How to remove blood stains - How to remove period stains.

Question is, what can you do about them?

Okay, so the worst has happened. You've had a leak. Now what? Toss your undies? Throw out your favorite jeans? No way! If you have a leak, and you treat it promptly, chances are you can get it out. Here are some quick tips to help you make stains vanish into thin air.

Take a preemptive strike
The faster you can wash the stain the better, but sometimes it isn't always possible to get to it right away. If the stain has dried by the time you try to get it out, you might want to pre-treat it and let it soak first. First be sure to check the manufacturer's instructions to see if the garment is washable. If it is, and you have a pre-treatment product that you like, follow the instructions and then soak the garment in cold water for several hours to loosen the stain.

On period stains, if a pre-treatment doesn't work or you don't have a preferred product, try this. Mix one tablespoon of meat tenderizer and two tablespoons of cold water together to make a paste. Then spread onto the stain and work it in with your fingers. Allow it to sit for 1 to 2 hours, and then wash in cold water.

Cold or hot
Never, and we mean NEVER, use hot water on a blood or urine stain. Blood and urine are both protein stains. Hot water cooks the protein, causing it to coagulate between the fibers of the yarn in the fabric, making it difficult or even impossible to remove. Cold water is the way to go when trying to eliminate stains.

Dryer don'ts
Just like you don't want to wash in hot water, you don't want to dry the garment in a hot dryer either. It isn't always easy to see if a stain is completely gone while the garment is wet. It's best to let it air dry by laying it on a flat surface or hanging it on a rail or hanger. Once dry, you'll be able to verify if the stain is completely gone.

Call in the professionals
When all else fails, or if in doubt about the fabric, take your garment to the dry cleaners (ummmaybe not your panties). They are professionals and see all sorts of stains. Think of them as your last line of defense against stains¹.