When shoes get stained with blood, it hardly gets unnoticed. It could happen during an accident, fight, or a leg injury, but removing the stains for most people becomes a problem. Most people even think it won’t come off. But the truth is, it does.
So here is how to get blood out of shoes-
- When the shoes get stained with blood, respond to it ASAP.
- Soak the bloody area in water for at least an hour and then dab it with a clean wet cloth.
- Apply hydrogen peroxide on the cloth and dab it until the shoes are thoroughly cleaned.
- After that, rinse the shoes to take off chemical remnants and also for final cleansing.
However, it is different when the blood stain has dried on the shoe. Besides, what should you do if there’s no hydroperoxide available? Read to learn more about blood stains on shoes and how to get them off.
Are Blood Stains Hard To Remove From Shoes?
It depends on how long a blood stain has stayed on the shoe before the removal process. It also depends on the shoe material. Some materials are easy to clean, regardless of how long the blood has been sitting. But some require deep and precise cleaning.
Factors that determine how hard it is to remove blood from shoes are following:
- How long the stain has been sitting: When you get your shoes stained with blood, start the cleaning process as fast as possible. Blood contains propyl alcohol that makes it stick to shoes, and it becomes difficult to remove with time. And if the blood is left for days, chances are you’ll end up with permanent markings on your shoes.
- Shoe material: The materials play the most important role in this case. If blood drops on a leather shoe, you just need to wipe it off with a rag. Although it can get hard to remove with time, still it’s easier compared to other fabric materials, such as canvas. Instead, you will need more comprehensive steps to get the stain off.
What You’ll Need to Get Blood Out of a Shoe
In most cases, just soap and water might not do the trick. So, you will need a stronger cleaning agent. Aside from cleaning agents, you also need other tools just to avoid some unforeseen circumstances.
Here is what you can use to get bloodstains out of shoes:
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice works with many things, including stain removal. If your shoe gets stained with blood, squeeze out the lemon juice, and apply it on a clean cloth. With a few scrubs with the cloth, bloodstains will go away.
- Saltwater: Many people don’t know that saltwater works effectively for removing stains like bloodstains. It’s a simple mixture anyone can make from their kitchen. Just take a cup of water and add a few tablespoon of salt in it, and you’re good to go.
- Aspirin: Most people know this medicine for its ability to relieve pain. However, that is not the only thing aspirin is good for. Crush the aspirin after removing the coating, mix it with a little water to form a paste, and it is ready for use. To use it, you will need a toothbrush to apply to the stain.
- White vinegar: This is not something you only add to your food, it works to take stains off clothes and shoes as well. Apply white vinegar directly to the stain. Then, use cold running water to rinse off the the stains.
- Baking soda and lemon juice: This combination is a good way to get rid of blood stains in clothes and shoes. Dab the stain with the mixture, allow it to sit for over 10 minutes and rinse with cold water. It is easy to make the mixture. Almost every kitchen has either of these combinations or the two substances.
- Salt and soap: This is a popular cleaning combination most people know about. Soap and water can get rid of stains from kitchen appliances and cookware. But it works on canvas/fabric too. For some people, even after using other methods, they will still use soap and water to finalize the process. Just put water in a bucket, your stained shoe, or cloth, then wash off the stain by scrubbing.
- Cola: You might wonder how cola can remove the stain when it does the staining itself most time. Well, coke contains some acidic chemicals that can remove blood stains from shoes or clothes. Just soak the part where the stain is in cola for a while, remove it and wash with soap and water.
- Ammonia: Ammonia is undoubtedly a good stain remover. Just mix it with water and dab the stain with the mixture. Aside from its ability to expunge the stain, it also removes the stain faster than most other methods.
- Bleach: This cleaning agent delivers satisfactory results if the stained material is white. In fact, bleach is so effective that it can turn cloth somewhat white. And due to that reason, your colored clothes or shoes are not safe to clean with bleach. Just mix it with water, apply it to the stained spot and wash it off after it has soaked for about an hour.
- Club soda: This cleaning process requires blotting. Just apply the cleaning agent to the blood-stained area and allow it to fizz for a while. Afterward, blot or air dry the stain till it disappears completely.
- Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is one of the best cleaning agents that can remove stains from shoes, clothes, or whatever has the stain. Just use a brush to pat the hydrogen peroxide on the stained area, then wash it after a few minutes.
- Cloth: This is important for dabbing the stained area to gradually remove the stain with any cleaning agent of choice.
- Gloves: This will serve as protection against infection from the blood you will have contact with within the cleaning process.
How To Get Blood Out Of Shoes
To get rid of blood stains in shoes, you should follow a few steps. Although it is advisable to wash off the blood as soon as it stains, it is not as easy as it sounds. It can work that easily on leather shoes but cotton fabric shoes need more care. These steps below will help you get rid of blood out of shoes.
Step 1: Soak blood-stained shoe in cold water
This process is mostly for clothes. But, when using it for a shoe, you have to be careful not to end up spoiling the shoe. Soak just the part that has the bloodstain for at least an hours in cold water. This is because water breaks the stickiness of the stain and makes it soft to wash off.
Step 2: Dab the stained area
When you bring out the shoe from the water, the next step is to dab it with a piece of clean cloth. You must soak the cloth in water before dabbing. Continue this process until a large part of the stain removes.
Make sure not to scrub the stain, as scrubbing it might make it worse and spread to further area. When the current part of the cloth gets stained, use another part and continue dabbing.
Step 3: Use hydroperoxide or any cleaning agent that works best for you
Take another piece of clean and dry cloth, pour some hydroperoxide (or alternative) on it and dab the stained area with it. Ensure to be dabbing and not scrubbing. We advise you to dab the stain from the edge to the center for a bigger stain.
It is because the stain might spread. So, when you dab from the outside in, it closes it in and gives it no room to spread.
Step 4: Rinse the shoe with water
After the previous step, almost all of the stain will likely go away. Now, all you have to do is to rinse the shoe with clean water. You can add soap if you want to, although it is not necessary.
The rinsing process ensures you cleanse off any chemical remnants the cleaning agent left on the shoes. Also, it removes the bloodstain remnants too.
Also Read: How To Clean White Converse Shoe?
Things You Should Not Do When Getting Blood Out Of Shoes
It is one thing to know how to get blood out of shoes, and it is another thing to do it right. Now that you know how to get blood out of shoes let us discuss the things you must avoid in order to do it properly.
Here are certain things you should not do when getting blood out of shoes:
Do not use Bare Hands
Have you ever wondered why surgeons never go into their labs without their gloves on? There could be several reasons for this, but the most notable one is preventing possible infections. It is crucial to employ gloves when getting blood out of shoes. This serves as a protective measure against infections from the blood or dirt.
Do not use Warm / Hot Water
In your attempt to get the blood off your shoes, always use cold tap water. Using warm or hot water will cause the stain break down and spread even further, which makes the stain even difficult to come off.
Do not let the Blood dry up
If you have the opportunity to tackle the stain immediately, ensure to do so. Allowing bloodstains to dry up on the surface makes it difficult for it to come off.
Don’t be in a Hurry
Bloodstains require patience to clean off completely. When trying to get blood out of shoes, you must not be in a hurry. Make sure to take your time to get the right result.
Conclusion
Getting blood out of shoes may seem like a hard thing to do. If you are not familiar with the right procedure, you will most likely make a mess. But if you know exactly how to get blood out of shoes, it’s like just another day of doing laundry.
Quick action can often ease things up when trying to get blood stains off shoes. Also, avoid warm or hot water, as this can cause the stain to spread even further. To get blood out of your shoes effectively, follow the guidelines we have provided in this article.
