removing blood from white cotton sheets.

I have heard that sunlight is a natural bleach. What about salt?

Grandmabatty

I have heard that sunlight is a natural bleach. What about salt?

It is, but it’s better to make a paste of soap powder and cover the stain with the paste.

Vanish ?

Soaking in cold water and salt the first step always for blood, surely. Then soaking in biological soap powder/liquid.

Probably too late now for your best sheets, jeanie99 as, if they've been washed in hot (or even warm) water, that will have "fixed" the stain.

Vanish works for me, but after the vinegar and the bleach there might not be enough enzymes left for it to work on.

What I did was sponge with cold water and a small bit of vanish , but that won’t work now you’ve washed them
My mum used to put her linen on the lawn in the sun , if we ever get sun you could try that

Cold salty paste, just water and salt, is pretty effective.

My mother taught us to always put knickers, sheets,handkerchiefs anything with blood on into a salt and cold water solution right away. They were left overnight if possible then next day put in the old gas boiler with Persil and after stirring a couple of times giving a good boil out they came spotless clean. I’ve done most of this apart from the boil just a hot wash over the years and it still seems to work.

I forgot yes I used Vanish soap.

I suspect now they are fixed!!!!

I have them outside again on the line, still stained.

Thanks everyone

For what it's worth - small specks of blood disappear if you spit on them! I don't know if the blood and spit have to come from the same donor.
My experience comes from pricking my finger whilst sewing - it really does work

Pray for sunshine Jeanie!

As an alternative to binning them, I would prepare the machine, so it's ready to start immediately, then pour neat bleach onto the stain. (Working from the outside, inwards, so the stain doesn't spread)

Bundle it quickly into the machine, with other 'whites', cross fingers, and wait for the magic to happen.

It's my tried and trusted method.

I’m another who swears by dampen with cold water and sprinkle with salt, rinse and repeat.

Yes, I would recommend salt as well.

Sadly, I think you’ve probably set the stain. Hopefully blood on just one sheet, not several.

Bleach does work on whites. Put a few drops of neat bleach on the stain and then straight into the washer. Only put other whites in with it. It should come out clean.
I’ve got the same problem with a very good quality cream sheet. It’s only a drop so can be ignored, but it annoys me. Obviously I can’t use bleach but I used biological washing liquid and vanish powder, but it’s still there. Hanging in the sun didn’t make any difference, but it does on any tomato based stains. It’s brilliant on anything with a tomato base, soup, pasta sauce, ketchup etc.

Both sheets and a pillar case, I will try the bleach again, I live in hope.
My neighbour's must wonder what I am up to.

Thanks everyone

Ace gentle bleach will work, it’s amazing stuff.

i use neat washing up liquid on most stains; leave it a while, then work in with vinyl gloved fingers, and wasj with the rest.
it usually works.
but not sure about blood.
and as you have now washed the sheets...
i think you'll have to write them off as best.
think of an alternative use.
it's only money, not a disaster.
annoying though.

I an always having nosebleeds often at night. I always soak in cold water and rub washing up liquid into stain, it always works. Never put in hot water that just sets the stain.

Napisan is a good stain remover and is great on sweaty pillowcases too.

A salt paste . Leave for a while and wash

No one will notice once the bed is made. If it still annoys you dye them a dark colour.I knew a lady who dyed all her scruffy underwear and tops pink.

jeanie99

Both sheets and a pillar case, I will try the bleach again, I live in hope.
My neighbour's must wonder what I am up to.

Thanks everyone

Where did you bury the body?🫣