Search for ways to get blood out of fabric and you’ll find everything from cold water and laundry detergent to salt, vinegar and toothpaste. So which tips are actually worth trying?

I’ve spent years washing period underwear, and a good cold rinse is still where I start. For this guide, I also looked through advice from detergent makers and cleaning experts to sort the usual suggestions into what’s worth trying and what I’d skip. This is a comparison of their recommendations, rather than a test I’ve done of every remedy.

What works—or is worth trying

Cold running water: the best place to start

For fresh blood, this is the simplest first step. Turn the fabric over and rinse through the back of the stain, so the water pushes the blood out. Keep going while you can see blood washing out, then wash with detergent. Persil recommends this approach, and Tide also starts with a cold rinse.

This is the step that made washing easier for me. I used to soak my period underwear, but found running water better for carrying the blood away as it came out.

Enzyme detergent: a good next step

Blood contains proteins. A detergent with protease helps break those down, which is why enzyme detergent is a useful option for bloodstains. Look for “enzyme” or “biological” on the packaging and check whether it lists blood among the stains it treats. Persil explains how protease works.

In my experience, applying a liquid detergent with protease directly to the stain works better than soaking the whole garment. After rinsing, work a little into the mark if the bottle allows pretreating, leave it for the stated time, then wash. Choose a formula that works in cold water. For wool or silk, use a detergent made for that fabric instead.

Direct pretreatment also appears in the published guides: Persil recommends five minutes with its liquid detergent, while Clorox recommends ten minutes with its Clorox 2 stain remover. Use the timing for the product you have.

A detergent soak: useful when the stain has dried

I’d try direct pretreatment first, but soaking has its place. For a dried mark on clothes or sheets that can be soaked, cold water with laundry detergent can help loosen the stain before washing. Tide recommends a detergent-and-cold-water pretreatment; Good Housekeeping recommends presoaking for dried stains.

The useful distinction is fresh versus dried blood: rinse fresh blood away first; a detergent soak is an option when you’re dealing with what’s already dried into the fabric. Follow the product’s soaking instructions.

Hydrogen peroxide: can help, but watch the colour

Peroxide can lift bloodstains, but it can also fade the fabric. Good Housekeeping includes it as a treatment for colourfast fabric, while Clorox notes the risk to colours.

I’d try detergent first. If you move on to peroxide, check that the fabric allows it and test a hidden spot for colour loss.

1. Blot away excess moisture. You don’t need to wait for the fabric to dry completely, but don’t start with it dripping wet.
2. Dab the stain with peroxide. For suitable washable fabric, use a small amount of ordinary 3% hydrogen peroxide on a clean white cloth and gently blot the mark.
3. Lift away what comes out. Blot with a fresh part of the cloth or a clean white paper towel as the stain lifts. Avoid rubbing it back into the fabric.
4. Rinse and wash. Rinse with cold water, then wash with laundry detergent. If you’re using a formulated peroxide stain remover instead, follow its directions.

Don’t mix peroxide with other cleaners. Keep this treatment off B.Peachy gussets—use our cold rinse and detergent wash for those.

What I’d skip

Hot water as the first move

It’s tempting to reach for the hot tap, but cold water is the recommended starting point for bloodstains. Persil and Good Housekeeping warn that hot water can set the mark. Wash afterwards at the temperature your garment and treatment allow; you don’t need boiling water to get blood out.

Vinegar as a bloodstain remover

It turns up in plenty of cleaning tips, but it wouldn’t be my choice here. Good Housekeeping’s cleaning expert reports finding it ineffective on blood. Try the cold rinse and enzyme detergent route first.

Lemon juice

It’s another kitchen-cupboard suggestion you’ll see online. Clorox lists it as a possible stain treatment, but also warns that it can discolour fabric. I’d skip it: there’s little reason to risk a pale patch when you can start with cold water and a laundry treatment made for the job.

Toothpaste

It’s a lot of fuss for something that can leave its own residue or stain. Good Housekeeping advises sticking with established laundry treatments instead. I’d save the toothpaste for its usual job.

Salt or baking soda as your go-to treatment

These aren’t a clear “never works.” Good Housekeeping says salt may help with some fresh blood and baking soda may help in some cases, but neither is its preferred treatment. If you already have laundry detergent, there’s little reason to start making a kitchen-cupboard paste.

Putting it in the dryer and hoping for the best

Check the stain before heat drying. If it’s still there, treat it again first—heat can make the remaining mark harder to remove. Persil, Tide and Good Housekeeping all include checking and repeating treatment in their guidance.

What I’d try first: cold running water, then enzyme detergent for a fabric that allows it. For dried blood, add a detergent pretreatment or soak. You don’t need to try every remedy on the internet.

For absorbent underwear, read my period-underwear washing guide.