Skip to Content

Cleaning

How to treat a bloodstained carpet

Living room with white carpet and sofa set

Sign-up now to take advantage of member exclusives!

As a member of Ask Team Clean, you get access to exclusive offers and the best cleaning tips.

Removing bloodstains from carpet isn't as difficult as you might think! In this article we show you how it's done.

Bloodstain removal made easy

If a bloodstain has appeared on your carpet, then of course treating the wound first is the most important thing. But once you are certain everyone is okay, you will need to worry about the stain. Ask Team Clean can help if you're still seeing red after treating the wound. You might know how to clean a carpet in general, but here are some specific tips on removing bloodstains from your carpet. 

How to get rid of bloodstains on your carpet: Step by step

We have a step-by-step guide for you to remove bloodstains from carpet. It doesn't matter if it's a shag pile, loop pile or cut pile carpet. You don't need much to effectively remove a bloodstain from your carpet:

  1. A can of carpet or upholstery foam, if you have it on hand
  2. A (damp) brush
  3. A vacuum cleaner
  4. A little patience

Before you start, we recommend to spot check a hidden part of your carpet to make sure that it reacts well to the treatment. Now that that’s taken care of and your equipment is at the ready, here's how to remove that bloodstain on your carpet:

  1. Alternate with a wet cloth (cold water) and a dry cloth to get off as much of the stain as possible. This will loosen the blood from the fibers, especially in the case of fresh stains.
  2. Absorb as much residual water as possible by dabbing it with a cotton cloth. For very fresh stains, these two steps are sometimes enough.
  3. Shake the can of cleaner well before use.
  4. Cover the bloodstain on the carpet completely with the carpet or upholstery foam, and rub it into the fabric with a soft, dampened brush.
  5. Time heals all wounds, they say; same here! Wait for the foam to dry completely.
  6. Finally, use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dried foam residue and the bloodstains from the carpet.

Professional tips

Now that you know how to easily get rid of  bloodstains, you are sure to say goodbye to other stains from your carpet—like the pro you are! We’ve also got a few professional tips for you:

The golden stain rule

The same applies to bloodstains on carpets as to all other types of stains: The quicker you remove the stain, the easier it is. If you don't notice the stain until later, multiple cleaning sessions may be necessary.

Test one, two, three

Another tip that applies to all types of stains and materials: Test the cleaning foam on an inconspicuous area beforehand. This way, you can be sure that the cleaning process won't result in another stain.

Warm blood and cold water

Blood contains a lot of protein that coagulates when exposed to heat. For cleaning, this means that if you use warm or hot water, the blood will stick more firmly to the textile fibers and be more difficult to remove. Therefore, always use cold water on a bloodstained carpet.

Special treatment for silk and wool

Silk and wool fabrics are known to be delicate. If your carpet is made of one of these materials, we recommend professional cleaning.

Feeling a bit unmotivated to clean? Then we'll let you in on a little secret: We're not always in the mood for cleaning either. That's why we've collected the best household tips in our cleaning section to get you and us into the mood.