Getting blood out: sheets, mattresses, sofas and clothes

In reader forums, many people describe waking to blood on the sheet, or finding it on a sofa cushion or a favourite pair of jeans. It is ordinary. It is nobody’s fault. This Column covers clothes, sheets, mattresses and sofas. It reports what care labels and makers say, and what Health Canada says about using cleaning products safely. It sets readers’ habits apart from those sources. It does not rank one method or product against another.

Start with the label

The care label is the first source. In Canada, care labels are voluntary. The Competition Bureau says: “Care labelling, in the form of either written words or symbols, is a voluntary program in Canada. If care information is included it cannot be false or misleading and must accurately reflect an appropriate method of care for the article (item).”

So a care label, when there is one, has to be accurate. When there is none, you are working without instructions.

Stain advice also ages. A US university extension retired its online stain guide. It said: “Much has changed in the textile world since the Stain Solution website was created. We no longer have the expertise to confidently update the website to reflect those changes.” The Editor takes that as a lesson. The label on the item, and the maker’s current instructions, come before any general tip.

The label on the item, and the maker’s current instructions, come before any general tip.

Health Canada’s safety rules

This box applies to every tip below, including readers’ tips. Health Canada says never mix household chemical products.

Clothes and sheets

What the sources say. The care label on the item comes first. If the label and a tip disagree, the label wins. Health Canada’s rules, above, apply to any product you use on the stain.

The Editor could not reach a textile-care authority’s method for blood stains. So this Column does not state one as fact.

What readers describe. These are readers’ habits, not tested advice. The Editor has not checked any of them:

• for period underwear: rinsing until the water runs clear, skipping fabric softener and using an enzyme detergent;
• keeping hydrogen peroxide in more than one room for stains;
• keeping pyjamas just for period nights;
• a lidded bucket for rinsed items until wash day.

Health Canada’s “never mix” rule stands, whatever the tip.

Period underwear and reusable period pads

These are made to be washed, so their makers give instructions.

A federal guide. A National Defence health guide says reusable period pads and period underwear “must be rinsed out by hand, using running water until the water runs clear”. It adds: “Most have a longer lifespan if they are washed in cool water… and allowed to air dry. Most industrial or group laundry facilities are likely to use hot water and tumble dry which may reduce the effectiveness of the products.”

Period underwear. Makers’ care pages mostly agree: rinse in cold water until it runs clear, leave out bleach and fabric softener, and hang or lay flat to dry. One maker says it can be machine dried on low if hanging is not possible. One maker says bleach and fabric softener “can decrease their performance and lifespan”. The full routine is in “How to wash period underwear, any brand”.

Reusable period pads. Here, makers disagree about stains. Here are three, side by side, in no order of preference:

• One maker says: “Avoid frequent use of Hydrogen Peroxide and Oxygen bleach products.”
• A second describes an overnight soak in cool water.
• A third lists sun, a stain remover “or peroxide” for stains.

Makers disagree, so the instructions for the item in your hands come first. More is in “Reusable period pads, explained”.

Cups and discs are not fabric, so their care is different. It is in “Cleaning a cup or disc, between uses and between periods”.

Mattresses and sofas

This section is short, on purpose. The Editor could not confirm a textile-care authority’s method for mattresses or sofas. If your mattress or sofa came with care instructions, on a tag or from the maker, those come first. The safety box above applies to anything you use.

In reader forums, people describe blood on sofa cushions and furniture, and some keep hydrogen peroxide in more than one room for stains. These are readers’ habits, not tested advice.

What readers put on beds and sofas is in “Protecting your bed and sofa on heavy nights”.

What this is not

This Column reports what care-label rules, Health Canada and makers say, and what readers describe doing. It did not test any method or product, and it does not rank them. It makes no claim that any method cleans, disinfects or removes a stain.

Next in this series: “Protecting your bed and sofa on heavy nights”.