How to Clean Blood Out of a Mattress: 11 Simple Steps

Did you accidentally cut yourself while on the bed? Is it that time of the month and now there’s a blood spot on the mattress?

Bloodstains can ruin a good piece of fabric and they become even more worrisome on an expensive mattress. You might get tempted to throw it out and replace it instead. But don’t fret!

With this guide, you’ll learn how to clean blood out of a mattress effectively. Read on and find out the necessary steps:

1. Strip the Bed

Your first objective in removing mattress stains is to access it directly. Get rid of the pillows, duvets, sheets, comforters, and other things covering it. Store these items somewhere out of the way to ensure you don’t end up tripping on them while you work.

A good practice to develop is to use enzyme cleaners or stain removers to pre-treat your bed implements if blood gets to them. Let them soak in the cleaner for a quarter of an hour before washing them using a washing machine.

2. Blot the Area Using a Damp Cloth

Get cold water to soak a clean cloth with. After that, wring it out to ensure that all excess water gets removed, leaving it cold and damp. Press this into the bloodstain, blotting the area to aid in saturating it.

Don’t rub the cloth since doing this can push the stain into the mattress fibers deeper. Take note, you can only use cold water for the cloth. Otherwise, hot or warm water sets the stain, making it more difficult to get rid of.

3. Blot the Area Using a Dry Towel

After saturating the bloodstain with water, use a dry towel for blotting the area. The towel will help soak up any excess blood the damp cloth failed to. Don’t stop blotting until the area dries and no more blood comes off on the dry towel.

Again, do not rub the bloodstained area using the towel. Otherwise, you’ll push the stain deeper in. With budget mattresses costing $600 on average for queen-sized ones, making the stain permanent can ruin it faster.

4. Repeat the Soaking and Drying

Repeat the second and third steps. Rinse the damp cloth using cold water, wringing it out to remove any excess fluids. Saturate the cloth by blotting the stain before switching to a fresh, dry cloth to blot as many fluids as possible until the area dries up.

Keep alternating between these steps until your dry cloth stops getting stained. You’ll know for sure you’ve dealt with the excess blood. With this, you can start directly dealing with the stain.

5. Create a Cleaning Solution

Cleaning solutions meant to clean blood stains from mattresses have variations. Among them, your best bet is to use a commercial enzyme cleaner or oxygenated bleach. It’s because these cleaners are specifically for breaking organic matter proteins like blood.

If the bloodstain is too extensive and intense, ammonia is your last hope. It’s the harshest option, but it will accomplish the job. Don’t use this substance if your mattress uses fabrics like silks or wools since its corrosive nature can destroy it with ease.

Also, you must be careful with ammonia since it can make a noxious and lethal gas when combined with other chemicals. It’s especially deadly with chlorine bleach, so only use a clean towel to dab at the stain.

6. Use the Cleaner to Saturate the Stained Area

Once you decide the right cleaning solution, you can dip a clean cloth into it, wringing it to get rid of excess fluids. Use it to blot the stain until it becomes saturated. If you’re using cleaning pastes instead, use either your finger or a knife to cover the entire stain with it.

If you use a memory foam mattress, know that it must not get wet. That’s why the amount of cleaner you can apply to it should only be enough to saturate the bloodstain. Also, regardless of the mattress type you use, never spray liquids directly onto them.

The reason is that mattresses have absorbent materials. If the liquid won’t dry completely, it breaks down the fibers of the mattress. It can also cause your bed to grow molds, which can be dangerous if you have allergies or asthma.

7. Leave the Solution to Soak and Scrub It

Leave the area to soak for half an hour to give enough time for the cleaner to penetrate the stain. That way, it will break the proteins down better. It makes the blood less troublesome to clean up later on.

After the allotted time, get a clean toothbrush and use it to scrub the bloodstain. It’s also important for the cleaner to work in. An alternative is to use a clean cloth but blot the area instead of scrubbing.

8. Blot Up Excess Blood and Cleaner

Regardless of your choice above, the bloodstain should already break up and disappear. Use a fresh cloth and soak it in cold water, wringing out the excess fluids afterward. Use the cloth to dab the recently cleaned area.

This will remove the excess cleaner fluids. It’s also effective in removing all the leftover blood in the mattress. Continue blotting the area until all traces of fluids disappear.

9. Dry the Area Using a Clean Towel

Blot the area for the last time using a fresh, dry towel. This will remove almost all excess moisture from the mattress. It’s simple since you can also lay the towel over the cleaned area, pressing it using both hands to apply more pressure to get rid of the moisture.

10. Air Dry the Mattress and Vacuum the Bed

After the stain disappears, leave your mattress bare for several hours to allow for air drying. In ideal situations, you must wait overnight. That way, you’re certain no moisture remains within the mattress, protecting it from the mold.

Several methods are available if you want to reduce the time of drying. Use a standing fan and aim it at the mattress, turning it on high. If you did the cleaning process early, use the sun to dry it out by opening your curtains and window.

With your windows opened, the fresh air circulating in the room increases and dries the mattress faster. But to ensure it dries up within a few hours, take the mattress outside and let it dry in the sun. If it’s rainy, use either a wet or dry vacuum to suck the water from the mattress instead.

After the bed dries, vacuum its entire surface. This will get rid of dirt and other particles that may lurk after the wash. If you want your mattress to stay new for longer periods, clean it regularly by using the vacuum’s upholstery attachment to deal with the mattress top, bottom, sides, and seams.

11. Put a Mattress Cover and Make the Bed

Mattress protectors are great since they’re waterproof, safeguarding your mattress from various accidents like spills and stains.

When you spill anything on the mattress, the cover will wick away the moisture and ensure the mattress stays dry. Check out this resource page if you want to learn about hypoallergenic waterproof mattress protectors.

The good news is that mattress pads aren’t difficult to clean. It comes with care instructions if you spill anything on it. Some pads are washable by a washing machine, but others only need a damp cloth for cleaning.

With the mattress dry, clean, and protected by a cover, return the sheet you washed along with the other things you normally have on your bed. With the sheets, your mattress won’t get damaged by the sweat, dirt, and other debris you make while sleeping.

Cleaning Solution for Simple Mattress Stains

If the bloodstain isn’t extensive, you can use a baking soda and white vinegar method. Here are the things you need:

• Spray bottle
• Cold water
• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Dry and clean towels

Soak as much moisture as you can out of your mattress before you sprinkle baking soda. That’s why you must use the blotting method first. After that, sprinkle baking soda over the affected area and spray it with water and white vinegar solution.

Ensure that the solution is 50/50. Once done, leave it to work for half an hour. After it dries, use a vacuum to remove the residue quickly. A good alternative is to use a damp cloth, blotting the mixture away until it’s completely gone.

If the bloodstain doesn’t go away, repeat the process a few more times. If the white vinegar leaves a strong scent, use vodka to neutralize it. Put some into a spray bottle and mist the affected area to clean it.

Learn How to Clean Blood Out of a Mattress Today!

These are the necessary steps on how to clean blood out of a mattress. Use them to ensure that the bloodstain goes away without causing damage to your mattress.

Did this guide help clean your mattress stains? Are you looking for more great health and fitness tips or lifestyle guides like this one? If so, don’t hesitate to comb over more of our great content right here, today!