How to Remove Blood Stains from Jeans

Co-authored by Safir Ali

Removing blood stains from your jeans is not difficult when the stain is still fresh and wet--always deal with the stain right away. When the blood stain dries, it becomes more challenging to remove. You may need to try more than one method of removing the stain from your jeans. Be patient, always use cold water, and don’t put your blood stained pants in the dryer!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Preparing to Treat a Blood Stain

1
Blot the blood stain. Place a washcloth inside your jeans directly under the stain. With a clean cloth soaked in cold water, blot the stained area to absorb the excess blood.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.} Do not rub the stain. Rubbing can cause the stain to spread. Repeat the blotting process until the cloth is not picking up any more blood. Use a new cloth as needed.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Never use warm or hot water at any point in the process. Hot or warm water will cause the stain to set.
2
Soak your jeans in cold water.^{[3]
X
Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.} Fill a sink or tub with cold water. Remove the washcloth from inside your pants and submerge your jeans in the cold water. Allow the pants to soak for 10 to 30 minutes.

Advertisement
3
Wring out the jeans. After 10 to 30 minutes, remove the jeans from the water. Wring out the jeans by hand or place them in a washing machine on the spin cycle.
4
Lay out your damp jeans. Place your damp jeans on a flat surface. Put a fresh washcloth inside the pants directly under the stain.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Removing a Blood Stain with Cold Water, Soap, and or Salt

1
Remove a fresh blood stain with cold water. Saturate the stained area with cold water. With your knuckles or a brush, scrub the stained area to loosen the blood. Continue to scrub the stained area until the blood stops coming out of the fabric. Rinse out your jeans with fresh, cold water.^{[4]
X
Research source}
2
Remove a blood stain with soap. Apply 1 teaspoon of dishwashing soap to the stain. Work the soap into a lather as you rub it into the stain.^{[5]
X
Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.} Rinse the area with cold water. Add more soap and repeat the process as needed.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Use your fingers or a small brush--toothbrushes work great!
3
Remove a blood stain with salt and soap. Pour 1 tablespoon table salt onto the stained area. With your fingers or a small brush, rub the salt into the stain. Squirt a small amount of soap or shampoo directly onto the stain and massage the shampoo into the stain. When the shampoo begins to lather, add another tablespoon table salt and work it into the stain.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Removing a Dried Blood Stain

1
Remove a dried blood stain with meat tenderizer. Measure out 1 teaspoon of unscented and unflavored meat tenderizer. Pour 1 teaspoon unscented and unflavored meat tenderizer into a small bowl. Slowly add water and stir until a paste is formed. With your fingers or a small brush, rub the paste into the stain. Allow the paste to sit on the stain for 30 minutes.
- Blood contains protein and meat tenderizer breaks down protein. This makes meat tenderizer an effective blood stain removal agent.
2
Remove a dried blood stain with baking soda. Pour a teaspoon of baking soda directly onto the stained area. Using your fingers or a small brush, rub the baking soda into the stain. Move your fingers or the brush in small, circular motions. Allow the soda to absorb into the stain from 15 to 30 minutes.
3
Remove a dried blood stain with hydrogen peroxide. Test the hydrogen peroxide on a small, inconspicuous part of the pants. If the color runs or the fabric is bleached, do not apply the product to the blood stain. Pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the blood stain. Place plastic wrap over the stain and cover the area with a towel. Let the hydrogen peroxide soak into the fabric for 5 to 10 minutes. With a clean rag, blot the blood stain.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- This will work wonderfully on white jeans, but be cautious using it on blue jeans or colored jeans.
4
Sun bleach the blood stain. After preparing to treat your blood stained pants, hang your pants to dry outdoors on a sunny afternoon. Lay your pants over a chair or hang your jeans on a clothesline, making sure that the sunlight is hitting the stain. Leave your pants outside for 4 hours. The sunlight should significantly fade, or bleach, the stain.^{[8]
X
Research source}

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Washing the Pants

1
Rinse the pants. Run the tap until the water is cold. Rinse out the jeans with the cold tap water until the product or paste you applied to the stain is removed.^{[9]
X
Research source}
2
Wash your jeans. Launder your jeans in cold water. In addition to laundry detergent, add one scoop of powdered oxygen bleach to the machine. Do not add any other clothing or items to the load.
3
Search for signs of the stain. After the cycle is finished, look for any remaining sign of the blood stain. If the blood stain is still visible, do not dry it. Instead, try a different method of removal or launder again.

Warnings

Do not put the jeans in the dryer until you are sure that the stain is gone. The heat from the dryer will cause the stain to set on your jeans.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 86 Not Helpful 19
Do not use anything hot on blood stains. The heat will cook the protein that is in the blood and this will cause the stain to set in.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 79 Not Helpful 26
When handling blood that is not yours, wear protective gloves to protect yourself from the risk of catching blood borne diseases.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 47 Not Helpful 23
Never mix ammonia and chlorine bleach as it will result in hazardous fumes.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 24 Not Helpful 12