Hydrogen Peroxide For Blood Stains: How To Remove Blood Stains

I’ve researched, developed, and tested dozens of stain removal techniques and laundry solutions over the past 12 years, and few are quite as reliable as using hydrogen peroxide on blood stains. Learning how to deal with blood stains is a laundry hurdle we all face eventually, so I thought it was high time we explored the topic in depth, and that’s exactly what we’ll be doing in this post.

As you’ll soon learn, blood stain removal isn’t nearly as difficult as it might seem. Even dried blood stains can be successfully removed from just about any fabric — you just need to know the right tricks!

To see my go-to blood stain treatment in action, check out the video at the end of the post.

What do grass stains and blood stains have in common? They’re both protein-based stains, which makes them a bit trickier to treat than other types of stain. Lucky for us, a simple hydrogen peroxide blood stain treatment is all it takes to make a potentially tricky stain much easier to remove. (And while fresh blood stains are a bit easier to remove, rest assured that this tip works on dried blood stains too!)

To use hydrogen peroxide for blood stains, apply a generous amount of hydrogen peroxide to the stain, then carefully scrub the area with an old toothbrush. Allow the peroxide to sit on the stain for at least 10 minutes, then use a cloth dampened with cold water to blot and remove the stain.

For step-by-step instructions for this stain removal method, read on!

You’ll need:

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Toothbrush
• Dawn dish soap (optional)
• Baking soda (optional)

Directions:

Step 1 – Saturate The Stain

Start by applying a generous amount of hydrogen peroxide directly to the blood stain. (No humans or animals were harmed in the making of this post — the hand towel shown here belongs to my daughter Britta, who used it to mop up a minor nosebleed!)

Depending on the size, severity, and age of the blood stain, you may want to scrub the saturated stain with an old toothbrush. This will help work the peroxide deeper into the fibers of the fabric (while making sure to contain your scrubbing within the stain’s boundaries to avoid making it larger!)

Step 2 – Let The Peroxide Work Its Magic

After scrubbing, leave the peroxide to soak into the stain for about 10-15 minutes. You’ll probably seem some fizzing, which is a sign that the hydrogen peroxide is hard at work breaking up the proteins in the blood stain. (It’s pretty cool stuff!)

Step 3 – Rinse And Evaluate

Thoroughly rinse the area with cold water. (Do not use hot water, which could set the stain.) Evaluate your progress — if the stain is gone, you can skip ahead to step 5; if not, proceed to step 4!

Step 4 – Treat The Stain Again (If Necessary)

An old, dried blood stain may leave some residual discoloration after the hydrogen peroxide treatment. To remove the remainder of the blood stain, apply a drop of Dawn dish soap to the spot and sprinkle a small amount of baking soda over the top. Scrub the dish soap and baking soda into the stain with your toothbrush, then rinse thoroughly with cool water.

Step 5 – Launder In Cold Water

Promptly toss the blood-stained garment in your washing machine, then run a cool water wash cycle with the recommended amount of laundry detergent. Your garment will come out clean, fresh, and most importantly, blood-free!

Why Is Hydrogen Peroxide So Effective Against Blood Stains?

Using hydrogen peroxide is one of the most effective ways to treat stains caused by organic substances like blood. (That’s why it’s a primary ingredient in my Ultimate Stain Remover Spray!) When you apply hydrogen peroxide to a blood stain, an enzyme in blood called catalase triggers an oxidizing reaction that breaks down many of the chemical compounds that make blood stains so stubborn.

Since it works so well on organic substances, it’s no surprise that hydrogen peroxide works well on kitchen and bathroom stains too. (And in case you’re wondering, hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol are two different things, so you can’t use them interchangeably in this instance.)

Other Ways To Remove Blood Stains From Fabric

If you need to remove blood from clothes and don’t have any hydrogen peroxide on hand, try one of these alternatives:

Ammonia

Dab the stain with a solution of equal parts ammonia and cold water, then launder as usual. Not only is this an effective way to remove blood stains, but it works well on sweat and urine stains too.

Oxygen Bleach

Oxygen bleaches like OxiClean are another useful option for removing blood stains, urine, spilled food, and other organic stains. You can add oxygen bleach to your washing machine to wash out small stains, or follow the pretreat or soak directions on the package to treat larger and more severe stains.

Pet Stain Remover

Nature’s Miracle and other enzymatic pet stain cleaning products can help remove all kinds of organic stains, including blood. To use a pet stain remover on blood stains, just spray it onto the affected area, wait 10 minutes, then blot and wash.

BONUS: 5 More Blood Stain Removal Tips

Tip #1 – Treat Stains ASAP

At the risk of repeating myself, try to treat blood stains as quickly as possible — fresh blood stains are always going to be easier to remove than dried blood stains! If you notice a blood stain while you’re running late or otherwise occupied, soaking the stained garment in a sink or bucket of cold water can help prevent the stain from drying or setting.

Tip #2 – Use Cold Water

When it comes to blood stains, treating them with hot water can do more harm than good. Heat can cause blood to sink deeper into the fibers of the fabric. Which leads me to my next tip…

Tip #3 – Wait To Dry

Don’t attempt to dry the stained item in your dryer until you’re completely satisfied that the stain is gone. Your dryer can make stains much more difficult to remove!

Tip #4 – Don’t Give Up

Remember, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! Occasionally, you’ll need to treat a blood stain more than once to remove it completely. So give it another shot, and be sure to reward yourself for all your hard work afterward!

Tip #5 – Avoid Chlorine Bleach

Chlorine bleach can make blood stains worse instead of better, even if the fabric is white or bleach-safe. Be sure to use non-chlorine types of bleach when working with blood-stained fabrics.

Have you used hydrogen peroxide on blood stains?