If you have fallen over or suffered from a nosebleed it’s likely you will have a blood stain on your clothes – one of the toughest stains to get out – but a hygiene expert has a quick and easy tip for making marks vanish
A home and skin hygiene expert has revealed exactly why you shouldn’t put hot water on a clothes stained with blood.
There’s nothing worse than getting a harsh stain on your favourite pair of jeans or go-to t-shirt. If you or your child has ever fallen off a bike, tripped over, cut yourself, or ended up with a nosebleed, it’s likely that blood has ended up dripping onto your clothes. And you will be no stranger to knowing how tough it is to get the tricky stains out.
Persil UK said: “The problem is that blood stains are not just any old red mark. A blood stain is an organic stain, which means it’s full of proteins, and proteins are programmed to bind together when heated, making them set fast into our clothes.”
Mary Futher, who is known as Madame Sweat, has raked in over 800,000 followers online for her tips and tricks regarding cleaning and hygiene. She says that when it comes to getting rid of blood stains, you can use a common household item which costs less than £2 – and it’s all natural.
Taking to TikTok recently, Madame Sweat said: “Here’s what you need to know if you have a blood stain on any fabric. Blood is a protein which mean if you try to remove it with hot water, it actually cooks it into the fabric.
“So number one – never use hot water to treat the stain. So obviously you’re going to use cold water, but you’re also going to use salt.” Mary said you need two tablespoons of salt for one cup of water. You can purchase salt from your local supermarket such as Sainsbury’s for £1.75 or from Tesco for £1.80.
Or if you prefer to shop online, you can pick up a 750g of Saxa Table Salt for £1.70 on Amazon. Mix the salt into the water and apply it to the the blood stain.
The hygiene expert says she leaves the solution on the fabric for 30 minutes before using a toothbrush to scrub it in gently. Finally, put the item of clothing in the washing machine on a regular cycle, and the stain should disappear.
Reacting to Madame Sweat’s video, one individual said: “Wow, didn’t know that.” “Salt! I’m going to try that next time,” wrote another.
Another said: “Knew never hot, always cold with salt… but never knew why. Interesting. Thank you.”
Have you tried the hack? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
