The first few years of maturity introduces us to many changes about ourselves that we’re not ready to embrace yet.
One such change, in females, is the emergence of period cycles, and we might find it shameful when our parents discover that we’ve bled over the bedsheets during the course of the night.
In our early steps thinking like baby adults, taking matters into hands, how do we get period blood, whether dried or fresh, out of our sheets without our parents knowing?
It’s quite simple actually.
To get rid of blood stains without parents knowing, tackle them the exact moment they form. Run cold water over the freshly stained area to remove as much blood as possible, then pour an enzyme based detergent over the affected spot and work it into the fabric using a clean sponge or a dampened cloth. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water again and launder in warm water using the same enzyme based detergent.
There are many approaches you can use to remove period stains from your bedsheets.
Whichever method you end up using really boils down to what you have at home, the type of fabric you have, and also importantly, the age of the blood stain in question.
Below we discuss every possible method of getting fresh and dried blood stain out of sheets. Without wasting time, let’s get to it.
The best way to get rid of period blood stain on sheets
Dry cleaning
Dry cleaning is by far the best way to get rid of blood stain out of your sheet, especially blood stains that have aged.
But there’s really a catch, it’s a bit expensive and to be honest, it really isn’t “a way to get rid of period stains on your sheets without your parents knowing” — i would presume.
If you somehow get over the shyness of the situation and realise there’s nothing strange about having a period blood splattered all over your sheets, you can always bring your parents’ attention to the stain and suggest dry cleaning as the best option.
At the dry cleaners, there’s a section dedicated to treating spot stains. And this is probably where your stained sheet would begin its dry cleaning journey.
Spot cleaning is managed by experts that use special formulations targeted at specific stains to lose them up.
It typically, on its own, is sufficient to get rid of at least 80 percent of the stain, before the dry cleaning process itself which completes the rest.
Run through water and spot treat with an enzyme based detergent, then launder.
If dry cleaning is an option already ruled out in your head, and you still decide to keep things from your parents at least for the meantime, the next best solution is to act fast with a combination of “flushing and scrubbing”.
For this to work effectively, you have to tackle the stain when it’s fresh, or a bit fresh.
Grab the sheets and fold up the affected spot until it sticks out like you’ve got a stick inside of it.
Next, run cold water through the spot and squeeze to eliminate as much blood from the spot as possible.
Add an enzyme based detergent to the spot and work it into the spot using a clean sponge or a wet cloth. Do the same for the underside. Now run the spot through water again and squeeze.
Alternatively, you can create a solution of water and the detergent and soak the fabric inside the solution for at least 15 minutes.
Take it out and scrub the affected spot with a clean wet cloth. Only do this when you don’t mind wetting the entire sheets, otherwise, stick to the spot treatment alone until the spot fades away completely.
Immediately after soaking and washing, launder under in warm water using the same enzyme based detergent. Make sure to only launder the sheet alone to avoid spreading stain to other fabrics.
Check to see if there’s some blood stain remaining, and if so, repeat the spot treatment with detergent all over again and launder.
Dry properly in the dryer when the sheet is all clean and free from blood.
Enzyme based detergents are perfect for blood stains because they’re able to break down protein in blood.
If you don’t have an enzyme based detergent however, you can try your luck with a bar soap.
Use hydrogen peroxide
In the enzyme based detergent technique above, you could substitute it for hydrogen peroxide.
Run the stained spot under cold water and squeeze gently to remove excess water from it which should have blood remnants going away with it.
Place the spot on a clean paper towel or a towel and add hydrogen peroxide to the spot. Let sit for about 2 minutes, then rise under cold water and launder with an enzyme based detergent in cold water.
Repeat the steps all over again when you have persistent spots. You don’t want to set the blood stain further inside the fabric by running the sheet through the dryer.
Carbona Stain Wizard and other Stain removers that work against blood stains.
This is a specialty stain remover rich in natural bio-enzymes that work to break down the proteins in blood there by making the stain easy to wash away.
If you have that in hand, rejoice because you have the perfect blood stain remover!
Before using enzyme based stain removers, always test them in inconspicuous areas of your clothes to make sure they won’t do any damage.
Specialty stain removers are typically very effective against dried blood stains. Make sure to apply them as directed by the product manufacturer.
Use bleach
Household bleach is one of the most effective remedies for getting rid of your blood stains on your sheets.
The key agents in bleach break down the bond of the dye compounds present in the stain causing them to return colorless, and through this, you have a cloth that is stain free.
It also makes the stained area very water-soluble, making penetration by detergents very easily achieved thereby improving cleaning efficiency.
Before using bleach however, confirm to see whether it’s safe for your fabric, and never use chlorine bleach on sheets that aren’t white. Always opt for color- safe bleach for these types of sheets.
To use bleach, soak the solution in it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Then launder in warm water and repeat laundry until the stain is removed to a sufficient degree — whatever that means to you.
Other methods you can try to get rid of blood stains
Baking soda
There are several people out there who swear by baking soda as a remedy for blood stain. But based on observable evidence, it seems to only work effectively on fresh stains and won’t get rid of dried blood stains satisfactorily.
To use baking soda as a remedy, first blot the affected spot with a clean and dampened towel or paper towel.
Then make a paste of baking soda and apply it over the spot making sure you really work the paste inside the spot.
Let sit for one hour, then rinse off the paste. You should already see some of the blood stains coming off. Repeat as necessary and ensure to launder in cold or warm water using an enzyme based detergent.
Liquid detergent
Liquid detergent works best alone when part of its formulation contains enzymes that can eat through the cell walls of blood proteins. It’s more effective on fresh blood stains than set in ones.
When using liquid detergent, you want to use it as both a spot treatment solution and laundry detergent.
First treat the spot by running cold water over it and applying the liquid detergent over it. Work it inside as much as you can and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
Rinse off completely and launder in warm water using the same detergent. You can even add chlorine or oxygen bleach to the mix when the fabric’s care label permits such addition.
How to get period blood out of sheets without taking them off
If you dont want to take your sheets off, then you need to make sure there’s a layer between your mattress and the sheets that stops whatever you’re doing on the surface from leaking all the way down.
Get a towel, or several layers of paper towels for that purpose. This would even act as absorbent for the blood stain you’re treating on the surface.
After layering, get a wet cloth and blot the surface of the stain. Keep blotting until you no longer get any considerable satin away from the spot.
Then add liquid detergent that is enzyme based and work it into the spot. Let sit for some time before cleaning it off with a dampened towel.
If the stin was fresh, this should at least get most of it out. You can repeat the steps as much as you can to completely remove the stain.
You can even use a combination of baking soda and the laundry detergent for the process.
Final thoughts
Getting rid of blood stains without your parents knowing is quite easy, first you need to make sure you’re tackling the stain as it forms.
Dried stains are much harder to remove as they’ve already set deep into the fabric.
Treat fresh stains by flushing the blood out of the spot first, then pre-treat with hydrogen peroxide, enzyme based liquid detergent, or a spot remover proven to be effective against blood like carbona stain devils.
Launder in cold or warm water and repeat the steps all over again when blood spots are still evident.
Put in the dryer only when there isn’t any blood stain left as heating stained spots can further set them inside the fabric.
