How To Get Blood Out of Sheets in 5 Simple Steps

Key Takeaways

• Remove blood from sheets by gently blotting with cold water and stain remover; avoid rubbing to prevent spreading the stain.
• Removing blood before it dries prevents the stain from setting and becoming much harder to clean.
• Essential supplies include cold water, a stain remover like hydrogen peroxide, and a clean cloth or sponge.

Whether you have a bloody nose or it's that time of the month, sometimes blood gets on your sheets. Knowing how to get blood out of sheets can help save your favorite bedding. You have to act quickly though, since dried stains are much harder to remove. Without the benefits of a mattress protector, stains can even ruin your mattress. 

While removing blood isn't easy, it is possible. Our guide will walk you through the steps to effectively remove blood from sheets and mattresses. Keep reading to learn how to get blood stains out of sheets.

1. Rinse and Pre-Treat With Cold Water

Always use cold water. Hot water can cause the blood proteins to coagulate. This sets the stain deeper into the fibers of your fabrics, making it much harder to remove.¹

Start by running your sheets under the cold faucet after pulling them off the bed to "flush" away any excess blood. Cold water will help wash and lift the stain without setting it. 

The reason you want to run your stained sheets under water instead of just throwing them in the wash is that the force from the faucet will help "push" the stain away from the fabric fibers. That could mean better results when you do the wash.

2. Dab, Don’t Rub

Dab the stained area with a cold, wet washcloth. Dabbing is great for lifting any blood that's still sitting on the surface of your sheets. 

You'll push the stain deeper into the fabric fibers if you try to rub away the blood. You also risk making the stain bigger by rubbing it. 

The key to dabbing blood out of sheets effectively is to use a clean cloth or paper towel that's been dipped in cold water. Gently dab the stain without putting pressure on the stained area.

3. Soak in Cold Water

Let your sheets soak in a basin of cold water or a bathtub for 30 minutes or more. Give it at least an hour if the blood is dry. 

You can also leave your sheets soaking overnight before tossing them in the washing machine if you're dealing with what appears to be a stubborn stain.

4. Use an Effective Stain Fighter

Once you are done soaking, it's important to use a tough stain fighter. While you may not think the stain looks bad enough to use something beyond detergent, the truth is that you can never go back to "try again" once you've missed the opportunity to zap a fresh stain.

We recommend using hydrogen peroxide and water since hydrogen peroxide is a gentle yet potent stain fighter that can lift blood stains without damaging delicate fabric fibers. 

Follow these steps if you’re wondering how to get blood out of sheets before it sets permanently:

1. Place the stained area in a bowl or small container.
2. Pour hydrogen peroxide ( ¼ to ½ cup) and add cold water.
3. Soak for 24 hours.
4. If the stain is not gone, repeat the process.

5. Machine Wash and Air Dry

Once the sheets are done soaking, you can machine wash them. The regular cycle is fine as long as you remember to only use cold water. 

It's also important that you air dry your sheets instead of tossing them in the dryer. The heat from the dryer can "bake in" any stains that haven't been fully lifted to make them permanent. You'll miss your chance to try more stain-removal efforts if you put your sheets in the dryer.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts to get blood out of sheets, the stains won’t budge. When that happens, upgrading to Purple sheets can give you a fresh start and better sleep.

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15 Best Stain Removers for Blood on Sheets

Hydrogen peroxide is the best blood spot remover. It works wonders on most blood stains without destroying fabrics and colors. You'll still want to test an area to check for fading if you're working with darker sheets and don’t know how to get the blood out of them.

Hydrogen peroxide is a gentle, safe, and inexpensive oxidizing agent, but there are other options you can try.

Here are 15 of the best hydrogen peroxide alternatives for those who are just starting to learn how to get a blood stain out.

1. Salt and dish soap: Combine 2 tablespoons of salt with 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap before adding the mixture to the pre-dampened stain. Shampoo also works! Let the salt and soap sit for between 20 and 30 minutes before rinsing with cold water.
2. Baking soda or cornstarch: Make a paste using 4 tablespoons of baking soda or cornstarch with roughly ¼ cup of water. Allow the paste to dry for up to 30 minutes. It should "soak up" the stain!
3. Cola: The phosphoric acid and carbonic acid in cola can actually absorb stains. Leave the stains saturated in cola for up to 30 minutes before tossing your sheets into the wash.
4. Meat tenderizer: While it may seem odd, unsalted meat tenderizer works at lifting stains. Make a paste from a few shakes of meat tenderizer combined with water, and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing your sheets with cold water.
5. Commercial stain products: It's fine to use commercial stain removers instead of ransacking your cupboards for natural blood lifters! Just make sure the products you choose are intended for your specific sheet fabrics. A product like OxiClean is a good fit for many different types of fabrics.
6. White vinegar: Pour white vinegar directly on the stain to saturate it for about 30 minutes before rinsing it with cold water.
7. Ammonia: Use ammonia during the dabbing stage mentioned above by mixing just a pinch with water. Never allow ammonia to sit on fabric for more than 10 minutes. You should also avoid mixing ammonia with bleach.
8. Salt water: Salt water gets blood out of sheets because its dehydrating properties will lift fresh blood from fabrics. Saturate blood stains in salt water for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing with plain cold water.
9. Fresh lemon juice: Gently rub in some lemon juice after soaking your sheets in cold water. You can rinse and repeat a few times until you see the stains diminishing.
10. Uncoated aspirin: Make a paste from 1 tablespoon of crushed aspirin combined with ¼ cup of water for a small stain. Scrub the paste in using a soft toothbrush. Once the paste is dry, rinse with cold water!
11. Toothpaste: Apply a small amount of white, non-gel toothpaste directly onto fresh blood stains. Gently scrub with a soft toothbrush, let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse with cold water. Toothpaste works for minor stains on white sheets.
12. Castile soap solution: Mix castile soap with cold water to create a gentle cleaning solution. Dab onto fresh blood stains, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse. The alkaline properties of the soap help break down the proteins in blood.
13. Club soda: Pour club soda directly onto blood stains and let it bubble for a few minutes. Blot gently with a clean cloth, then rinse with cold water. The carbonation helps lift blood particles from fabric fibers.
14. Hydroxy acids (AHA/BHA): Use a gentle exfoliant containing AHAs or BHAs diluted with water to treat blood stains. Apply the exfoliant to the stain, let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse.
15. Rubbing alcohol: Dab rubbing alcohol directly onto blood stains using a cotton ball. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse with cold water. This method is quick and effective for fresh and light stains.

How To Get Dried Blood Out of Sheets

Sometimes, you may not notice a blood stain until it has already set. There are effective methods to remove dried blood from the top sheet or fitted sheet without damaging the fabric. Here, we'll show how to get blood out of sheets when the stains have dried.

1. Soak in Cold Water Overnight

After taking your sheets off the bed, place them under a cold faucet to allow any excess blood to roll off. 

You should also soak sheets in cold water overnight before running them through the wash with cold water. 

Heat should not be used on blood stains since it embeds them further into the fabric fibers.

2. Dab Stains With Stain Removers 

The best way to get blood out of sheets is to gently dab them with hydrogen peroxide or other stain fighter listed above. 

If the stain doesn't resolve, repeat the process with additional stain removers.

3. Machine Wash in a Regular Cycle

Next, machine wash your sheets using a mild laundry detergent. Here's how to machine wash blood out of sheets with the right settings:

• Cycle type: Normal or regular
• Water temperature: Cold (around 60°F to 80°F / 15°C to 26°C)
• Spin speed: Medium (around 600 RPM)
• Rinse cycle: Extra rinse option (if available)

These are the optimal settings for removing dried blood stains without damaging the fabric.

Afterward, hang your sheets to air dry. Avoid machine drying. Letting them dry naturally helps extend how long sheets last while giving you the best chance to fully eliminate the stubborn stain.

If the stain doesn't come out right away, repeat the process and consider using additional stain removers listed above. If you have white sheets, diluted bleach is a great option to remove dried blood.

How To Get Blood Stains Out of White Sheets

If you're wondering how to get blood out of white sheets after unsuccessful attempts with ordinary stain removers, consider trying bleach following these steps:

1. Rinse the sheets with cold water immediately after the stain occurs to prevent it from setting.
2. Pre-treat them with a fabric-safe bleach to gently whiten sheets.
3. Toss the sheets into the wash using a cold water cycle.
4. Let the sheets air dry, and repeat the process if necessary.

Tips for Getting Blood Out of a Mattress

The process of getting blood out of a mattress varies slightly from cleaning a mattress. While getting to the stain when it's still fresh can make a big difference, it's not hopeless if you've found dried blood. 

Here are some tips for getting blood out of a mattress:

• Use cold water: Only use cold water to avoid setting mattress stains. Hot water can cause the stain to set into your mattress fibers.
• Dab: Never saturate the mattress with water. Some light dabbing with a "moist" cloth or towel can help lift excess blood without spreading the staining.
• Use sheet cleaning methods: Try using any of the cleaning solutions shared above for how to get blood out of sheets to see if they lift the stains.
• Remove residue with a vacuum: Vacuum up any of the homemade pastes you use with baking soda or cornstarch as a way to soak up the dried residue without trying to rinse your mattress.
• Use a powerful enzymatic cleaner: Use cleaners that contain enzymes capable of breaking down stains if you don't want to do trial and error with natural solutions.
• Get a mattress protector: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to little drops of blood! Purchasing a mattress protector and topper can help save your mattress from the next bloody mishap.

Refresh Your Bedding With Purple

Knowing how to get blood out of sheets and when to wash sheets can help you maintain a hygienic sleeping environment. It’s ideal to wash your sheets once a week to remove dirt and stains, including tricky blood spots. 

If you don’t tackle the blood stains early, it will be much harder to remove them later. If the stains are too stubborn, sometimes it’s best to just replace your sheets. 

Purple offers ultra-soft, breathable sheets designed to support restful sleep, innovative mattresses that contour your body, and waterproof mattress protectors that shield your mattress from stains. Upgrade your sleep setup to experience unmatched comfort.

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