Stain
Blood stains
A protein stain that lifts easily in cold water while it is wet, and bonds into the material permanently the moment heat reaches it.
- TypeProtein
- Heat sets itYes
- Reviewed1 September 2026
If it has just happened, whatever it is on
Put gloves on if the blood is not your own, then blot with a dry cloth and flush with cold water. Cold, not warm, and keep going until the water coming away is clear. On anything that cannot be flushed, blot with cold water on a cloth, working from the outside of the mark inwards.
Do not do this
No hot water, no tumble dryer, no iron, no steam and no hot wash until the mark has completely gone. Do not rub, which spreads the mark and pushes it deeper. Do not mix chlorine bleach with vinegar, limescale remover or an ammonia based glass cleaner.
Blood on specific materials
- Acrylic bath Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Acrylic fabric Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Aniline leather Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Aniline Leather can be perma...
- Apron Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Artificial grass Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Bamboo flooring Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Bare plaster Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Bare Plaster can be permanen...
- Baseball cap Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Bed sheets Rinse the mark under a cold tap, soak the sheet in cold salted water for at least half an hour, then wash it...
- Blanket Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Block paving Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Book pages Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Book Pages can be permanentl...
- Brick Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Butcher block worktop Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Butcher Block Worktop can be...
- Canvas Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Canvas print Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Canvas Print can be permanen...
- Car boot liner Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Car carpet Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Car headliner Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Card Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Card can be permanently mark...
- Cardboard Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Cardboard can be permanently...
- Carpet tiles Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Cashmere Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Ceramic basin Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Ceramic sink Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Ceramic tile Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Chenille Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Chiffon Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Chopping board Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Composite sink Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Concrete Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Corduroy Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Cork flooring Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Cotton Flush the back of the fabric under a cold tap until the water runs clear, work in a little washing up liquid,...
- Curtains Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Cushion cover Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Dashboard plastic Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Denim Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Dining chair fabric Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Doormat Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Down filled jacket Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Duvet cover Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Elastane Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Enamel bath Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Engineered wood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Fabric blind Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Fabric car seat Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Fabric sofa Check the cleaning code under a cushion before you touch it. On a W or WS sofa, blot dry, then dab with cold...
- Faux fur Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Faux leather Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Fence panel Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Finished leather Wipe it with a cloth wrung out in a mild soap and water solution, not detergent, working from the outside of...
- Fleece Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Foam Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Footstool Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Gloss painted woodwork Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Granite Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Grout Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Headboard Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Ironing board cover Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Jersey Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Jute rug Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Jute Rug can be permanently...
- Lace Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Laminate flooring Blot it up, then wipe with a well wrung cloth and a little mild detergent in cold water, working towards the...
- Laminate worktop Wipe it off with cold water and a little washing up liquid on a cloth, dry it, then disinfect the area becaus...
- Lampshade Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Lampshade can be permanently...
- Leather bag Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Leather car seat Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Leather jacket Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Leather shoes Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Leather sofa Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Limestone Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Linen Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Linen sofa Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Linoleum Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Luxury vinyl tile Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Marble Wipe fresh blood off with cold water and a little washing up liquid. Anything that has soaked in needs a poul...
- Matt emulsion Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Matt Emulsion can be permane...
- Mattress Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Mattress topper Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- MDF Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Mdf can be permanently marke...
- Melamine Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Merino wool Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Microfibre sofa Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Mosaic tile Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Nubuck Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Nubuck can be permanently ma...
- Nylon Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Nylon carpet Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Office chair Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Oiled wood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Painted wood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Paper Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Paper can be permanently mar...
- Parasol fabric Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Parquet Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Patent leather Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Patio slabs Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Pebbledash Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Persian rug Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Photograph Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Photograph can be permanentl...
- Pillow Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
Blood behaves the same way on every material, which makes it one of the more predictable stains once the rule is clear. Cold water while it is wet. Nothing warm until it has gone.
Why heat is the whole problem
The protein in blood coagulates when it is heated. A coagulated protein is a different, tougher structure that grips the fibre or the pore it is sitting in, and no amount of soaking afterwards reverses it. A wash at forty degrees, a spin in the dryer or a pass with an iron will all do it. So will pouring a kettle over it, which is advice that circulates surprisingly widely.
Time matters less than temperature
A fresh mark left to air dry is still mostly recoverable, because drying is not the same as setting. Soaking softens dried blood and it goes back into solution. A mark that has been through a warm wash is a different problem, and on some materials it is a permanent one.
Treat it as a biological hazard if it is not yours
Blood can carry bloodborne viruses. If the blood is not your own, wear disposable gloves, cover any cut or graze on your hands with a waterproof dressing first, and wash your hands afterwards.
How blood behaves
Blood is mostly water carrying protein, and the colour comes from haemoglobin inside the red cells. Protein is the part that matters. Warm it and it coagulates, the same way an egg white turns solid, and once it has coagulated inside a fibre or a pore it is bonded there rather than sitting in it.
That is why every reliable method for blood is a cold one, and why the usual instinct to reach for hot water is the single most expensive mistake available.
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
Persil UK, how to remove blood stains from clothes
manufacturer
Manufacturer instruction to use cold water only because hot water sets the proteins, to soak in cold salted water at one or two tablespoons of salt per litre for several hours, and not to wash hot until the mark has gone.
Checked 1 September 2026
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How to remove blood from carpet, National Carpet Cleaners Association
trade body
UK trade body guidance that cold water matters on carpet because warmth speeds clotting, that marks are blotted rather than rubbed, and that a hidden patch is tested first.
Checked 1 September 2026
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Enzymes in laundry detergents, University of Maryland
publication
Explains that proteases hydrolyse the peptide bonds holding a protein together, which is the mechanism a biological detergent uses on a blood mark that plain detergent will not shift.
Checked 1 September 2026
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Standard infection control precautions, NHS Scotland national manual
authority
Establishes that gloves and an apron are worn where contact with blood is anticipated, and that cuts and grazes are covered with a waterproof dressing before the work starts.
Checked 1 September 2026
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Safe management of blood and body fluid spillages, Infection Prevention Control
authority
Gives household bleach at one part in ten of cold water for blood on a hard surface, and states plainly that chlorine disinfectants must not go on soft furnishings, untreated wood or carpet because they bleach them.
Checked 1 September 2026