Can Washing Machine Remove Blood Stains? (Read This First) 2024

Blood stains are terrible and can completely ruin your dress. Moreover, these stains are some of the toughest to remove.

It is unlikely to just put a blood-stained cloth straight into the washer and get it cleaned.

You need to follow a detailed procedure that guarantees the stain’s removal. Thankfully you’ve come to the right place.

A washing machine can remove blood stains from your clothes. However, you need to soak the dress in cold water with enzyme-based laundry detergent for a long period. Then, you can wash the cloth in a washing machine. The stained garment might require repeated washing cycles before the blood disappears completely.

In this article, you’ll discover the proper way to get rid of blood stains with the washing machine.

I will also highlight what detergent to use and the nature of water needed for this task.

Contents

Can a Washing Machine Remove Dried Blood Stains?

You can remove dried blood stains from your dress with a washing machine. Despite its tenacity to cling to fabric, there are ways to eliminate dried blood stains.

You need to follow some procedures to make sure you completely remove the stain.

The steps below will guide you on how to get rid of dried blood stains.

Use cold water to wet the dried stain on the dress. You will then stir the stained fabric using your finger to make the fibers stand up.

Stirring up the garment’s fiber makes it easier for the stain to come off. Do not pull out the stained fibers; this will only leave your clothing with a hole or pockmark.

The next step is to soak the dress. This step is the one that most impacts the stain removal process.

Soak the garment in cold water using enzyme-based laundry detergent.

After soaking, turn the contents into the washing machine and run a washing cycle. Some washing machine features a cycle termed “Steam Treat.”

If yours has this cycle, set the machine to this cycle when dealing with blood stains. The cycle is efficient in removing blood stains.

Hang the cloth out in the sun to dry. Be mindful that there might still be a visible stain since the cloth is still wet.

You can only be certain that the stain is gone after the cloth dries up. If the stain remains after drying, repeat the process from the beginning.

What Do You Need to Remove Blood Stains Using A Washing Machine?

Blood stains are tough; therefore, they require a precise process to remove them from clothes.

This procedure requires some items which prepare the cloth for the washing machine.

These items include;

Items	Use
Bucket	Container for soaking the cloth.
Enzyme-based laundry detergent	Reacts with the stain to remove it.
Cold water	For soaking and washing the dress.
Rubber gloves	It is worn to protect sensitive skin.

A blood-stained garment requires soaking before being put in the washer. The above items aid you in soaking the cloth for a while.

Soaking removes the stain from the dress just before you use the washing machine. Therefore, it means soaking is an essential step for removing blood stains.

The steps below will guide you on how to soak your blood-stained garment with the items above.

#1. Pour Detergent into a Bucket

This stage usually depends on the number of clothes you’re washing. Generally, you can pour one and a half scoops of detergent into four liters of water.

You can add a scoop of detergent to the water if you have just one dress. One scoop should do the job for one garment. You can, however, add more if you wish.

Remember that you’re using cold water for this task.

#2. Soak the Stained Garment in the Bucket

After adding detergent into the bucket, the next step is dissolving the detergent. You can do this with your hand.

Don’t forget to use hand gloves if you have sensitive skin. The detergent can adversely affect your skin, so it’s better to practice safety.

Put your hand into the bucket and shake the water till the detergent completely dissolves.

Next, soak the soiled dress inside the bucket and ensure the stained area is under the water.

#3. Leave the Cloth in the Bucket for a While and Agitate Frequently

Since you’re dealing with a blood stain, leaving it in the water for at least an hour is best. This step depends on how spread the stain is on the cloth.

You can leave the cloth in there for over two hours. The idea is to allow the detergent and water to relax the blood stain so the machine can wash it off.

Another thing to do is to make sure you turn the clothes in the bucket every thirty minutes.

This action will adjust the cloth so detergent from another area can impact the stain. Also, when turning the cloth, make sure you shake up the water.

Doing so will further dissolve the detergent in the water.

#4. Washing and Drying

When you observe that the stain has significantly reduced, turn the bucket’s content into the washer. Run the washing cycle and rinse the dress in clear water.

After rinsing, spread the cloth out in the sun to dry off.

Should You Wash Blood Stained Clothes With Other Clothes in a Washing Machine?

It’s not advisable to have other clothes in the washing machine when washing blood-stained garments. Firstly, you need cold water to wash out the blood.

This practice is the best way to remove the stain since hot water has the opposite effect. You might prefer washing your clothes with hot water.

Hot water for blood-stained clothes is a bad idea. It’s better to wash the blood-stained dress separately to prevent its inclusion in hot water with other clothes.

This practice will ensure you remember to wash the blood-stained cloth using cold water.

Furthermore, it’s also better to separately wash the blood-stained clothes to maximize the detergent’s effect.

If you have so many other clothes in the washer, the detergent might not properly react with the stain.

The detergent has to weaken the stain on the fabric and ease t’s removal during washing. If other clothes crowd the washing space, the stain might remain after washing.

Should You Use Cold Or Warm Water to Wash Blood Stain?

It is best to use cold water to wash a blood-stained cloth. Using warm or hot water is not advisable when washing off blood stains.

That is because of the protein content found in the blood. These proteins want to combine, and hot or warm water only helps them.

Hot or warm water can heat the protein in the blood. When this happens, the blood stain goes deeper into the cloth’s fibers, making it difficult to remove.

The cold water removes the stain without binding the protein on the cloth.

Conclusion

Washing machines can only remove blood stains after you’ve soaked the stained dress for some time. Soaking helps relax the blood stain so the machine can wash it away.

The following are the items that help in soaking the cloth before putting it in a washer.

Bucket
Enzyme-based laundry detergent.
Cold water
Rubber gloves

After soaking the cloth for some hours using cold water, wash it in the machine. Make sure you wash the blood-stained clothes separately from other clothes.

After washing, dry the cloth in the sun. If the stain lingers, repeat the soaking process and wash the cloth.