No one wants to deal with blood. On top of the pain from an open wound or injury, cleaning up the mess afterwards can be difficult, especially when scrubbing them off of absorbent carpets or seeping through planks of hardwood floors. Cleaning up might be the last thing on your mind, especially when these bloodstains often mean you or a loved one is hurt. By the time the chaos has calmed down, you could already be dealing with a stain that has set.
Can blood stains be removed even after they set? While it’s not easy, it is possible with the right tools and tips, depending on the flooring type. Professional cleaners recommend removing the stain as soon as possible, but you can’t always get to it right away. The good news is that with a lot of scrubbing and homemade cleaning solutions, you can still restore your home’s floors back to how they originally were.
Here, we’ll discuss what professional cleaners do to prevent bloodstains from ruining the most common types of flooring.
How to Remove Bloodstains from Carpets
It’s never ideal to spill any type of liquid on carpeted floors, as these are very absorbent. Bloodstains, however, are some of the worst because of the foul smell that dried up blood leaves, along with the stark colour contrast of red against neutral carpets.
1. Use a steel brush
There are different ways to remove blood that’s set in carpeted floors. If the stain is dry—often the case when homeowners hire professional cleaners for a residential deep clean (and long after the injury is treated)—you can brush it away with a steel brush. This loosens the stain and removes any deposit on the surface of carpet fibres.
2. Mix dishwashing liquid
If brushing doesn’t work, try mixing a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with two cups of cold water. Then, use a clean white cloth to blot this cleaning solution directly on the stain until it disappears.
3. Use a spray bottle
If you’re not a fan of dishwashing detergent and chemical agents, you can still remove pesky bloodstains using cold water and vacuum. That’s right; you don’t have to be a professional cleaner to know this simple, non-chemical hack for deep cleaning stained carpets.
Start with a spray bottle filled with cold water or a wet white cloth. Spray cold water or use a wet rag to apply it directly over the stain, starting from the outside and working your way in. Professional cleaners recommend this to contain the stain immediately and prevent it from bleeding further. Then, use either a wet vac or dry towel to blot the stain, followed by drying the spot using a fan. Once it dries, you can vacuum remaining dirt or bloodstain residue, and restore your carpet’s clean appearance.
4. Try an ammonia solution
Based on their experience in residential deep cleaning services, professional cleaners recommend homemade solutions before trying out chemical ones. This reduces safety hazards for you and your loved ones, and possibly even damaging to surrounding appliances and furniture.
For best results, use one tablespoon of ammonia with a half-cup of warm water. Use a sponge to apply the solution directly on the bloodstain and repeatedly blot it until it eases up and is absorbed by the sponge. Finish up by blotting the spot with a sponge dipped in cold water to wash the ammonia off the carpet fibres.
How to Remove Bloodstains from Wood
Did you know that wood is a highly absorbent material? While wood is typically sturdy, it is prone to damage from fluids and other liquids that weaken it or cause it to rot. Fluids like bloodstains can easily seep through the material and cause long-term damage.
Avoid ruining your gorgeous, expensive hardwood floors and compromising the structural integrity of your home. Get bloodstains out of hardwood flooring right away:
1. Blot the blood
The best way to clean the blood off hardwood floors and prevent staining is by doing it immediately before it seeps. Use a paper towel or dry cloth to blot the stain, but make sure to avoid rubbing, as this causes the stain to spread and seep into the wood.
Then, use baking soda; this is a tried and tested cleaning agent used by professional cleaners when deep cleaning various stains and residue. Sprinkle it on the blotted spot, and let it sit for about a minute. Use a brush dipped in white vinegar to scrub over the area, removing the bloodstain. Wait for it to dry, and see how quickly your hardwood floors are restored.
2. Use dishwashing detergent
No baking soda at home, or it doesn’t work? Professional cleaners recommend swapping it out with a detergent solution that’s half a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid mixed with a cup of cold water. Wet a rag with this solution and wipe off the bloodstain, effectively washing it away.
3. Use steel wool
The reality is that you might not get to the stain in time to prevent it from setting. Professional cleaners also use steel wool; it’s designed to eliminate stubborn and deep-set bloodstains when you miss that short window for blotting or wiping it away.
Use steel wool to lightly brush dried up bloodstains on waxed hardwood floors. Keep in mind that you should only use gentle force and a couple of passes to avoid scratches and other damage. Once the stain is gone, wipe down the area with a damp cloth to remove remaining residue, and consider re-staining or applying a new finish to restore its appearance.
One tiny caveat: steel wool isn’t advisable to use on unfinished hardwood flooring. Try the other methods, or call in professional cleaners for a residential deep clean service if they don’t work.
4. Use bleach, but with caution
Bleach is a very strong cleaner, and even professionals only use it sparingly—and when it’s safe to do so—because it can easily damage surfaces. For very stubborn bloodstains that have seeped into the grain of the wood, you can use bleach to scrub it away. However, it comes at the cost of your hardwood floor’s finish: bleach leaves a discoloured spot where the bloodstain was removed, and you will need to re-stain the wood to restore its uniform appearance.
To learn more about removing blood and other stains from delicate surfaces through our complete residential deep cleaning service, call Maid4Condos at 647-822-0601 or contact us here.
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