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What's the trick to removing blood stains?

By Stacie McClintock, About.com

Question: What's the trick to removing blood stains?

Blood can be a scary sight when it comes to baby stains; but boo-boos are a fact of life, especially when baby's are learning to stand and walk. And let's not forget the scraped knees of summer time.

Answer: How you treat a blood stain will depend on whether you are dealing with dried blood or fresh blood. Let's take a look at each type individually.

Fresh blood requires a rinse with cool water and a treatment with a paste made of a powdered enzyme detergent such as Wisk or Era. Let sit for 30 minutes.

If any blood remains after your paste pre-treatment, use an eyedropper filled with diluted ammonia or vinegar to bleach out the remaining stain. Finish up with a regular wash cycle.

For dried blood you'll want to treat the stain much the same way. You'll begin by soaking the clothing in cool water for several hours.

Spot treat with diluted ammonia or vinegar in an eyedropper to bleach out the color. If the stain is not gone after using the diluted solution, create a paste with your enzyme powdered detergent and let it sit for 30 minutes before throwing it in the regular wash cycle.

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