How To Get Period Stains Out: 10 Ways to Remove Blood from Fabric
Wondering how to get period stains out of clothes, bedding or a mattress? You're not alone. You'll be dealing with your period for a long, long time—and over the course of that long, long time, you will stain, well, just about everything it's possible to stain. But the good news is that menstrual stains are SO not a big deal, and nothing to be embarrassed about. And the even better news is that there are a ton of options for dealing with those accidents. Here, ten ways to get rid of period blood stains — some of them will really surprise you!1. Run lightweight fabrics under cold water.
When it comes to removing blood-based stains, especially from items made of lightweight fabric like underwear, PJ bottoms, or sheets, first try holding the stained area taut under cold running water—you'll be amazed at how much stuff a steady stream of H2O can coax out of a garment! Residual stains can be treated using whatever kind of soap you have nearby; hand soap, both liquid and bar, will work, as will liquid laundry detergent or a laundry bar like Fels-Naptha.
2. Up your laundry game with blood-removal products.
If you have a particularly heavy flow, you'll be much more likely to end up with stains on the regular, in which case it's not a bad idea to know about a few laundry products that are especially good at ghosting ugly blotches. Both oxygenated bleaches and enzymatic cleanersare all-purpose stain treatments that are aces on blood. Carbona Stain Devils #4 is a great product for dorm-dwellers since it comes in teeny-tiny bottles (a little goes a long way!) that won't take up a lot of storage space.
3. Rub salt or saline solution on the stain.
Unfortunately, sometimes period accidents happen when you're on the go (nightmare scenarios we've all lived through include: at school, during a recital, in the middle of a party) with limited stain removal options available. If you can find salt, fantastic! Plain old table salt and cold water do really well getting blood out of clothes. If you're a contact lens wearer, you can use your saline solution to the same effect, which is pretty handy when you're traveling. Who knew?!4. Apply hydrogen peroxide or lemon juice to the stain.
You might need something stronger might be needed for older or more set-in period blood stains: There are loads of common household items you can use to remove stubborn blood spots! For lighter colored clothes, hydrogen peroxide or lemon juice are great options; just be aware that they can cause color loss on darker items, so test them on an inconspicuous area to be sure they're safe to use.
5. Or, try scrubbing out the stain with aspirin or baking soda.
Two other super common items, aspirin and baking soda, can also be used to treat blood stains. As far as the aspirin is concerned, crush up a few tablets and mix the resulting powder with water to form a paste that can be applied to the stain. Same thing with the baking soda—just mix some with water to make a paste (how much really depends on how large a stain you're dealing with!). Allow the paste to sit for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight, and then launder the garment as usual.
6. It's weird, but it can actually work: meat tenderizer!
Here's one totally oddball thing that will remove blood stains. You ready for this? Unseasoned meat tenderizer. Told you it was weird! It's really good on older, set-in spots. To use it, sprinkle the stain with the tenderizer powder and add enough water to make a paste. Let that sit for 30 or so minutes, and then rinse with cold water and launder as usual.7. There's always saliva, if nothing else.
If you literally have access to none of the above, there's still one last option that can actually work: your own spit. We know — it's totally bizarre, but it really works and is a handy thing to keep in mind when you're on the go and don't have anything else on hand.
8. Treat stains on your bedding before tossing them in the washing machine.
Those middle-of-the-night leaks sometimes make it all the way onto your bedding. Your sheets should be easy enough to get clean employing any of the products and techniques you use on your clothes. For a mattress pad or comforter (or anything else that's oversized but launderable), treat the stain just like you would one on your clothes and wash it. Note: You may need to take it to a laundromat if your washing machine isn't big enough. When it comes to drying, toss clean tennis balls or dryer balls in with the comforter to help redistribute the stuffing and make it nice and fluffy.
9. Spot treat a mattress using barely any liquid.
The trick to how to get blood out of a mattress is use as little liquid as possible—you don't want to saturate it, or else it will never dry! Pick any of the blood stain removal products mentioned above, and dab it on stains using a cotton ball or a clean rag. The key is to not soak the mattress; don't be afraid to go slowly and use several applications. Then allow the mattress some time to air dry before re-making the bed. If you live in a damp climate, turning a standing fan toward the mattress will help aid the drying process.8. And remember, if at first you don't succeed ...
Try, try again! Sometimes with blood stains, or really with any stains, you need to give it more than one pass to save your clothes. And sometimes you just have to try something different! The important thing to remember is that if a stain doesn't come out the first time, all is not lost. Give it another shot, and when you're done, treat yourself to some chocolate.
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