Laundry -blood stains

[FinallyHere]

How would you get rid of blood stains ?

Cold water and if still necessary, bleach or into the machine on a low temperature and biological Landry liquid? Anything else?

DH insisted on putting a load of sheets on this morning. The load included a pillow case, which had spots of blood from a cut which leaked over night

I would have kept the pillow case out, as I'm sure heat sets blood stains. I would have soaked it in cold water and used bleach if necessary. That's what my mother taught me, ohhh fifty years ago.

DH didn't have the benefit of that early training and has insisted on putting on the wash as usual. We have 'agreed' to see what happens.

I'd appreciate the wisdom of MN, am I old fashioned? Has laundry moved on?

My son used to suffer from nose bleeds. Getting to the stain quickly is the key. I rinse under a tepid tap with ordinary soap, then spray with a stain remover spray, leave for ten mins, then in the normal 40 degree wash. Dry outside in sunlight if possible.

If its just a few spots then I'd just wash as usual at 40⁰C. I use bio powder anyway and that would normally take small blood stains out without doing anything else

Or you could have rinsed in cold water first but I'd only do that for a big stain.

I soak in cold salt water if there are blood stains

Thank you lovely people.

DH's blithe insistence in doing it in the machine has not been great. He is now convinced that another cycle is all that's needed.

I'll stick to cold ringed and stain removers in future.

Dampen the blood stains and squire fairy liquid directly onto it, stick it in a normal wash whenever you next out on a load i.e. you don’t need to wash it immediately.
Not sure whether that will work if the pillow case has already been washed and the stain has set in.

Spit on it as soon as you notice it!
Strange but true - I think it has to be your spit on your own blood though.

Cold water and fairy washing up liquid to remove the stain before you put it in the washing machine. If it’s already been through a washing machine cycle the stain will be set now.

Cold water soak. I might also put the extra wash cycle on the machine when it goes in.

Spitting on it does work for small stains. The enzymes in your saliva will break down your own blood.

Thank you lovely people.

You need hydrogen peroxide, about a pound from chemists

It bleaches anything that’s organic so wee poo etc and is essential for nosebleeds periods etc

It froths up.... it all disappears

Critical to not use any cleaning stuff on the stain first though

Ohh that's a new one on me, thank you @Fannybawz I think I have peroxide in the ahem hair care. drawer.

Too late this time since it's been through a machine wash. DH has changed his tune from it will gone out in the wash to another wash will do it.

Odd really. He has chemistry A level and I did arts. Sigh.

Soaking in a bio washing powder is your friend, bleach is a little too much unless it is white and organic. And then go really old school and give it a good boil.

The spit and blood, is a well known sewing tip, especially amongst quilters and hand sewers.

I always soak in cold water in the sink and scrub really hard with hand soap. Usually gets it out completely.. if it hadn’t disappeared, a bit of stain remover before it goes in the wash

@FinallyHere
If it’s too late, spray flash bleach on it for a couple of hours and put it back in the wash

And DONT use hair peroxide.... I don’t go
Above 9-%... I think hair peroxide is normally about 30 isn’t it?!

I've never used hydrogen peroxide on blood. Cold water or cold water and a bit of washing up liquid and then washing with bio powder usually works fine

I used to use ammonia in cold water to soak period-stained pants. Smells awful and feels slimy but worked well iirc (it’s been 20 years!)

If anybody wants a demo.... I’m about to tackle another blood stain... son’s nosebleed on white carpet 🙄🙄🙄

Cold salted water is good for that too

soak in cold water with loads of salt. Then wash as normal

Soak in cold salted water, then wash as normal.

Since it might already be too late for the above suggestions in this instance, @FinallyHere, I can recommend hanging in the sun. OK... So if you are in the UK it is pretty cloudy at the moment, but I managed to get a large bloodstain out of white cotton today by hanging in a south facing window all day, despite the clouds!

I should add that was after doing what your DH suggested, which was a 60 degree wash followed by a "oh shit, that didn't work..." 40 degree wash

Thank you everyone for your contributions, it reassuring that you too care about these things and have ways to resolve the stains. It feels as if I am surrounded by my people here.

However, DH is happy with the results he got from the first wash with biological powder and is 'sure' the stain will come fully out the next time he washes it. He did of course send it out for ironing ...

It's up to me to disengage now.

He would rather have a pillow case with an albeit smallish blood stain than make a fuss about it. My suggestions of cold water soak etc he hears as fuss.

His approach has not changed from when I first met him. Then, it wad a revelation for me and a marvellous contrast to my own home background. Now, well I prefer the end results of my approach. No one needs to feel guilty but let's still get rid of the stain.

I won't use that pillow case and will down grade it so it disappears from circulation. In the scale of things, it doesn't really matter.

But we, you lovely people on this thread know that there is a better way. Thank you.