rinsed & (with dh help) hung it on line (washing up liquid cleans clothes well & rinses out easier)

Benjispruce5 · 03/08/2021 21:08

Always run under a cold tap first then use vanish bar or soak, then machine wash and line dry.

RampantIvy · 03/08/2021 21:08

Laundry liquid doesn't contain any bleach, and gunks up washing machines. Ditch the liquid and get some biological washing powder.

Fiddliestofsticks · 03/08/2021 21:10

Hot water sets blood stains. If you've done them in that hot first then you've no hope. Should clean with cold water and salt.

JessicaFletcherxx · 03/08/2021 21:14

Wash in cold water first to get the worst out. I then used a cotton bud and tiny bit of bleach and just rubbed it on, disappeared in very quickly then washed straight away at 60. I figured if the bleach ruins it it doesn't matter because it were ruined anyway. Worked a treat, obviously this only works on white bedding.

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 03/08/2021 21:16

The 60’ wash was the culprit-cold water wash with vanish

kravestix · 03/08/2021 21:17

@pingittypong

Basically review confirms it removes blood!
My DSD had a bad nosebleed on her white duvet. DH then bloody washed it normally on a hot wash. Thought I'd never get it our after that. Stain was still there. Today, I washed it again and added this Ace Bleach for Whites and the stain is completely gone. So definitely works!
dogfishman · 03/08/2021 21:17

Keep them to use yourself if you can't get the stain out and she won't use them. Most of my sheets have some stain or other, but their thread count remains high and they're just as comfortable as new.

Original poster
postitgirl · 03/08/2021 21:18

thanks everyone I put them out on the line today it was quite sunny, but it was probably putting them in a hot wash first. I'll try soaking them overnight in cold water and rub them with vanish, I forgot about that stuff. I don't like the sheets having even clean stains on them, I'm just fussy. Good idea about dyeing them though!!!

OP posts:
Thelnebriati · 03/08/2021 21:18

do not use salt its what they use to set dyes!

Blood isn't a commercial fabric dye!

irresistibleoverwhelm · 03/08/2021 21:19

Blood is a protein stain - cold spot wash with a bit of bio liquid detergent, rub out (soak if necessary and repeat but a cold wash and a rub often takes it completely out); then wash as normal with bio on a 60+ cycle.

Whatever you do don't put it in a hot wash first - it denatures the protein and sets the stain!

kravestix · 03/08/2021 21:19

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow

Where is everyone getting their Ace bleach? I used to swear by it but can't find it anywhere.
Bought some in Home Bargains last week :)
BetterthanIthink · 03/08/2021 21:22

Unfortunately I’ve a tendency to flood my sheets with period blood , I just throw them the wash with Ariel biological washing powders and they always come out clean. Never done a cold wash.

LaundryForever · 03/08/2021 21:23

Soak in cold water and salt, gets blood out every time

EL8888 · 03/08/2021 21:24

Soak in cold salty water and then wash with a dab of Vanish on if need be

MrsSkylerWhite · 03/08/2021 21:25

Pink Stuff spray

chesirecat99 · 03/08/2021 21:28

Anything much higher than body temperature will set blood. As PPs have said, you need to rinse under running water or soak until the blood has gone or wash without powder in something like a cold wool cycle to rinse it away first. Then wash as normal.

You could probably get the set stain out using thin household bleach (then wash) but it will weaken the fibres and it might bleach the fabric to a different shade of white.

shakeyourshaggyshanks · 03/08/2021 21:31

hydrogen peroxide is amazing at getting out blood stains, even old ones, though not sure how well it will work after the hot water.

Sillysuzie · 03/08/2021 21:32

Cold water and salt. Too late for the whites now but you know for the future

SpacePotato · 03/08/2021 21:36

If you have a small blood stain on anything, try spitting on it, rubbing it in for a few minutes, then cold water rinse.

The enzymes in spit break down the protein in the blood.

mayblossominapril · 03/08/2021 21:37

I once bled all over a cotton skirt with flowers on a white background. Couldn’t get it in cold water for a couple of hours and the blood set. After washing there was still quite a stain, colour run remover shifted a lot of it and net curtain whitener (I think it’s got a new name now) returned the skirt to a decent shade of white.

Chunkymenrock · 03/08/2021 21:40

Cold water soak for blood, wash in biological powder, hang in sunlight.

Candyapple49 · 03/08/2021 21:40

Don’t give up with the sun yet . My son’s school tshirts had some terrible stains . It took about 3 day’s of dampening and drying on the line but they went !!!

CarnationCat · 03/08/2021 21:42

I would soak a blood stain in cold water and rub the material together. Then stick it in the wash. I've never been able to get blood out completely.

I don't think there's a lot you can do with the sheets now. I would either tolerate the light stain or bin them.

DivorcedAndDelighted · 03/08/2021 21:43

You can get bloodstains out even after a hot wash has set them. Rub biological detergent into the stain, soak, then wash again (any temp, doesn't matter as its set now). Then, after washing, while it's still wet, drop some hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain. I just add drop by drop until the stain is covered. It gets rid of bloodstains fairly quickly depending on the strength of the solution. Then rinse & dry in sun. Done it lots of times after bloodstains were missed by kids doing laundry.

I use roughly 6-10% hydrogen peroxide solution (bought online) but if you can only get 3% at the chemist's then just leave it to work for longer.

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