Okay sorry to ask this but I had a slip up yesterday and got a significant amount of blood on the carpet which could get me in deep trouble. Am having a hard time getting the stains out and wondered if anyone had any advice on how to get the stain out? Thankyou.
The only time you will find real light is when you're searching in the dark..
*hugs*
Sorry you had a slip up, hope you are ok.
I would try stain remover (preferably carpet cleaner or something) or if you have nothing like that try soapie water or something, sorry I dunno if I'm much help, but hopefully it gives a few ideas.
Take care
Before I say anything else, I'm sorry you had a setback; that's hard. :/ Are you doing okay?
Now, to answer your question. Since the blood has had a chance to set in, it's going to be difficult to remove (and might not ever come out completely). If you have access to commercial spot treatments, those will probably offer you the best chance of success. If you don't, there are still a few things you can try.
--My own first choice would be hydrogen peroxide, but be very careful, because it might bleach or discolor the carpet. If you do use it, try it first in a spot where any discoloration isn't likely to be noticed. Apply it, blot it up, then rinse the carpet with cold water.
--Club soda may help; I'm not sure if it will help a set in stain, though.
--Commercial meat tenderizer. You can find this easily in most grocery stores, and it's not that expensive. Make a paste with cold water, apply it to the stain, and let it sit for a half hour or so. Wash it with cold water. (This does work, though I've only ever tried it on clothes). I'm not sure, it might discolor your carpet.
--I've also heard that you can use diluted household ammonia, but I've never tried it.
For future reference, though I hope wholeheartedly that you never need it, it's best if you clean the stain up as quickly as possible, before it has a chance to set. A fresh blood stain is easy: blot it with cold water until no more blood comes away on the rag or sponge. If, after you do that, there's still a blood stain, you have plenty of options. Any of the suggestions above will do the trick. Alternatively, vinegar is also excellent, if you have it. It can be used full strength, if you can stand the smell of it while you're cleaning. You might also try dish soap and cold water.
Always blot, do not scrub.
Use cold water.
As with any stain, wash from the outside in.
I hope this helps. Take care.
Last edited by Pierrot : 07-02-2010 at 04:37 AM.
Reason: to fix a few errors
Yeah, cold water is what we use a lot to get rid of blood (I'm thinking more of blood stains on white animals, not something someone who brought their poodle in for surgery necessarily wants!). But yeh, cold blood is definately better than warm. Also blot it as said above rather than rub at it because if it's at the end you could end up worsening it as it'd run into the area that was previously clean. It's also more effective a lot of the time. I've also found with blood that baby wipes are actually really good. I had some in my room and so they were close at hand and tried them and it really did work though it may take a few.
But definately, if you notice blood on the floor it is better to sort it sooner rather than later. I know whenever I cut I put the area I'm going to cut (or at least where the blood is going to flow) over a cheap towel folded over several times and then the blood can soak into that. I know that won't help for now but if you have any future slip-ups (which hopefully won't happen) that may be something you think about or even buy just in case. I know tesco value towels may not be amazing but that's what I bought purely because they were only for that and the were cheap so it didn't matter that they'd be wrecked. Hopefully though, if you're trying to stop.
Sorry that you slipped up this time. Just try and stay positive, keep looking at it as a slip-up and try not to get right back into it.
Thanks. The mistake I made this morning is I was scrubbing it. I'm going to blot it now with cold water.
I do usually use a towel but I think I dissociated or something, I just was completely out of it so I couldn't control it... Thanks for the encouragemnt =)
The only time you will find real light is when you're searching in the dark..
Salt works I think, leave it on there for a bit and when I was desperate I used window cleaner which randomly worked?! Hope your ok and manage to get the stain out xx
Thank you so much for the tips, I'll definitely give them a go.
As for how I'm doing...I just wish I could remember what happened, what triggered it, and actually doing it... =/
You're more than welcome. :) It sounds like it was a difficult experience...I hope you start to feel better soon. If you need an ear, please feel free to PM me any time.
