Knowing how to remove blood stains from your mattress is a useful trick to have, whether you had a cut or scab, your child hopped on the bed with a bloody nose, or Aunt Flo showed up when you weren’t expecting her.
Here, we’ll discuss some quick ways to remove blood stains from a mattress as well as some advice on how to keep your mattress spotless to avoid further mishaps.
How To Get Fresh Blood Out Of A Mattress
We advise beginning with a gentle approach if you can access the stain right away. This can be your first option since blood dissolves in cold water. Simply dab the blood stain with a cloth dipped in cold water until the stain is completely gone; take care not to soak or oversaturate the mattress while doing this.
Grab the baking soda if the stain won’t budge. Here’s how to use baking soda to remove blood stains from a mattress:
- To start, dab the stain with cold water as we mentioned above. Prior to beginning any cleaning, the key is to try to extract as much moisture from the stain as you can.
- The stain should then be liberally sprinkled with baking soda, and you should let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Natural moisture removal works wonders with baking soda.
- Finally, remove the baking soda by dabbing it once more with your (cold) wet cloth.
- You can remove the stain by repeating these steps as often as necessary.
How To Get Dried Blood Out Of A Mattress
It might be a little more difficult, but not impossible, to get dried blood out of a mattress. We advise mixing table salt and hydrogen peroxide to remove blood stains that are particularly difficult to remove.
It is possible to use hydrogen peroxide at full strength, but pouring it directly onto the mattress will simply soak through the layers of memory foam and take a very long time to dry. Instead, combine a recipe to make a stain-removing paste. Here’s how:
- Corn starch, hydrogen peroxide, and about a tablespoon of salt should be combined to form a paste. The mixture can be altered as needed, but it should roughly have toothpaste’s consistency.
- Use cold water to dampen the blood stain before applying the paste.
- Using a spoon, spatula, or toothbrush with soft bristles, spread the paste evenly over the stain.
- Allow it to sit for around 30 minutes. Once the paste has dried, the hydrogen peroxide will begin to bubble.
- To remove the stain and the solution, dab the area once more with a clean, damp cloth after the hydrogen peroxide bubbles have stopped.
- Before replacing any bedding, allow the mattress to completely dry by air.
How To Get Period Blood Out Of A Mattress
It’s not embarrassing to have a mattress stain from your period; it’s one of the most frequent stains. The good news is that it’s simple to clean—just make sure you do it quickly before it has a chance to dry. Make a paste with about ½ cup cornstarch, ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, and about a tablespoon of salt to remove a vintage stain. Apply the paste after wetting the stain with cold water. As soon as it begins to bubble, give it about 30 minutes to sit. To remove the stain and the solution, dab the area once more with a clean, damp cloth after the hydrogen peroxide bubbles have stopped.
Other Options To Get Blood Stains Out Of Your Mattress
Cold Water
Blood that is fresh enough should dissolve in cold water. Take a white rag or paper towel and run it under cold water (colored items could stain the cover of your mattress). Then begin dabbing the blood stain; do not rub, as this may cause the stain to spread further into the bed.
Don’t overwet the mattress; you want it to dry quickly to stop the growth of mold or mildew. Ensure that the water is cold as well. Hot water will somewhat “cook” the blood and can make the stain set in.
Baking Soda
You can use a white paper towel or rag to apply the mixture to the mattress by combining one part baking soda with two parts cold water. After about 30 minutes, rinse it with a fresh cloth or towel. Again, dab, don’t rub!) the area dries with a clean rag and then let it air dry some more with a fan or open windows.
Salt, Cornstarch, And Hydrogen Peroxide
Cornstarch, salt, and hydrogen peroxide are combined in a mixture of ½ cup, ¼ cup, and ½ cup. When it comes to protein stains, such as blood stains, salt and hydrogen peroxide are excellent cleaning solutions.
In order to create a paste-like mixture, combine all the ingredients. Apply the mixture to the entire stained area, then allow it to completely dry. Simply scrape it up with a spatula or knife once it has completely dried, then vacuum over the area. For best results, repeat this cleaning procedure several times.
Meat Tenderizer
Take out the meat tenderizer from your pantry if you’ve tried all these steps and nothing is working. Meat tenderizer works by breaking down the proteins in your meat to “tenderize” it, but it also can work on the proteins in a blood stain. It can be used by combining one tablespoon of meat tenderizing powder with two teaspoons of cold water to create a paste. After applying the paste to the entire blood stain, leave it to dry for about an hour. Once the paste has dried, remove it with a cloth moistened with cold water before patting the area dry with a different dry cloth.
Before treating a larger stain, make sure to treat a small test spot if your mattress is made of latex or another unusual material, such as a Purple bed. Meat tenderizer does break down proteins, so even though it should generally be fine, you want to make sure it doesn’t break down and ruin your best mattress.
Protecting Your Mattress From Blood And Other Stains
Although there are some things you can do to keep your mattress safe and clean, you can’t totally prevent stains from appearing on it.
Purchasing a top-notch mattress protector ought to be one of your first priorities. An additional layer of defense against spills, stains, and accidents is offered by a mattress protector.
A mattress topper, which is an additional layer that goes on top of your mattress, is another option you might want to think about. Traditional mattress toppers can be used in conjunction with mattress protectors, despite the fact that they are not waterproof or as protective as mattress protectors.
The Conclusion
Blood stains are particularly challenging to remove because blood contains a lot of proteins. In order to remove blood stains from a mattress, you must first get rid of as much of the excess blood as you can before thoroughly cleaning the area. A damp mattress can quickly develop mold, so fully allowing it to dry is another crucial step in the procedure.