7 Ways To Get Blood Out Of Carpet

Blood on the carpet is icky (and sounds creepy), but hey—life happens, and there are lots of remedies to remove it. All of these solutions are relatively quick, easy and painless—not taking into account whatever the blood spilling incident was. For small incidents, you should have that stain out of your carpet in no time at all.

First, A Few Tips For Removing Blood Stains:

• Be sure to stop the bleeding first! We can clean the carpet later, but make sure everyone is safe before you bust out those cleaning supplies!
• Always clean blood with cold water. Warm water will make the bloodstain much harder to remove because it’ll cause it to set.
• The faster you get to the bloodstain, the easier it will be to remove.
• Use a white cloth to clean up blood (and any stain, for that matter). Colored rags could potentially make the stain worse by transferring dye onto your carpet or rug, which is the last thing you need.
• Never, ever rub the bloodstain. Blot and dab only!

Supplies You’ll Need to Remove Blood Stains

(You won’t need all of them. Select your technique from below and gather items as needed.)

• Steel brush (for dried blood)
• Cold water
• Dish Soap (our favorite is Dawn)
• Spray bottle
• Sponge
• Rag(s)
• White vinegar
• Salt
• Cornstarch
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Wet vac (optional)

How to get wet blood out of carpet

1. Cold water

• Fill your spray bottle with cold water.
• Spray cold water directly onto the wet bloodstain.
• Blot the bloodstain dry with a clean rag.
• Repeat the spray/blot technique until the bloodstain disappears.
• Dry blot with a clean, dry rag or allow the spot to air dry.
• Alternatively, you can use a wet vac to dry the area.

2. Hydrogen peroxide

• Hey, fair warning: Hydrogen peroxide may seriously discolor your carpet or rug. Best to test this method on a discreet corner of carpet someplace before applying it directly to the stain.
• Apply hydrogen peroxide to a clean rag.
• Blot the bloodstain with the peroxide-soaked rag until it fades away. (It’ll probably get fizzy and bubbly, like a science experiment!)
• Then blot the former stain with a damp (remember, cold water!) rag to finish.
• Dry blot with a clean rag to absorb excess water.
• Allow the spot to air dry completely, or use a wet vac to dry the area.

3. Vinegar

• Vinegar’s high acidity, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties make it perfect for getting blood out of carpet, among other things.
• Mix a solution of 1 cup of vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
• Apply the solution to the bloodstain with your spray bottle, or soak a rag directly in the solution and blot the stain repeatedly.
• Keep spraying/blotting until the bloodstain has dissolved.
• Dry blot the spot with a clean rag to absorb residual vinegar and water.
• Allow the spot to air dry completely, or use a wet vac to dry the area.

How to get dried blood out of carpet

4. Salt or cornstarch paste

• Pour cold water into a bowl.
• Add in enough salt or cornstarch to create a thick paste (it should resemble a gritty cake batter).
• Apply the paste mixture directly to the dried bloodstain. Salt has killer dehydrating properties (as you’re probably well aware) and should lift out the water and the blood.
• Let the paste sit for 10–20 minutes.
• Blot the stain with a damp (remember, cold water!) rag until the stain dissolves.
• Do not rub the dried bloodstain, no matter how intuitive that may feel. It will only spread the stain and make it worse!
• Let air dry, and vacuum up any residual dried salt or cornstarch.

5. Hydrogen peroxide

• Like we mentioned earlier: Hydrogen peroxide could discolor your carpet or rug. To avoid damaging your carpet, you may want to test this method on a discreet piece of carpet before applying it directly to the stain.
• Apply hydrogen peroxide to a clean rag.
• Blot it to the bloodstain with the peroxide-soaked rag until it fades away.
• Then blot the former stain with a damp (remember, cold water!) rag to finish.
• Dry blot with a clean rag to absorb excess water.
• Allow the spot to air dry completely, or use a wet vac to dry the area.

6. Water, baking soda & white vinegar