how do you get blood stains out of towels?

[misdee]

DH TUBES HAVE BEEN LEAKIGN A BIT. oops. anyway, i tried soaking them, but as they leak overnight its tends to be dried by the time i get hold of them to clean (he places a folded towel between the vad and his body as it knocks into his side, gets hot and is heavey). so i have a stack of hand towels with big blood stains on them that wont shift.

Whats the hottest wash on your w/m?

Have you tried Vanish
It got blood out of a white towel when we used it

90 degrees.

i found some vanish spray lurking in the back of my cupboard. will check its for laundry not upholstry and try that on tomorrows.

i have tried using oxyclean spray.

Mmmmn I though 90 degrees would have managed. Vanish works well on most things, even dried in, and I sometimes re-wash 2/3 times. Is there not something about soaking blood in bicarbonate of soda......? Failing that, DH towels and rest of the family towels x.

NO! Soak them in cold salty water,hot water will set the stain.It 'cooks' the protein.

Second the cold salty water...... (it MUST be salty!)
I have also found an enzyme based powder useful.

Could you get DH some navy,burgundy or bottle green towels?Tescos are quite reasonable for hand towels.(about £2-3 from memory)

You might think I'm 'avin a larf, but when the blood is fresh drop a bit of milk over to cover the stain. It will disappear before your very eyes.

and it works!

i think i will just get nice new pristne towels once he is fixed.

unfortunatly after 12hours of bleeding during the night the blood isnt fresh.

misdee wot a life darlin! xxx

feckit - how in the world did you discover that??

i know, what a life, having to buy new towels

they just dont look nice though. will try the vanish though if uits suitable.

I have loads of towels, inclucing little ones, if you want any misdee? I went a bit anal about having matching ones in my turquoise bathroom. Don't be fooled though it's the only room in the house I keep nice

Anyway, towels are in v good condition just festering in my airing cupboard. I can understand if you're funny about it though and won't be offended

including*

lol misdee at buying new towels, I struggle with looking on the bright side in life and you're teaching me new ways

ACE always does it! Put them on a hot wash after you apply the solution to the stain. It shouldn't need more than two washes to get rid of it.

Hey Misdee,you're not much of an Anthea are you?Call yourself a wife,woman? Now you have the milk tip(good one btw) you can stay up all night with a fresh pinta clasped in your mitt all ready to go![grin}

OR... My cleaning folder says:
(from an website)
If the stain is old soak in cool salt water for a long time (hours) and rinse thoroughly. Soak again in water with a some ammonia. Launder as above. Since blood is organic you can try soaking in an enzyme solution for a half an hour and launder. As a last resort bleach if the clothes are white.

PS My cleaning folder also supports what feckit said.

lol.

we have plenty of towels here, just the small handtowels are now bloodstained. i am hanging up a small bath towel now in the bathroom lol.

Hanging a towel?!Get back up there and fold like a turtle at once!
Branster,that does sound like a right old faff for the sake of a towel though doesn't it?

fold like a turtle? i thought that was guest room stuff lol.

Agree with salty water, rinse out as much as possible, fill sink with cold water, put towel in and arrange so theat the bloddy bit is uppermost (not in the shape of a swan), pour slat into water directly on the stains, once it strats to lift you may have to rinse and repeat this a couple of times.