How To Get Blood Out Of Mattress?

You woke up and a bloodstain on your mattress. Now what? If your bed looks like a complete disaster, you probably think about getting a new mattress and start over! If the bloodstain is small, you can learn how to get blood stains out of your mattress. Luckily, the most intense bloodstains will vanish when treated with stain-removing methods.

We won’t get into the details about why you have blood on your mattress. However, we know that it can accidentally happen, and most of us have been through this trauma. Well, the thing is that you can’t just hose the mattress off or throw it in the washing machine. So, you need to learn how to clean a bloodstain, and not leave a smelly gross stain.

First Steps To Get Bloodstains Out Of A Mattress

Before you get into cleaning the stain, here’s what you need to do first:

1. Remove all fitted sheets, pillows, bed sheets, decorative things, and anything else on the bed.
2. If you find bloodstains on your bedding or sheets, read how to get bloodstains out of sheets later on.
3. Get a wet cloth to wipe away any excess blood from the stained area. Only use cold water when wiping blood. If you used hot water and rubbed at the stain, it makes it harder to remove blood out of a mattress since it will set the stain.
4. After dabbing the bloodstain, get a towel and dry the wet area by dabbing at it. Only use firm pats, and remember not to rub it!
5. Rinse the cold cloth, and repeat the dabbing until you can’t extract any more blood from the stain.

How To Get Blood Out Of Mattress?

Why are bloodstains hard to remove from your mattress? It’s because blood has lots of proteins. So, to get rid of such difficult stains, if possible, try removing any excess blood from the mattress. Then, you can go ahead and try cleaning the stains. However, before cleaning the bloodstains, you should let the mattress dry completely. If you cleaned a wet bloodstain on a mattress, it would easily become moldy.

1. Preparing Your Cleaning Solution

You can prepare many different cleaning solutions to clean blood stains from your mattress. A commercial enzyme cleaner or oxygenated bleach is your best option because they break down proteins in the blood. You can prepare your own cleaning solutions like:

• Mix 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of water with ½ cup (118 ml) of liquid detergent, and whisk them until foamy and bubbly.
• ½ cup (55 g) cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup (59 ml) of hydrogen peroxide and 1 tablespoon (19 g) of salt into a paste.
• Mix two parts of cold water with one part baking soda.
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of cold water mixed with 1 tablespoon (13 g) of meat tenderizer into a paste.
• One cup (235 ml) of cold water mixed with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of ammonia.

2. Cover The Bloodstained Area With Your Cleaner

If you’re using liquid cleaners, dip a clean cloth into it and wipe away the excess. Then, using the cleaner, blot the stain with it until it’s saturated. If your cleaner is a paste, then use your finger or a knife to apply enough paste to cover the stain entirely.

For memory foam mattresses, they shouldn’t get wet! So, you can only apply enough cleaner necessary to saturate the bloodstain.

Note: Never spray liquid cleaners directly onto your mattress. Mattresses absorb liquids, so if the liquid doesn’t dry properly, it causes mold problems or breaks down the fibers.

3. Wait for 30 Minutes

It’s time to leave the cleaner solution to soak on the stain for 30 minutes. It would be best if you gave the cleaner time to penetrate the bloodstain making the blood easier to clean up and break down the proteins.

4. Scrubbing

Now, scrub the bloodstain area to loosen up the particles. After waiting for 30 minutes, get a clean toothbrush, and scrub the stain with the cleaner. Also, you can use a clean cloth after scrubbing to blot the area again. The bloodstain should start to break up and disappear as you blot or scrub.

5. Remove any Excess Stain

After finish scrubbing, you should blot up excess cleaner and blood. Then, soak a fresh cloth in cold water and wring out any excess.

Finally, dab the area that you cleaned with it to remove any excess leftover blood and cleaner that’s in the mattress. Keep on blotting until you see no traces of the blood cleaner, and paste.

6. Dry with A Clean Towel

Get a dry fresh towel, and remove as much excess moisture from the mattress one last time as much as possible. Then, put the towel on the area you cleaned, and, using both hands, press down to apply pressure and absorb excess moisture in the area.

How To Remove Dried Bloodstain from Your Mattress?

It’s always best to remove a fresh stain after it happens right away from your mattress to make sure it doesn’t leave a lasting impression. However, sometimes that’s not the case.

So, the best way to remove a dry blood stain is by using a specially-formulated enzyme cleaner. You may try the other techniques on our list; they will also work. But, you will repeat the steps many times before the stain is completely unnoticeable.

Protecting Your Mattress After Cleaning Bloodstains

1. Air Dry The Mattress

Once you finished the cleaning process, leave the mattress bare so it can air dry for many hours, or preferably overnight. Air drying the mattress ensures that there’s no moisture trapped in it, and protects it from the mold. If you’re in a hurry and want to speed up the drying time, you can:

• Use a wet/dry vacuum to pull out the water.
• Open curtains and windows to let sunlight help with drying the mattress.
• Aim a standing fan directly at the mattress and set it on high.
• Put the mattress outside, if possible, to dry in the fresh air and sun for a couple of hours.
• Open a window to increase the circulation of fresh air in the room.

2. Vacuum the Mattress

When your mattress is dry, vacuum the surface to get rid of excess dirt and particles. Regular cleaning your mattress will keep it looking new and last for longer. It’s best if you use the upholstery attachment and vacuum the top, sides, bottom, and seams of your mattress.

3. Put On A Mattress Cover

To protect your mattress from spills, stains, and other accidents, you must consider getting a mattress cover. It is waterproof that protects your mattress. For instance, when something spills on the mattress, the cover pushes the moisture away and prevents it from getting wet.

Mattress covers are easier to clean. If you have an accident or spill, it’s easy to clean the cover according to the care instructions you receive with it. Some covers are machine washable, and others can be easily cleaned using a damp cloth.

4. Make the Bed

Finally, when the mattress is clean, dry, and covered with a protector, put on the clean fitted sheet. Then, put any other sheets, pillows, and covers that you usually use on your bed. Also, the sheets help protect your mattress from dirt, sweat, and other debris during sleep.