Easily Remove Blood Stains From Carpet With This Medicine Cabinet Staple
Carpet is soft and warm underfoot, but it comes with a significant downside since it's not nearly as easy to clean as other types of flooring, like tile or hardwood. Nevertheless, the popular textile is here to stay in many living areas, so it pays to know how to clean it appropriately when the unthinkable happens, like a wayward drop or spatter of blood.
It doesn't take a major crime to wind up with blood on the carpet. Perhaps a dog's paw suffers a small cut outside, and the poor pooch runs all around before anyone notices the damage. Or a vase breaks and the cleanup job does some damage to a person's finger. Whatever the cause, the fact remains that blood on the carpet is an eyesore that must be handled carefully because no one wants it to stick around forever. Fortunately, hydrogen peroxide is a common medicine cabinet staple that is also a superstar at mitigating the toughest carpet blood stains.
How to use hydrogen peroxide to eliminate carpet blood stains
The typical household has a supply of hydrogen peroxide on hand, in its ubiquitous brown bottle, of course. While it's more commonly known as an antiseptic to treat less serious cuts, scrapes, and so on, its oxidizing capabilities are what make it an effective cleaning agent. This is why it's a staple ingredient in many products designed to clean and disinfect.
However, a fancy-schmancy branded carpet-cleaning product is often not necessary to get blood stains out of the carpet. In fact, a bit of hydrogen peroxide and a couple of other household items are a bang-up combo to get the job done. To get rid of the stain, simply grab the hydrogen peroxide, some cotton swabs, and a clean cloth. Before you tackle the blood stain, which we're guessing is in a highly visible area, head to a corner or somewhere less noticeable and dab a bit of hydrogen peroxide on the carpet. If it doesn't affect the carpet's color, it's safe to proceed.
To treat a blood-stained carpet, dip the cotton swab into the hydrogen peroxide and gently dab the stain. Then, wet the cloth with water and carefully dab the area. Allow it to air dry and repeat if needed.
Using hydrogen peroxide to handle truly stubborn stains
Ideally, a carpet blood stain is limited to a drop or two and can be handled right away once a Band-Aid is applied. Addressing the stain quickly makes it much easier to clean, and it won't take as long. However, a larger stain probably means that there are bigger problems to handle first, like stopping the bleeding or getting stitches, so the blood has more time to soak into the carpet.
To combat a stain that has had time to set, simply pour a bit of hydrogen peroxide on it (again, after testing an inconspicuous part of the carpet first). Allow it to soak in for an hour or two, then blot it with a clean cloth. Never rub a stain, as that will only make it worse. Repeat the process as needed until the stain is completely gone. As with all types of stain removal, patience is key, so don't expect the hydrogen peroxide hack to get rid of it right away. When done correctly and methodically, it should be an effective fix.