Blood stains aren't a garment's death sentence. Use these expert tips to pre-treat and wash the stain away.
1. Immediately apply cold water to the affected area. The emphasis here is on cold water, because warm and hot water do funky things to hemoglobin, which in turn causes blood to set into clothes. It’s also important to blot the stain, since rubbing it will only work it further into the fabric.
2. Fill a basin with soap and water. Use liquid hand soap or a bar of bath soap and suds it up. Swish the article of clothing around and keep rinsing it. Use a sponge to dab the stain until it is gone.
3. If quality time in the basin doesn’t get rid of the stain, soak the garment in cold water for one hour and then add a powdered meat tenderizer to the water. Do not bother throwing in meat or potatoes. Just let the clothing sit for an additional 30 minutes and then rinse it with cold water, from back to front.
Once the stain is gone, wash the garment immediately with laundry detergent or allow it to dry a bit before putting it in a bag for your friendly neighborhood laundry service.