How to get blood stains out of your mattress

Let’s face it. We’ve all been there (before discovering Modibodi of course) – period blood stains on the mattress. But besides changing the sheets at lightning speed, how can you actually get rid of it?  

We’ve scoured the web to bring you the top tips for getting your mattress looking brand new (and it works for other ‘oops I spilled my snacks in bed’ stains too)!  

And remember, for overnight peace of mind on your period, wear our Heavy-Overnight or Maxi-24hrs styles, depending on your flow.  

Our Heavy-Overnight gusset extends to the back waistband, which is perfect for back sleepers, while our most absorbent Maxi-24hrs styles (which hold up to 10 pads or tampons’ worth), have a gusset from the front-to-back waistband so you can sleep on your front, back, tummy or roll from side-to-side while staying safe, secure and leak-free.  

Classic methods…that work  

Sometimes an oldie but a goodie is exactly what you need, and it seems the ‘old wives’ in ‘old wives’ tales’ certainly knew their stuff.  

A gentle first step, especially if your stain is fresh, is to use common pantry items, including baking soda and vinegar.  

Check out these recipes for starters… 

• BAKING SODA 

Ingredients:  

• One part baking soda 
• 2 parts cold water 

Method:  

Mix the water and baking soda in a bowl, then dab onto the stain (don’t rub) with a clean cloth. Let it sit for half an hour – perfect excuse to squeeze in an episode of your latest binge – then dampen cloth and dab again. Vacuum any excess residue and allow your mattress to air dry. Done.  

• VINEGAR 

Ingredients:  

•  Baking soda  
• Cold water  
• White vinegar  

Method: 

Dab stain with clean cloth or paper towel to absorb any surface fluid. Fill a clean spray bottle with a mix of 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of baking soda over the stain, then spray the vinegar and water mix onto the area (don’t be stingy). Again, let it sit for half an hour, vacuum any surface residue, then dab again with a damp clean cloth, and allow to air dry.  

Dried blood stains?  

Ok so if you’re already wearing your period undies but have a dried blood stain to deal with, things can be a touch trickier, so give this recipe a spin:  

• PEROXIDE, STARCH & SALT  

Ingredients  

• ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide (can buy this at the chemist) 
• ½ cup of corn starch  
• One tablespoon of salt  

 Method: 

Mix hydrogen peroxide, corn starch and salt into a paste in the mixing bowl and apply to the stain. Leave to sit for half an hour. Grab an old soft toothbrush (get rid of the toothpaste crusted on first) and brush gently over the mixture. Use a clean, damp cloth to blot the mixture to remove excess liquid, then allow the mattress to air dry.     

• MEAT TENDERISER (yes really)  

Ingredients 

• One tablespoon of meat tenderiser 

• Two tablespoons of cold water 

Method: 

Combine meat tenderiser and water in a mixing bowl, the apply mixture to the stain and leave it to sit until it’s dry (the enzymes in the meat tenderiser breakdown the proteins in the dried blood). Once it’s totally dry, vacuum powder residue from the stain.