How to Remove Blood From Carpet: Best Tips
One night, you're sitting on your couch in the living room enjoying the most recent episode of your favorite TV show. The plot is just starting to pick up speed when a small voice startles you back to reality — "Uh, I think I have a nose bleed."
Your child, who is supposed to be sleeping, has entered the living room with blood running out of their nostrils, dripping onto the living room carpet. Of course, you jump up to help your child, make sure they're ok, clean them up, and get them back to bed.
But now your show will have to wait, because there's a new mess to deal with on your living room carpet, and it has left you wondering how to remove blood from carpet so that it won't leave a red stain.
Luckily, we know plenty of effective methods for removing blood from carpet.
Give the following tips for getting blood out of carpet a try, and don't worry. Please remember that My Pro Cleaner can help you if the bloodstain proves to be extra stubborn. We are experts in the science of stain removal when it's possible.
Three Steps for Removing Fresh Blood From Carpet
In an ideal situation, you have a chance to address bloodstains right away while they are still fresh. If the stain just happened or is still wet, use the following steps to remove the new blood from your carpet:
What You'll Need
Gather the following items before you start to make sure you have everything you need:
— Gloves (rubber kitchen gloves or latex gloves)
— White paper towels (without fancy designs) or several clean white cloths
— Cold water in a cup or bucket
— Wet and dry vacuum or a fan
1. Soak Up What You Can
To remove fresh blood from your carpet, begin by putting on a pair of gloves and soaking up any excess blood with a paper towel or a dry white cloth. Note: It's important to BLOT, not scrub. Please remember to always avoid scrubbing or wiping the blood, because this will spread the stain and press it deeper into the carpet fibers. Instead, use a dabbing motion beginning at the edges of the spill and working inward.
2. Clean the Blood With Cold Water
Pour a small amount of cold water with no detergent or chemicals over the bloodstain. It's essential to use cold water, because hot water will set the stain into the carpet fibers. Soak up the water using a clean paper towel or cloth. Repeat this step until the water you're soaking up is clear.
3. Dab the Carpet Dry
Use another clean paper towel or white cloth to dab the carpet dry.
If you have a wet vacuum, use this to suck up any remaining moisture. If not, place a fan to blow on the wet spot to dry the area faster.
Four Steps for Removing Dried Blood From Carpet
It's not always possible or convenient to clean up blood immediately, and the method for how to remove blood from carpet changes if it has had time to dry. Follow the steps below to remove dried blood from your carpet.
What You'll Need
Gather together the following items to remove dried blood from your carpet:
— Gloves (rubber kitchen gloves or latex gloves)
— Paper towels (with no dyed designs) or several clean white cloths
— A spray bottle if you have one
— Unscented dishwashing detergent
— White vinegar
— Cold water in a cup or bucket
— Wet and dry vacuum or a fan
1. Break Up the Stain
To remove more than a few blood drop stains from carpet, begin by breaking up the blood. You can use a scrub brush or even an old toothbrush to break up the dried blood gently. Avoid vigorous scrubbing, as this may spread the blood around, even though it's dry. Scrubbing can also cause permanent carpet fiber damage. So we recommend always BLOTTING, never scrubbing.
Vacuum up any loose pieces when you're finished with this step.
2. Clean the Blood With Soap and Water
Mix a solution of soap and cold water into a spray bottle. To avoid discoloring your carpet, use an unscented dishwashing detergent as your soap. You may also add a touch of vinegar to combat any odors emanating from the bloodstain.
With your gloves on, spray a generous amount of the solution onto the stain. If you don't have a spray bottle, apply the solution using a cloth or sponge.
Never use bleach on a carpet stain, as it will lead to significant carpet damage and discoloration.
3. Dab the Carpet Dry
Dab the spot dry using a clean cloth or paper towel, again working from the outside to the center of the stain. Repeat steps two and three until the stain is gone.
4. Soak Up the Soapy Solution
If the detergent solution remains on the carpet, the stain may return, so use cold water to clean out any remaining soap. Use the same spray wet, dab dry method you used for steps two and three until all the soap is gone.
Then, dab the carpet dry or use a wet and dry vacuum to remove any remaining moisture. You may also place a fan nearby to dry the spot more quickly.
Additional Tips on How to Remove Blood From Carpet
If you've already tried the steps above and that stubborn bloodstain has stuck around, give the following tips a go.
Note: Before using any of the following methods, be sure to clean all other chemicals and soaps from the spot, or these next steps may not work as well. Once the area is clean and dry, see if these methods solve your bloodstain woes.
Ammonia
We don't suggest the use of ammonia as an immediate solution, because it can be harmful to your carpet fibers.
Note: Ammonia should NEVER be used on wool carpets and only on synthetic carpets when absolutely necessary.
To make an ammonia solution, mix a few drops of ammonia into a half cup of warm water. You may need to double each of these if the stain is particularly large.
Pour this new solution over the bloodstain, and let it sit for a minute or so. Just as we did in the above steps, dab the spot dry using a clean paper towel or white cloth.
Repeat this process until you remove the stain from the carpet. Once the bloodstain is gone, dab the spot with cold water and then dry it as we did in the fourth step above.
Hydrogen Peroxide
We include this method cautiously as it may bleach the dyed color from certain types of carpet if the solution is too concentrated. Still, hydrogen peroxide is another common method for removing blood from carpet.
Before applying hydrogen peroxide to the stain, dab a small amount onto a coin-sized spot on a hidden portion of your carpet. Perhaps an area beneath a built-in shelf or radiator will do. Do not use hydrogen peroxide to treat the bloodstain if the color bleaches out your test spot.
If there is no color change to your carpet fibers, dab the hydrogen peroxide onto the stain a little at a time to pull up the stain. Rinse the area with cold water as before and pat it dry.
Call My Pro Cleaner for a Professional Approach
Consider giving us a call if you would like us to apply professional approaches to the blood on your carpet. At My Pro Cleaner, we have professional tools and techniques to handle most stains. We have handled thousands of stains since 2004 in the Houston area, and we study the growing science of stain removal constantly.
If you have any questions about this article, or anything related to cleaning carpet, upholstery, tile and grout, and maintaining a healthy home, please feel free to give me a call, and let's talk!
