Blood has one golden rule that matters more than any other: cold water only. Blood is protein, and heat cooks it permanently into the fibres. Treated cold and promptly, it usually lifts well.
Blot with a cloth dampened in cold water — never warm or hot. Work from the outside in and keep swapping to a clean part of the cloth.
- Clean white cloths
- Cold water
- Washing-up liquid
- Salt (optional, for fresh blood)
- Bicarbonate of soda
Step by step (carpet)
- Blot with cold water dabbing and lifting — never rub, never warm the water.
- Make a cold solution of a teaspoon of washing-up liquid in 250ml of cold water.
- Dab and blot gently, lifting the colour away in stages.
- For stubborn fresh blood a paste of salt and cold water can help draw it out; leave briefly, then blot.
- Rinse with cold water and press dry.
If you have 3% hydrogen peroxide it can help on a pale, colourfast carpet — but it bleaches colour, so test a hidden spot first and use sparingly, or skip it on anything coloured.
By surface
🛋️ Sofas & upholstery
Check the cushion's cleaning code first: W or W/S means the method above is fine used sparingly; S means solvent-clean only, so leave that to a professional. Use less water than on carpet and blot, don't soak.
🧶 Wool & delicate rugs
Use cool water and a gentle touch — wool can ‘brown’ if over-wet and some rug dyes run. Test a hidden corner first, and for an antique, hand-knotted or silk rug, don't gamble — leave it to us.
🛏️ Mattresses
Blood on a mattress is common — use cold water only, never warm. You can't rinse a mattress, so go light: blot, treat sparingly, then use bicarbonate of soda to absorb the rest. Never soak it — trapped moisture leads to mould and smells.
✅ Do
- Use cold water, always
- Blot from the outside in
- Act before it dries
- Test any peroxide on a hidden patch
🚫 Don't
- Use warm or hot water — it sets blood
- Rub the stain
- Use undiluted peroxide on coloured carpet
- Over-wet the area
Tried it and the blood mark is still there — or it's a wool rug, a mattress or something you'd hate to ruin? Don't keep scrubbing; that's how a stain turns permanent. We can often draw out what's left with professional hot-water extraction, and we'll tell you honestly what we expect to get up before we start. Watford family business, 25 years, fully insured — the quote's free.
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