How to Get Blood Stains Out of Sheets

Learn how to pre-treat, sanitize, and wash blood stains out of bed sheets.

Red blood stains being cleaned with scrub brush and cleaner spray on white sheet

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 15 - 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 - 4 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $0

When a blood stain happens on a bed sheet, act fast with cold water and a heavy-duty detergent or enzyme-based spot cleaner to work on the stain. If the blood doesn't belong to you, it's best practice to don gloves when handling someone else's blood.

If rinsed immediately, the blood should come out. Then, wash as you usually would, including running the cycle using warm or hot water. However, never use hot water, a clothes dryer, or an iron on any fabric that still has a stain. The heat sets in the stain, making it difficult, if not impossible, to remove.

Fortunately, if you act promptly and follow some simple steps, you can completely remove blood stains.

How to Wash Blood Out of Sheets
Stain Type Protein-based
Detergent Heavy-duty laundry detergent with enzymes
Water Temperature Cold first, then cold, warm, or hot
Cycle Type Regular cycle
Drying Cycle Normal dry cycle or line-dry
Special Treatments Use stain remover and add laundry sanitizer to wash cycle
Iron Settings Depends on fabric type
How Often to Wash As soon as you notice it

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Washing machine or large tub
  • Dryer, drying rack, or clothesline
  • Soft-bristled brush

Materials

  • Heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent with enzymes
  • Enzyme-based laundry stain remover or oxygen-based bleach
  • Laundry sanitizer like bleach or pine sol (Optional)

Instructions

Materials and tools to wash blood out of sheets

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

How to Get Blood Stains Out of Sheets

  1. Act Promptly

    Remove the sheets from the bed as soon as you discover the stains. Fresh blood stains are much easier to remove than older stains. If the blood has soaked through to the mattress protector or the mattress, it should be treated promptly as well.

    Tip

    If you discover a blood stain on bed sheets and don't have time to treat it immediately, fill a bathtub, large sink, or washer with cold water. Add an enzyme presoak product or some laundry detergent. Submerge the entire sheet and allow it to soak until you can treat the stained area.

    White sheets being pulled from top of mattress

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  2. Flush the Blood-Stained Area

    Hold the blood-stained sheet area under a faucet running full-force with cold water. This will help force the blood out of the fabric fibers. If the stain is large, focus on one area until most of the blood is removed, and then move on to the next area by shifting the fabric.

    Warning

    Never use hot water as the first treatment for a blood stain on any textile. While blood contains many components, the high temperature can "cook" the proteins in the blood, causing them to adhere to the fabric's fibers. This makes removing the stain much more difficult.

    Fresh blood stain placed under running faucet water

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  3. Pretreat Blood Stains

    Use an enzyme-based stain remover or a dab of heavy-duty laundry detergent to pretreat the stained area for fresh blood stains. Use a soft-bristled brush to work the stain remover into the fibers. Place the sheet aside and let the stain remover work for at least fifteen minutes before washing the sheet.

    Or, fill a large sink, bathtub, or washer with cold water and add oxygen-based bleach powder. Follow the label directions of how much powder to use per gallon of water. Add the blood-stained sheet and submerge it completely. Allow it to soak for at least two hours. It is fine for it to soak longer, even overnight.

    Soft-bristled brush scrubbing blood stain with enzyme-based stain remover

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  4. Select the Washer Settings

    Select the regular washer cycle and water temperature that you use for the bedding. Be sure to inspect the pretreated sheets before adding them to the washer. If the stains are still visible, do not use hot water.

    Washing machine set to regular water cycle

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  5. Wash the Sheets

    Wash the sheets using your regular laundry detergent.

    White sheets being placed in washing machine

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  6. Add a Laundry Sanitizer

    Add a laundry sanitizer to the wash cycle if the blood stains are large or you are concerned about infectious diseases. For white cotton sheets, use chlorine bleach. Choose pine oil or a phenolic-based sanitizer for colored sheets or sheets made from bamboo, silk, or synthetic materials (Lysol).

    Chlorine bleach poured into washing machine dispenser

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  7. Inspect the Sheets

    Inspect the sheets carefully after washing for any remaining discoloration. Repeat the pretreatment and washing steps if there is still evidence of the stain. Do not dry the sheets, especially in the high heat of an automatic dryer, until the stain is removed.

    White sheets inspected outside for stains

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

  8. Dry the Sheets

    Dry the stain-free sheets as usual in your automatic dryer, hang from an outdoor clothesline, or dry on an indoor-drying rack.

    White sheets clipped to clothing line outside

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

How to Remove Dried Blood Stains

If the blood stains have already dried on your sheets, follow these steps:

  • Brush off any dried blood with a soft-bristled brush.
  • Soak the sheets overnight, or for at least 8 hours, in cold water mixed with oxygen bleach, an enzymatic soak, or an enzyme-based laundry detergent like Tide or Persil. Use an amount based on the package directions. 
  • Pre-treat the stain with an enzymatic-based spot remover
  • Machine wash in cold water with heavy-duty laundry detergent. Inspect the sheets to make sure the blood stains are gone before machine drying.

How to Remove Set-In Blood Stains

One of the best stain removal methods for sheets with older, set-in stains is using common household ammonia. It has a strong odor, but it gets the job done effectively. Wear gloves when working with ammonia and work in a well-ventilated area.

  • Mix a solution of half water and half ammonia.
  • Moisten cotton balls in the solution and dab the stain, rubbing the solution into the stain.
  • Repeat with a new cotton ball; the stain should start to dissolve.
  • If not, substitute the cotton ball for an old cleaning toothbrush. Dip the toothbrush into the solution, gently working on the stain.
  • Once the stain begins to disappear, start using a moistened cotton ball again to soak it up.

Natural Cleaners to Remove Blood Stains

Common household ingredients that can be used to remove blood stains from sheets include hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. After treating the stain using one of these natural household stain removers, wash the sheets in cold water using heavy-duty laundry detergent, and inspect them to make sure the stain is gone before drying. Otherwise, air dry and repeat the stain removal process. 

Hydrogen Peroxide

Combine hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to create a DIY stain remover to remove blood stains from white and light-colored sheets.

  • Create a paste by mixing a 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl. 
  • Work the paste into the blood stains using a small soft-bristled brush or an old toothbrush. 
  • Let it sit for at least 30 minutes, the mixture will bubble as the hydrogen peroxide reacts with the blood.

Vinegar

Try white distilled vinegar as an all-purpose stain remover for blood stains. It is especially useful on dark-colored sheets where some stain removers might risk bleaching the fabric. Spray vinegar directly on the blood stains and let sit for 10 minutes.

Baking Soda or Cornstarch

Baking soda or cornstarch can help lift blood stains out of sheets. Rub a paste of baking soda, or cornstarch, and water onto a damp blood stain with an old toothbrush. Allow the paste to sit for up to an hour.

Salt

Table salt is a mild abrasive that can help remove blood from sheets. Make a thick paste out of salt and water and rub it into the blood stain to lift it. Be sure to wash the sheets after being treated with salt as it can leave white stains behind.

Ironing

If you like to iron your cotton sheets after washing, do not iron them if any blood stains remain. The high heat of the iron will make removing the stains very difficult.

Iron flattening out cleaned white sheet

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

Additional Tips for Handling Blood Stains

  • Dry your clothes in the sunshine if possible. The sun has wonderful stain-removing properties, especially with protein-based stains like blood. 
  • If you have a steam cycle on your washing machine, this cycle works well to remove blood stains.
  • You can use chlorine bleach on white fabrics; however, don't use it too frequently. Chlorine bleach can weaken fabric fibers.
FAQ
  • What temperature water is best for getting out blood stains?

    Use cold water to get blood stains out. Turn the fabric on the reverse side and apply a steady stream of cold water directly to the stain, pushing it out of the fibers the way it came. Since blood is a protein-based stain, heat cooks the proteins, baking the stain into the fabric.

  • How do you remove blood stains that have already been washed?

    If the sheets have already been washed, the blood stains may have set in, especially if they’ve been washed in hot or warm water and machine-dried. Try treating the stains with a mixture of one part ammonia and one part water by dabbing it on with a cotton ball and loosening the blood with an old toothbrush. Allow to sit for up to 15 minutes before laundering in cold water using heavy-duty laundry detergent.

  • Will dish soap remove blood stains from sheets?

    In a pinch, liquid dish soap can pre-treat blood stains, otherwise use an enzyme-based stain remover or heavy-duty laundry detergent to remove protein-based stains like blood. Apply liquid dish soap directly to blood stains and let sit for a few minutes before washing.

  • How do you remove blood stains from white sheets?

    Hydrogen peroxide has mild bleaching agents that can tackle blood stains on white sheets. Spray a small amount of hydrogen peroxide directly on the blood stains and allow it to soak into the sheets for about 10 minutes before washing them in cold water and heavy-duty laundry detergent.