Removing blood stains from sails

[Mahana]

My son somehow spouted a leak while furling our mainsail this weekend. His shin deposited a considerable amount of blood onto the dacron sail. I've read about using either bleach or ammonia to remove stains. Does anyone here have experience and suggestions on how to clean off the blood?

[44'cruisingcat]

Cold fresh water is generally accepted as the way to remove blood stains. I wouldn't be putting bleach on sails.

[sagablu]

There is a product called "Stain Devils" Little bottles sold at supermarkets. They are stain specific. I have used the one for Blood, works better than you would expect.

[toddster8]

Think of the all the little bits in blood as tightly coiled springs. You want to wash them out quickly and gently. Once those millions of little springs trip within the fibers, forget about it. Lots of the coldest possible water as soon as possible - ice water if possible.

Otherwise, start making up a good story...

[JPA Cate]

Mahana,

Use hydrogen peroxide, medicinal strength, not the stuff for bleaching. It won't hurt the dacron. If it is really a lot of blood, I'd do as cruising cat 44' suggested, first, that will get most of it. Then attack it with the peroxide, and that breaks down the hemoglobin molecules. Eventually, you'll get to a point of diminishing returns, and that's about as good as it will get. It will not be noticeable from a distance.

Ann

PS It has been suggested that peroxide is how Chinese laundries in the US used to remove blood stains from articles of clothing.

[Calif.Ted]

Hydrogen Peroxide, when I was a paramedic we had a bottle devoted to removing blood from uniforms.

[roland stockham]

Soak in cold salt water for 24hr, works in hospital.

[yobird]

State troopers always carry 6 pack of Coca Cola to clean blood off the road at accident scene... might work on your sails.

[Paul Casey]

Amonia is used by commercial cleaning companies but i'd test it on Dacron first

[Flyingriki]

Ditto on peroxide. You can see it bubble the blood to rinse away. Takes several applications. Works great on clothes.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Calif.Ted

Hydrogen Peroxide, when I was a paramedic we had a bottle devoted to removing blood from uniforms.

this method must be done before wetting the material with any other solution.
peroxide works best.
the rest are for after the peroxide.
ammonia does not work.
cold salt water does not work on material.
once material is wetted with another substance, peroxide willnot work.
i got lots of blood on my clothing in my 30 plus years working intensive care areas in my career of nursing.. prolly about the same amount the paramedics got in 2 weeks of working traumas..hahaha
i ruined many uniforms before i learned this trick from paramedics

[jwing]

I recently tried OxyClean Max Force Spray and found that it did the job of removing long-set blood from clothing and bedsheets. That's all cotton, though. I can't say how it would work on sails, but I would try it if I had stains on my sails.

[UNCIVILIZED]

People have been making (blood) sacrifices to Gods for thousands of years, so isn't Neptune to be given his due?

[hellosailor]

Peroxide, yes.

A discrete secret of young ladies all over the world for laundering needs. If a simple soak doesn't do it, get a stiff brush or denture brush and help it.

Peroxide does go stale on the shelf, if the bottle is over a year old, you may need new.

The "oxide" magic stain removers sold as laundry boosters may also help, applied as a paste, allowed to sit, then scrubbed, but hydrogen peroxide works wonders.

Slightly OT: Should NOT be used on cuts and wounds, unless truly necessary, because it also destroys healthy tissue and leaves a fertile "soup" to encourage bacterial growth. Been deprecated for over a decade because of that problem.

[TomLewis]

We left ours on the sails as reminders of our ineptness at reefing.