How to remove blood spots and stains from carpet and upholstery

Recently, Father and Son LLC, a floor cleaning and restoration company based out of Fountain Hills, AZ; has run into several customers that have had some blood stains and spots in their lightly colored carpeting and upholstery.  We thought it a good idea to share with everyone, what we told our customers on the matter of blood stains and spot removal from carpet and upholstery.

Get to the blood spot as soon as possible before it dries and follow the steps below.

1. Vacuum or blot up the blood, to remove any excess moisture.
2. Mix cold water and a small amount of dish soap (50 to 1 ratio) 1 cup = 16 tablespoons.
3. Light work the soapy water from the outside to the center of the area with a soft brush.
4. Blot up or use a wet-dry-vac to remove excess moisture.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 if you are seeing results.

If you are not able to get to the spot before it has dried there is only one different step.

1. Remove as much dried blood from the area.  Using a spoon, back of a knife or something similar; scrape the dried blood and vacuum.
2. Follow steps 2-4 above.

Here are a few things NOT to do.

1. Use a hard bristle brush on the carpet or upholstery and scrub too much or hard.
   1. This will cause extra wear to the spot and leave a noticeable wear pattern.
2. Mix a lot of soap into your water.
   1. This leaves behind soap in the fabric or carpet and will attract dirt creating a new spot.
3. Not testing chemicals before use on noticeable areas of upholstery and carpet.

If the spot has stained and you are unable to remove it with simple soapy water, you can move onto chemicals.  *Warning, always test any chemical on an inconspicuous area, always follow warning labels and never mix chemicals together.

There are a number of tips online, such as; ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and a wide variety of other DIY suggestions.  However, we have found that they offer mixed results based on many factors.  Many of our (Father and Son LLC) customers have used generic spot and stain removers with some results.  Other clients have seen better results with pet stain and urine chemicals as they help break down the proteins in the blood spot.  When using chemicals, simply follow the steps above, replacing the soap with the chemical.

If you or your family has a blood spot or stain they are having difficulties removing, we (Father and Son LLC) are just a click or call away.  We are locally owned and operated out of Fountain Hills, AZ.  We are Licensed, Bonded and Insured.  Give us a call today for pricing and scheduling.  If we can’t get it clean, no one can.