# Blood removal question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484 "2011-12-17T01:09:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/1 "2011-12-17T01:09:00Z")
What is the best way to remove copious amounts of blood from a cheap carpet? And yes, need answer fast. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/2 "2011-12-17T01:25:50Z")
Hydrogen peroxide and a shop vac. Excellent post/user name combo, btw. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/3 "2011-12-17T01:26:13Z")
Large amounts of hydrogen peroxide and friction. Use lots of towels to blot it up. May I ask what bled all over your carpet? ETA: Shop vac is a better idea, if you have access to one and aren’t a murderer. If you are a murderer, burn the towels. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/4 "2011-12-17T01:26:27Z")
According to [this](http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/stain-buster/stains-blood-may07) Mix one tablespoon of liquid hand dishwashing detergent with two cups of cold water. If the stain has dried, brush it well to remove the surface deposit. However if there was a crime committed, and you are destroying evidence, you didn’t hear it from me. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/5 "2011-12-17T01:26:31Z")
Thanks. 🙂 _edit_ Dang speedy posters! My littlest sister sliced her foot from one side to the other. The hallway is covered in blood now. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/6 "2011-12-17T01:45:35Z")
A toothbrush and some peroxide. No, not really. I, too, am curious what brings this question up :eek:! ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/7 "2011-12-17T02:36:27Z")
Diluted clorine bleach works too. You’ll have to do a test patch in an out of sight place. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/8 "2011-12-17T03:21:09Z")
If this is the result of a crime, turn yourself in to the police immediately. Seriously. Otherwise, good luck removing that pesky stain! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/9 "2011-12-17T03:25:57Z")
Yeah, try peroxide and cold water first. > [@](#): > > My littlest sister sliced her foot from one side to the other. The hallway is covered in blood now. I’m sorry that this happened to your sister, but on the other hand, I’m relieved as well. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/10 "2011-12-17T03:49:45Z")
Is it just me or did this thread take an ominous and creepy turn??? ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/11 "2011-12-17T04:12:07Z")
> [@Mr.Accident](#): > > Thanks. 🙂 > > _edit_ Dang speedy posters! > > My littlest sister sliced her foot from one side to the other. The hallway is covered in blood now. If your sister is feeling up to it, have her work up a good lot of spit and mix it about 1/1 with cold water. Blot that onto the carpet wherever the bloodstains are. No one seems to know why, but it really does work, and seems to work better than just plain water, and is easier on the material than peroxide or bleach - less discoloration. Best answer is a wet-vac while it’s still wet. Once it dries, the stain will be a bitch to get out, regardless of what you do. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/12 "2011-12-17T08:32:03Z")
You’ll need LOTS of towels. Water, by far, is the best solvent. If bleach is too strong, use Oxy-Clean dissolved in the water. Wet one towel, gently sponge a section, then turn the towel over and sponge it again. Keep folding the towel as you sponge it. You want to pick up as much of the stain as possible. SCRUBBING with the towel just drives the stain deeper. Once a towel is soiled, get a fresh one, and repeat. After you have sponged the entire stain, dump out the bucket of water. Throw the towels in the washer, and use bleach to get them clean. While the carpet is wet, put folded dry, clean towels over the wet area. WALK over the towels. (or dance, the choice is yours.) As soon as the blood hit the carpet, it traveled DOWN. Your cleaning efforts so far have been on the fabric of the carpet. Your motions only drive the stain deeper. The placing of the dry towels over the wet carpet, and then dancing on them allows the fibers of the towel to wick up any remaining stain and water from the deepest part of the carpet, the backing, and the pad. After you’ve done this blotting, wash THESE towels in bleach. Tomorrow, be prepared to repeat the entire process. Carpets are tricky devils. You can rent a Rug Doctor, or hire Stanley Steemer to deep clean your rugs, and when the process is finished it looks GREAT! The next day, the old stains manage to peek up on the carpet surface again. Good luck. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-removal-question/606484/13 "2011-12-17T13:00:16Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > If your sister is feeling up to it, have her work up a good lot of spit and mix it about 1/1 with cold water. Blot that onto the carpet wherever the bloodstains are. > > No one seems to know why, but it really does work, and seems to work better than just plain water, and is easier on the material than peroxide or bleach - less discoloration. > > Best answer is a wet-vac while it’s still wet. Once it dries, the stain will be a bitch to get out, regardless of what you do. Spit works because of the enzymes in it. The enzymes deal with the proteins and whatever in the blood. Quilters have known to spit on their work when they prick their fingers and bleed on the fabric for ages.