Carpets add beauty and value to our spaces. Sometimes carpets get stained by blood without knowing. Blood stains can make your carpet look devastating at large. Even small amounts of blood can give a negative vibe into the room and cause you to worry about entertaining guests or having friends come over to your house.
Bloodstains on carpets
Bloodstains may occur for a variety of reasons.
- Kids get hurt,
- You have an accident while cooking, or
- You slice your finger with a knife and spill a little on the floor.
Like other stains, the longer blood remains on your carpet, the more difficult it becomes to remove it. There comes a time when one needs to do more to remove stains from a carpet apart from cleaning and vacuuming.
It is normal since carpet stains are bound to occur, and we should work on them to maintain them clean. There are many types of stains, but we will go through how to remove blood stains from a carpet. You shall learn how to remove fresh blood and dried blood from your carpet. Read on to have all about it.
Blood is a protein that is reactive and sensitive to heat. Blood binds with carpet fabric at elevated temperatures making it difficult to remove and may set in permanent. An enzyme-based spotter with a neutral pH is the best material to remove blood stains from a carpet.
They are available in many household cleansers, but one should read the labels carefully before using them to remove these stains. You should stay careful when handling blood since you risk contract blood-borne diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. Wear protective clothing and wash your hands with hot germicidal soapy water after cleaning.
Necessary materials and tools
Before you embark on any project, you should gather all the essential materials and tools you require to accomplish it. To remove a blood stain from a carpet, you need the following;
- Paper towels
- Cold water
- Bowl or bucket
- Clean white rag
- Liquid dish soap
- Stiff brush
- Vacuum cleaner
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Gloves
- Salt paste
The procedure for removing fresh blood
Step 1: Blot with a clean towel or white cloth
While doing this, avoid rubbing over since you will spread the blood to other parts. Squeeze the clean towel on the fresh blood and then lift it off. The towel will absorb the stain. If you are dealing with large pools of blood, start from the edges towards the center. This helps in preventing the blood from spreading to other parts of the carpet. Ensure you don’t rub the stain, as this makes it even hard to remove the stain from the carpet.
Step 2: Pour a little amount of water on the strain.
Pour a little amount of cold water and allow time for the water to sink into the carpet. If a spray bottle is available, use it to spray the small amounts of water instead of pouring to avoid wetting the carpet. To avoid entrenching the bloodstain into the carpet, use only cold water for this. Also, do not pour too much cold water as this can make the stain spread. Pour an amount of water that will only dampen the stain and do not soak it.
Step 3: Continue Blotting
Squeeze the towel again to blot off the dissolved blood after wetting the blood stain with cold water. Continue sprinkling water to soak the remaining bloodstain. Use up-and-down motion while blotting the blood to minimize rubbing on the carpet. Keep repeating this same procedure until you remove all the blood stains from the carpet.
Carpet extractors or wet vacuum cleaners are also crucial to absorb moisture on the carpet. When a particular part of the towel becomes discolored, switch over to a clean spot on the towel to avoid re-staining the carpet you are trying to clean. Use a clean white cloth or towel when cleaning.
Step 4: Use salt paste if stain persists.
Use salt paste instead of ordinary cold water if the stain remains after using the cruel water treatment. To make the paste, add water to salt and mix. Apply some paste on the stain and give it some time to sit. Continue blotting using a clean towel or cloth repeatedly. Repeat the procedure if the towel picks blood residue, but the stain remains on the carpet. Vacuum the spot after the stain is removed to ensure you don’t leave salt on the carpet since it can affect the fabric.
Step 5: Use diluted liquid detergent.
Pour a cup of cold water into 1 or 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent and mix. Dip a clean cloth or towel into the solution and dampen the spot of the bloodstain. Ensure you wear white cloth. Rinse the fabric in plain water and blot dry with only the spotless part of the material. Do not use bleach detergents or the one containing lanolin.
Step 6: Dry with an electric fan or Hair drier.
Direct an electric fan to the wet part to dry it. It is crucial to ensure the carpet dries fast, as the bloodstain on the carpet’s bottom makes its way to the surface resulting in a new stain if not dried. In the absence of an electric fan, paper towels come in as an alternative. Ensure to exert weight while using them and allowing the carpet to dry. Finish by vacuuming the carpet after it is dry.
Procedure on removing dry blood
The treatment method on concealed parts
You should use the treatment method for dried blood on concealed carpet parts as it is strong and can have discoloring or damaging effect on the carpet. Leave it for 10 – 15 minutes to check if it damages the carpet. When removing the stain from silk or wool, consult experts to prevent damaging the carpet.
Brush using a dull knife.
This method works only on dried blood by scrapping butter knife on the stain. You might not remove all the stain by scrapping, but work becomes a bit easier. Pitching is not a suitable method to valuable a carpet since it damages the carpet fabric.
Unflavored meat tenderizer.
Meat tenderizer eases up the bloodstain removal process by breaking up the blood protein. Mix an equal amount of cold water into the tenderizer. Leave the mixture for about 30 minutes and use a clean cloth to blot the stain. Mix cold water with liquid detergent and use the combination to rinse off the towel.
Flavored meat tenderizer is not ideal in this project since it can cause more staining to the carpet. The solution can also destroy carpet fibers in silk or wool carpet options due to protein presence in such particular carpets.
Spray with hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide lightens carpet fiber to hide bloodstains. The hydrogen peroxide breaks down the blood removing the stain and giving a positive effect than when you use bleach. Avoid using this method on a dark colored carpet as it may bleach off-color. Use only 3% of hydrogen peroxide. Dilute it if you have bought stronger hydrogen peroxide.
- Soak in shampoo, and then to ammonia
- Use an enzyme cleaner.
- Dry it where there is sufficient air.
Vacuum or brush the carpet.
Vacuuming should be the final process as it facilitates the drying of the carpet and shape restoration. If you are not in the position to use a vacuum cleaner, use a dry bristle brush.
Another viable method
If the cleaning methods above do not work for you, worry less since there are other methods you can employ. A solution of half a cup of warm water mixed with one tablespoon of ammonia is a stronger combination that removes blood stains from your carpet. Blot the stain and keep applying the solution to the stain until the carpet absorbs the liquid. After that, you can use a separate rag, cloth, or sponge soaked in cold water. Apply this to the stain and then blot or pat the carpet dry.
Warning
Avoid soapy solutions when dealing with blood stains on your carpet since they could leave a residue that may attract dirt and oils. Whether you treat the blood stain with plain cold water or a solution, ensure you use a clean towel to blot the stain. You should also not rub over the stain since you will spread the stain to other parts. Don’t apply too much water or solution or rub the carpet as you may spread the stain making it hard to get rid of it.
Conclusion
Dealing with bloodstains while fresh is the best time to remove them. When the blood dries, it binds to carpet fibers making it difficult to remove it. If it stays for a while, it can become more embedded by footsteps at the bottom part of the carpet. Cleaning a carpet is one of the best ways to maintain it to provide you for an extended period. Use the above stain removal methods to keep it clean to add a significant amount of elegance to your house.