May 03, 2023

How to Get Blood out of Wood

Whether you get a paper cut at your oak desk, or you have a mishap with the chopping knife on the kitchen cabinet, you will need to know how to clean blood out of wood.

Wood is a tricky material to clean, as you have to be careful with the products and methods used to avoid any type of damage. To guide you on how to do it properly, we’ll show you how to get blood out of wood safely and effectively.

This article outlines how to get both fresh and old blood stains out of wood, which methods are best, and which products to go for.

How to Get Blood out of Wood

Fresh Stain

If you are dealing with a fresh stain, attend to it as soon as possible as this is much easier to remove the stain from the wood furniture or flooring.

When the blood is still wet, it means that it has not been given enough time to dry and soak into the wood, which means that you should be able to clean it off in a relatively simple way.

Remove Excess

First, remove any excess blood from the wood. If the blood is still wet, you should be able to remove a good amount of it before you even apply a cleaning solution.

Use a paper towel to blot the stained area to remove the excess blood. Avoiding rubbing, as this may spread out the stain and make it even more difficult to remove.

Mix Solution

Combine one cup of warm water with a tablespoon of liquid soap in a small bowl. Ensure the water is not too hot, as this can damage the wood.

Clean Area

Dip a soft cloth into the water, and then wring it out to remove as much excess liquid as possible. Then use the damp cloth to wipe away the blood stain. You may need to re-dip the cloth a few times and wipe the area repeatedly to completely remove the blood stain.

Rinse & Dry

Finally, you will need to rinse out any remaining cleaning solution. Dip a fresh cloth into plain, cold water and wipe down the affected area to remove any remnants.

Leave the wood to air dry.

Old Stain

If you experience a cut or related accident, you might be too preoccupied with dealing with the injury rather than cleaning up your furniture or floor, so by the time you get back to it the stain has dried up.

Cleaning out an old blood stain can be slightly more challenging, but not impossible. The best way to tackle it is with a home remedy of baking soda and vinegar, both of which work well to remove older, stubborn stains.

Apply Baking Soda

Pour baking soda onto the old blood stain, enough for it to completely cover the area. Baking soda also works well to get an oil stain out of wood.

Mix & Apply Vinegar Solution

Combine one part white spirit vinegar with 4 parts cold water and mix well. Transfer this solution to a spray bottle.

Vinegar is perfect for odor removal and can be used to remove a smoke smell from wood furniture.

Spray the solution onto the baking soda, enough to dampen the baking soda on the wood. Then leave it to settle in for about 10 minutes before you continue.

Scrub Area

Use a soft brush to gently scrub the baking soda and vinegar into the wood to remove the stain. Our Hand-Fit HorseHair Brush is perfect for this, as it is non-abrasive so it will not damage the wood in the process. Apply very gentle pressure when doing this.

You can also use a CRB machine for this step if you prefer.

Rinse & Dry

Once you have scrubbed out the stain, dampen a cloth with cold water and then wipe off any of the remaining baking soda and vinegar. Be sure to wring out any excess liquid first, to avoid having to get water stains out of the wood.

Leave to dry, and then check to ensure that the stain is completely gone. If not, repeat the process from the start. This process works well to get ink out of wood.

Conclusion

Blood can be messy, and removing dark stains from wood may seem challenging, but if you are equipped with the right methods and products it can be relatively straightforward to clean.

The best way to approach a blood stain on the wood is to get to work on cleaning it as soon as it happens. But if you are only able to get to it at a later stage, you will need to put together a simple yet effective baking soda and vinegar solution.

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