How do I get blood out of my carpet?
A friend of mine had an absolutely massive nosebleed in my living room last night. I was kind of too tired to bother trying to clean it up at the time, but I’m uhhh…regretting that decision right now. It’s completely dried up now. What can I do to get the stain out of the carpet? I really don’t want to have to buy a brand new carpet.
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Expert Comments
For dried blood stains, the products and solutions that I recommend tend to involve a lot of baking soda. With warm or hot water, leaving any baking-soda-based cleaner sitting on the stain for 15-30 minutes. Then, try to clean the baking soda up with a clean cloth or a carpet washer. Keep doing that until the stain is up. The carpet washer really is the secret hack here, though. There are really good ones nowadays which are just kind of like a big machine that you just put down on top of the carpet and it cleans the fibers automatically. I really recommend those for blood stains!
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Nope not hot water it will set the stain in. Same as it will in the washer
Wash blood on cold
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Wash blood on cold
Reader Comments
Use hydrogen peroxide on the stain, then rinse with cold water—gets it right out! Just make sure it doesn't sit for more than 5-10 minutes, or it might discolor your carpet. Good luck!
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I've had luck with using ice cubes. Wet the blood stain with the ice cube, then blot it, then wet it, then blot it, and repeat until the stain goes away.
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If you need to get blood out of your carpet, act fast and blot (don’t rub) the stain with cold water—hot water will set it deeper. For fresh stains, hydrogen peroxide works great; just pour a little on, let it bubble, then blot it up. If you don’t have that, mix dish soap with cold water, dab the stain, and keep blotting until it’s gone. For dried blood, try a baking soda paste (baking soda + a little water), let it sit, then scrub gently. If it’s really stubborn, an ammonia solution might help, but avoid it on wool carpets. Once the stain is gone, rinse with cold water, blot dry, and let it air out.
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So glad you mentioned blotting instead of rubbing! I have a lot of experience with kids getting bloody noses all the time from living in the desert in dry conditions. I can't even tell you how many times they've woken up in the middle of the night and they have gotten a bloody nose in the night, it's ridiculous! So, my biggest tip with cleaning blood stains is to make sure you always blot it. Never rub the blood or else it will just spread all over, and it's way harder to get out. For a piece of carpet, I'm just blotting the area over and over, which is repetitive and annoying, but it will be better for your carpet. I don't feel you need anything fancy to deal with it. You can just use hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and then just blot it, blot it, blot it until it comes up. I also have the Folex Carpet Cleaner, and that works really well. You can just spray some of that on, but really any type of carpet cleaner could work. You can also use a little bit of dish soap and water, but when you do use water with blood, you need to make sure it's cold water, not warm or hot. That makes it worse. If you put some cleaning solution of water and soap to get it off, it needs to be cold. Ultimately, the biggest thing with blood is to try to catch it fast. The faster you do it, the sooner or the easier it is to get off. If it's dried on there, like in the case of this post, it's harder but you can still clean it. Just make sure you always blot it!
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Yikes, that sounds like a messy situation, but don’t worry, you can definitely clean that up! It’s totally understandable that you were too tired to deal with it at the time, but luckily, blood stains are often easier to remove when tackled sooner.
Since it’s already dried, you’ll want to act quickly to avoid it becoming a permanent stain. Here’s what you can do:
Step 1: Gather Supplies
You’ll need:
Cold water (never hot, as that can set the stain)
Mild dish soap or laundry detergent
Baking soda
A clean cloth or sponge
A bowl
An old toothbrush (optional)
A vacuum (for after baking soda treatment)
Step 2: Soak the Area
Rehydrate the Stain: Lightly dampen the bloodstained area with cold water using a clean cloth or sponge. You can use a spray bottle if you have one. This helps loosen the dried blood, making it easier to treat.
Blot (Don’t Rub!): Use a clean cloth to gently blot the area. Don’t rub, as that could push the blood deeper into the carpet fibers.
Step 3: Make a Cleaning Solution
Dish Soap and Water: In a bowl, mix a small amount of mild dish soap or laundry detergent with cold water. Dip a cloth or sponge into the solution and blot it onto the stain. Work from the outside of the stain in, to prevent it from spreading.
Step 4: Scrub (If Necessary)
If the stain is still stubborn, you can gently scrub the area using an old toothbrush or a soft scrub brush. Be gentle, though, so you don’t damage the fibers.
Step 5: Rinse and Blot Again
Once you’ve scrubbed the stain, dampen another clean cloth with cold water and blot the area again to rinse out the soap.
Step 6: Baking Soda Treatment (Optional)
For any residual stain, sprinkle some baking soda onto the dampened area. Baking soda works as a mild abrasive and can help lift any remaining stain. Let it sit for about 15–30 minutes, then vacuum it up.
Step 7: Repeat if Necessary
If the stain is still visible, you can repeat the process or try using a specialized carpet stain remover designed for blood stains. Just follow the instructions on the product carefully.
Step 8: Dry the Area
Once you’ve removed as much of the stain as possible, blot the area with a dry cloth to absorb the excess moisture. Let the carpet air dry completely.
It can take a few attempts depending on how deep the stain has set, but with some patience and the right tools, you should be able to get that out without needing a new carpet! If it's still proving tough, you might want to consult a professional carpet cleaner as a last resort.
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Since it’s already dried, you’ll want to act quickly to avoid it becoming a permanent stain. Here’s what you can do:
Step 1: Gather Supplies
You’ll need:
Cold water (never hot, as that can set the stain)
Mild dish soap or laundry detergent
Baking soda
A clean cloth or sponge
A bowl
An old toothbrush (optional)
A vacuum (for after baking soda treatment)
Step 2: Soak the Area
Rehydrate the Stain: Lightly dampen the bloodstained area with cold water using a clean cloth or sponge. You can use a spray bottle if you have one. This helps loosen the dried blood, making it easier to treat.
Blot (Don’t Rub!): Use a clean cloth to gently blot the area. Don’t rub, as that could push the blood deeper into the carpet fibers.
Step 3: Make a Cleaning Solution
Dish Soap and Water: In a bowl, mix a small amount of mild dish soap or laundry detergent with cold water. Dip a cloth or sponge into the solution and blot it onto the stain. Work from the outside of the stain in, to prevent it from spreading.
Step 4: Scrub (If Necessary)
If the stain is still stubborn, you can gently scrub the area using an old toothbrush or a soft scrub brush. Be gentle, though, so you don’t damage the fibers.
Step 5: Rinse and Blot Again
Once you’ve scrubbed the stain, dampen another clean cloth with cold water and blot the area again to rinse out the soap.
Step 6: Baking Soda Treatment (Optional)
For any residual stain, sprinkle some baking soda onto the dampened area. Baking soda works as a mild abrasive and can help lift any remaining stain. Let it sit for about 15–30 minutes, then vacuum it up.
Step 7: Repeat if Necessary
If the stain is still visible, you can repeat the process or try using a specialized carpet stain remover designed for blood stains. Just follow the instructions on the product carefully.
Step 8: Dry the Area
Once you’ve removed as much of the stain as possible, blot the area with a dry cloth to absorb the excess moisture. Let the carpet air dry completely.
It can take a few attempts depending on how deep the stain has set, but with some patience and the right tools, you should be able to get that out without needing a new carpet! If it's still proving tough, you might want to consult a professional carpet cleaner as a last resort.
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