How To Get Period Blood Out Of Your Underwear
You’ll be pleased to know that it really is possible to get blood out of your underwear - here are WUKA’s top tips on how to get period blood out of underwear:
How to wash fresh blood out of underwear
We’ve all been there- our period arrives a day or two early, and that’s another perfectly good pair of knickers ruined. But before you throw them away and add to our ever growing problem of overflowing landfill, stop! Period blood stains can be removed, and quite easily too. Just follow our four golden rules:
1. Don’t leave the blood to set
Treating the stain as quickly as possible is vital, because if it’s left too long the proteins in the blood will ‘set’, making it so much harder to treat. If you can, follow the next three steps as quickly as possible.
2.Rinse with cold water
Rinsing the stain with cold water will help to lift as much of the blood from the fabric as possible. And yes, it needs to be COLD water. Hot water will help the stain to really set in, even if you get to it quickly. So rinse, quickly, and make sure the water is cold.
3.Treat the stain
Once you’ve rinsed, you need to treat the stain. Gently use your finger tips or an old toothbrush on the stain, working in a lifting motion, again in cold water.
4.Wash and dry as usual
After treating the stain, wash your underwear as normal. We recommend WUKA period pants are washed in a cool wash, 30-40 degrees, although we prefer 30 as it’s better for the environment. Air dry outdoors on inside on an airer. No tumble drying!
How to wash old blood out of underwear
Sometimes it’s not possible to treat a blood stain straight away, or the first wash might not get it all out. But you still don’t need to throw them away!
If you can, soak the garment in cold water for as long as possible. This will help to lift the stain. Then try one of these natural remedies to treat the stain:
- Baking powder- mix one part baking powder with two parts cold water in a bowl. Use a cloth to dab the mixture onto the stain and leave on for at least an hour, or overnight if you can. Then wipe away the residue and wash as normal.
- Fresh lemon juice- Just squeeze the juice from half a lemon directly onto the stain and leave for five minutes. Then gently rub at the stain, rinse and wash as normal.
- White vinegar- either mix a small amount of white vinegar with a small amount of washing detergent, or just use the vinegar neat. Pour it onto the stain and let it soak for at least ten minutes, or overnight if you can. Gently rub the stain with a dishcloth then wash as normal.
After treating, wash and dry as normal. Repeat the whole process if necessary, until the stain is removed.
Use period pants to absorb your flow
Tired of leaking period blood onto your normal underwear when using sanitary pads and tampons? Switch to period pants!
Period pants are made to bleed into, a complete pad and tampon replacement- and there’s no need to double up on heavy days either. Choose your style, choose your flow and wear them like normal pants.
The super absorbent gusset with absorb your period flow, locking it away from the body in the middle layers. This leaves you fresh and comfortable, allowing air to circulate so that infections and smells are kept at bay.
And because period pants are made to absorb blood, there’s no need to worry about period blood stains either.
How to wash period pants
Period pants need some TLC to keep them fresh and clean, but there’s not too much to it. If you have time, you can wash by hand (period pants love this!) but it’s not crucial.
Just rinse in cold water, gently squeezing to remove as much excess blood as you can, and then wash in the machine with your normal load. Wash at 30 degrees, with no fabric conditioner, and then air dry. We recommend using a wash bag to keep your pants protected in the wash.
Simple!
How to freshen up period pants
Period pants are made to absorb your flow, and rinsing before washing helps to remove excess blood, keeping them nice and fresh and ready to wear again and again. That said, period pants can sometimes start to smell a little if blood is left to soak for too long. This is normal and easily remedied.
Just mix one part white vinegar with three parts water (just enough to cover your underwear) and soak for 20 minutes. Then wash. If you want to add more vinegar to your machine you can, and this will also help to fight off any odour that might have occurred. You can also add a few drops of essential oil to your machine- lavender is great for calming and soothing.
Related posts:
What Does Period Blood Smell Mean?
Guide to Reusable Period Underwear
FAQs
How do you get dried period blood out of clothes?
Dried blood needs to be treated as soon as possible. Soak or rinse in cold water before gently rubbing with fingertips or an old toothbrush to lift the stain. You can also use white vinegar, baking powder or lemon juice to treat the stain. Then wash and dry as normal, repeating the process until the stain is gone.
Do period blood stains come out?
Period blood stains do not ruin your underwear and can be removed. Treat the stain as quickly as possible by rinsing in cold water and washing as normal. If the stain remains after washing, you can repeat the process until it’s gone.
What do you do with period stained underwear?
Underwear that has been stained with period blood is not ruined and you don’t need thrown them away. You can soak or rinse in cold water to treat the stain, then wash and dry as normal.
Underwear with old period blood stains can also be treated. Soak or rinse with cold water then use either white vinegar, baking powder, or lemon to treat. Wash and dry as normal, and repeat if necessary.
Can you put period stained underwear in the washing machine?
Yes period stained underwear can be washed as normal in the machine, but it’s a good idea to treat the stain first. Period pants are perfectly fine to be washed with a normal load of washing too.
Should you throw out underwear with stains?
No! There’s already too much being dumped into our landfills as it is. Period blood stains can be treated easily, there is no need to throw your underwear away. WUKA period pants are designed for you to bleed into, and can be washed and re-used for up to two years!
