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removing bloodstains from shirt?

janey

janey

macrumors 603
Original poster
Dec 20, 2002
5,316
0
sunny los angeles
how?

I usually manage to get them out before they dry, but I have a shirt with a couple-day-old blood stain that won't go away. I've already tried laundry detergent and bleach and peroxide and pretty much everything I found on Google.

Got any pointers? :eek:
It's a light blue cotton shirt.

Thanks in advance :)
 
janey said:
how?
Click to expand...
You buy a new one.

:eek: :p :shrug: If it was a stain on a white shirt, I'd just tell ya to use more bleach, but on colored fabric? I haven't the faintest clue what else you could do.
 
have you tried attacking it with a tide pen?
that thing is amazing!


maybe you could wet the stain and try the peroxide route again?
 
w_parietti22 said:
The real question is WHY do you have bloodstains on your shirt janey?
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. Seinfeld did a whole stand up bit on his show where he goes into how the detergent ads all talk about how it gets out blood stains and he says something like 'Who are these people that always getting blood stains on their clothes? What, are they hitmen?'
 
Nothing gets fresh blood out of clothing than cold water and plenty of salt. Doesn't work so well on a couple day old blood though...

B
 
so it's not in the trunk of your car?

peroxide/H2O at 50/50 is usually pretty effective. i think it's the coagulation that causes it to be such a pain in the ass. use [cold] water first and then add the peroxide; then rub/scrub out.

there's some commercial products out there but i don't want to endorse one when i can't back it up.
 
If all else fails there's always:
apppatchl.jpg
 
Sard WonderSoap gets red wine and blood out without a fuss. As a madman, this is pretty important for me.

Hmph. Looking through Google, it looks like it's Australian-only though. :(
 
Best way would be to incinerate it - you'll need a really hot flame so that it destroys the DNA, too cool a fire can singe parts of the fabric and leave important evidence behind. Something running a few thousand degrees should do it - maybe lower for cotton.

Or, you could mulch it but you'll want to be sure that it will be undisturbed for many years until the whole thing is broken down.
You might want to call Mr. Wolf.
 
the only thing that works well is cold water - leave it to soak. however, if you have already treated it or used hot water on it - it will now be set in.
 
On a different matter, how do u remove blood stains so that they are not visible with UV lights?
 
It's very tough to get dried blood out of a shirt. You really need to be on the ball and put it in to soak in cold water on the same day (i know, it's a bit late for that but there's always next time). I would still suggest a good long soap and then a bit of elbow grease with some 'hand wash' detergent. It could well be a good time to say good bye to the shirt.

If you can get it to fade enough it might just be possible to continue using the shirt - i know that a number of number would scare the more eagle eyed parent.
 
janey said:
how?

I usually manage to get them out before they dry, but I have a shirt with a couple-day-old blood stain that won't go away. I've already tried laundry detergent and bleach and peroxide and pretty much everything I found on Google.

Got any pointers? :eek:
It's a light blue cotton shirt.

Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...


Killing is a sport too!


Ok really though, I used one of those bleach pens before and that worked.
 
@balamw, yeah, that's what im doing now. doesn't seem to be working though.

@Lau: hahahah :p that's great ;)

@mad jew: I live in the US :(

@dcv, like I said, it's just a nosebleed :eek:

@russed, yeah, someone told me that too, so it hasnt been in any hot water yet.

Doesn't look like it's coming out though :( Maybe faded a little, but still sticks out like a sore thumb. Oh well.
 
Stain that part blue. No, seriously. Stain it blue, then try getting rid of the blue stain, or at least try getting it to fade so that it matches with your light blue shirt.

The other option is just to throw it into the wash every time you do your laundry, and just wash it until it fades. Treat that spot over and over again using one of those bleach pens, and do it every day. Then wash. Try again right afterwards, repeat. It'll fade until only someone who stares directly at it would notice.

Or just dry clean it. It's not THAT expensive to dry clean.
 
janey said:
@mad jew, in detergent? i think half an hour or so.
Click to expand...


Yeah, as in fabric cleaning detergent. Maybe try leaving it to soak overnight. If I'm out of Sard and one of my shirts is covered in red wine then leaving it to soak overnight is usually a pretty good substitute. :)
 
mad jew said:
Yeah, as in fabric cleaning detergent. Maybe try leaving it to soak overnight. If I'm out of Sard and one of my shirts is covered in red wine then leaving it to soak overnight is usually a pretty good substitute. :)
Click to expand...

Shard is a cleaning agent?
(I can't be the only one who read it like that!)
 
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