In desperate need of a laundry product that shifts blood

[Tinyandpetite]

Hi everyone. My ten year old and has recently started her periods. She hates sanitary towels ( that’s another issue) we’re getting quite a lot of leakage and blood stains. I’ve tried soaking stuff in salt water, all her underwear looks horrific. I don’t mind what the product is- powder, liquid etc I just want something that shifts actual stains. This week I’ve tried the Ariel pods, persil power something, it was blue, I think I got non bio? so not shocked it didn’t work very well. Also a surf powder with coconut smell, stains still haven’t shifted. If anybody could recommend something that works I’d be so grateful, thank you.

We use Surf powder and I add a scoop of Astonish Oxy Active stain remover and that's it. All blood stains have washed out perfectly (I'm prone to nosebleeds as is DD2 so between that and 3 of us having periods it's a fairly regular thing to have to do here.)

Salt denatures proteins which is probably why it's supposed to be good on blood stains

Some ideas here:

www.google.com/amp/s/www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-clean-period-stains/amp

Period pants! I only wish they'd be around back
In the day.

Cold water soak overnight in oxy stain remover (I use Wilko own brand which is a non bio) and then rinse and put into main wash. Works on hankies too.

And get black pants for that time of the month 👍

Norwex stain remover, it’s expensive but I have found it removes all stains so far....

I second Ecover stain remover, rinse in cold water, rub this on, wash at 30° with bio washing powder.

Ace bleach, it fizzes and bubbles on contact with blood. Cleans it totally.

I have cloth pads, you can get huge ones for night (which cover the whole underwear and don't leak). I keep a collapsable bucket in my bathroom, when my period starts I fill it up with water and liquid detergent.
To change a pad, I run it under the tap for a few minutes and then it goes in the bucket. The bucket holds a cycles worth of pads and at the end of my period I drain the water out down the bath and shove the pads into the washing machine. No stains.
Although bulkier than disposable they are a lot more comfy and less smelly as there's no plastic between your legs. I use smaller ones in the day and have a water proof bag for dirty ones if if I'm at work (you need access to a bathroom with the sink and toilet in a room so you can rince, it might not be possible in school).

I use washable pads, I soak them in cold water, give them a quick rinse them wash at 30 with Lidl formil bio powder with the rest of the laundry. That gets all of the (fresh) stains out, might not be so effective on dried in, washed in stains.

My son is forever having nosebleeds on his white pillowcases!

I put them onto a cold rinse cycle, then wash on 40 with bio powder. They always come out clean.

I use this method if I have a period disaster and it works for that too.

Salt does set stains, however blood stains are the one exception. If you're finding that salt hasn't worked, you've probably not used enough! I use about a handful of salt to each litre of cold water (if you don't have table salt you can use dishwasher salt).
If that doesn't work, you could try soaking in vanish/an 'oxi action' stain remover, or simply pegging out to dry in strong sunlight (which bleaches stains).

I second a PPs suggestion of black or dark underwear. Much better for periods as you don't have to worry about stains!

I have nose bleedy kids! Shout spray or soda crystals always work for me.

When my daughter had an period mishap on her favourite jeans I used fairy liquid and bicarbonate of soda, made a paste and then rinsed and washed as normal.
Hope that helps.
Period pants sound like the best option for her.

Period pants are great, I bought a cheap equivalent on amazon for DD and although she wears a pad with them it's stopped all the leakages onto sheets etc. I suspect the modibodi and thinx ones are much better but the initial outlay is quite steep.

I wash all underwear and bedsheets with a couple tablespoons of Napisan which seems to shift any stains. Always best to rinse out blood with cold water before putting it in the machine though

I really really rate the vanish bars of soap. I rinse in cold water and then soap with the bar, scrub with a nail brush and 99% of the time the Stain comes out

I have bad periods and the trick is to sleep on a blanket or towel or even a puppy pad
Black pants are a yes too

I had a home birth and was fully prepared to throw out the sheet I gave birth on as I knew it would get in a state. In fact a long soak in cold water with bio powder and then a 40 degree wash with same bio powder and there was no trace of blood. (DH did all this of course , I spent the next few days in bed with my lovely baby).

Next time give them a good long soak in cold water before washing - 12 or 24h - and you should be good. I've used cloth pads for the last 15 years and they are hardly stained at all. I variously soak with salt, detergent, hand soap or nothing.

It might be worth trying cloth pads for her too if period pants are a bit expensive. 10 is so young bless her.

Will any of these tips work on blood a few days old?

Cut my leg and sat on the bed without realising I was bleeding all over it, only saw the marks last night 😭

Yes the vanish bar will
But it’s the cold water that’s important