How to Get Blood out of Sheets: 3 Natural and Effective Methods to Try at Home
Getting stains out of your sheets can be frustrating, but it helps to start the process sooner rather than later.
Published June 13 2024, 3:05 p.m. ET
Believe it or not, it’s totally possible to get tough stains out of your sheets without using harsh chemicals. Instead of heading to the store to buy a solution that’s filled with abrasive ingredients, check your pantry instead.
Some common household products are a lot more powerful than we think. To learn how to get blood out of sheets using natural methods, keep reading.
How to get blood out of sheets using cold water:
If you’re lucky, all you need is a bit of cold water to get blood out of your sheets. A fresh stain is much easier to remove than one that’s already dried, so if you catch it at the right time, there’s a chance that the cleaning process will be easy peasy.
Strip the sheet off your bed and run it under a cold stream of water. This helps “push” the stain out of the fabric, according to Purple. Next, wet a rag with cold water and gently dab the stained area — be sure not to rub, as this can make things worse.
You can also soak your sheets in cold water. If the stain resists, let the fabric soak overnight before throwing it in the washing machine. Never use hot water to remove a blood stain — the heat can cause it to sink even further into the sheets.
Baking soda works wonders, too.
If you’re already familiar with natural cleaning solutions, then you probably know that baking soda is a go-to remedy for just about anything. While it’s quite common in recipes, its versatility is sometimes underrated.
To try this method, create a paste by mixing two parts baking soda with one part water. The measurements used depend on the size of the stain. Once the paste is ready, you can apply it to the stain and let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes, per Teen Vogue.
After, you can rinse off the paste with cold water and wash the sheet as usual. If you find that the baking soda alone wasn’t enough, try adding some fresh lemon juice to the paste. Mix two parts juice and one part baking soda, and apply it to the stain. It only has to sit for five minutes, and you can reapply if necessary, according to Tuft & Needle.
For stain-free sheets, try distilled white vinegar.
Oftentimes, the smell of white vinegar deters people from using it as a chemical-free cleaner in their house. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you from giving it a try — this strong smell goes away pretty quickly.
To use distilled vinegar as a stain remover, you will follow a process similar to the baking soda method. Per Nectar Sleep, simply use a rag to dab the vinegar onto the stain and wash it off with cold water. If you have time, you can also soak your stained sheets in vinegar. After a quick run in the washer and dryer, the smell will be gone!
These natural stain removers are not only effective, but they’re also affordable and convenient. It doesn’t hurt to give them a shot — you never know, you might just discover a new favorite cleaning solution.