Blood removal from carpet can be very tricky. We get a lot of calls from people and referrals from our carpet cleaning partner Zerorez of Minnesota. Carpet can be expensive and trying to save it is certainly a priority for most people. Blood is hard to remove from fabrics because its proteins bond with fabrics like concrete and the iron in the blood gets trapped inside the protein and makes it stand out especially on lighter colored carpet. People often make a few mistakes when they try to remove blood themselves.
- Use warm or hot water which really sets the stains
- Use bleach and do further damage to the carpet by discoloring it
- Scrub instead of blotting the spot
- Use soaps or carpet cleaner to try to remove it
Any or all of these can makes problems worse and sometimes make it impossible to remove blood from carpet. If the blood is of a larger quantity or perhaps an area where the source of the blood sat for a while the chances of actually cleaning it are slim to none anyway. Once the blood has soaked through the backing and into or passed the pad, cleaning it is usually not able to be completed properly. Remember what you see on the surface is almost always a lot worse underneath and the subfloor underneath should be properly cleaned as well. Only surface blood can be properly cleaned.
Did you know that carpet that cannot be cleaned from blood or bodily fluids is considered a biohazard and should not be removed by a carpet installer? In fact for them to attempt this is actually illegal and you could be faced with fines for violating blood borne pathogen standards and bloody carpet would be considered regulated waste. Insurance will often times cover the cost for replacement carpet and the cost to have this properly removed by Scene Clean. As always, we are happy to assist with filing insurance claims.
If you find yourself faced with blood or any bodily fluid on your carpet or any flooring for that matter call our blood cleaning service first and we will be happy to answer your questions.
DO NOT do any of the following before talking to us;
- Attempt to remove the blood with any kind of detergents even dish soap, if it has a chance to be removed you might have ruined that chance
- Rub the area
- Add water of more moisture to the area
- Dry it with heat
For us to try to remove blood with our special products we will need the area to remain untouched if at all possible and its okay to let it dry. In fact, we prefer it to be dry. Call us today 612-643-0911.
