🩸 ProteinHow to remove blood stains

The classic protein stain · always cold water

Blood from nosebleeds, cuts or periods is the classic protein stain. Fresh blood comes out fairly well with cold water alone, but one mistaken use of hot water and it sets brown and lingers. It's a common stain on sheets and underwear, so it's worth knowing the order.

🔬 Why this order works

The proteins in blood, including iron-containing hemoglobin, coagulate when heated and become fixed in the fibers. The key is to dilute and flush it out with cold water and let enzyme detergent break down the protein.

🧺 Step by step

Tap a step when it's done to tick it off.

As soon as possible, rinse with cold water from the back of the garment.
Dissolve a little salt in cold water and soak for about 30 minutes; dried blood will soften and come out more easily.
Apply enzyme detergent (or liquid detergent) and rub it in by hand.
Wash in cold to lukewarm water.
If the stain remains, on white cotton only, dab on a little 3% hydrogen peroxide (the pharmacy antiseptic kind) and rinse once the fizzing stops.

👕 By fabric

⚪ White cotton & linen

Cold water → enzyme detergent → 3% hydrogen peroxide removes most of it. Test the hydrogen peroxide somewhere hidden first.

🎨 Colors & synthetics

Stop at cold water → enzyme detergent. Hydrogen peroxide also removes dye from colored clothes, so don't use it, or use only a tiny amount after testing.

🧶 Wool, silk & cashmere

Blot and rinse with cold water, then take it to a dry cleaner and tell them it's blood. Don't use enzyme detergent or hydrogen peroxide on wool or silk.

🚫 Don't

Hot water or steam — the protein cooks and sets brown.
Chlorine bleach on blood — it can react with the protein and turn yellow.
Using the dryer while a stain remains.

⏳ If it has already dried

For blood that has already dried brown, soak for a few hours to overnight in cold water with enzyme detergent, then wash. On white cotton, finish with hydrogen peroxide or oxygen bleach.

💡 Tip

For things you can't soak, like a mattress, blot with a towel dampened in cold water to absorb it, then repeat with water mixed with enzyme detergent. The trick is not to pour on much water.

❓ Common questions

Does the same method work for period stains?

Yes, it's the same kind of blood stain. Rinse right away with cold water; for dried stains, soak in cold water with enzyme detergent and then wash.

I used hydrogen peroxide on a colored garment and it went white.

Hydrogen peroxide is a bleach, so it removes dye too. Color that's already gone can't be restored, so on colored clothes stop at enzyme detergent, and test before going any further.

🔗 Related stains

Check the care label firstBleach, wash and dryer symbols explained

🧭 All stains

🧼 Basic rules & cleaning-agent guide

General home methods. For valuable garments or unknown fabrics, take them to a dry cleaner and say what the stain is. Follow product labels for bleaches and solvents, ventilate, and never mix them.