How to Clean Up Blood
This time on the BIOClean Team blog we’re taking it back to basics and addressing one of the most common aspects of our work. How to clean up blood. Whether it’s a little or a lot, blood requires specific attention lest it become a much worse problem down the line. So if you have a blood splatter on your shirt or a larger stain on the floor – BIOClean has your back!
How to Clean Up Blood
Cleaning up blood is crucial for health and safety. Blood is infectious, which means it’s a vector for pathogens such as Hepatitis, HIV, and other pathogens to transmit through. Blood-borne viruses can live in blood for multiple days. For instance, Hepatitis B virus can live in the blood for up to one week. These and other viruses can remain active and present on surfaces long after visible blood or bio is gone. Surfaces contaminated with blood or other body fluids should be thoroughly disinfected and tested by a qualified biohazard company.
Cleaning up after blood is critical, and it’s not something you can do without the proper tools which means using PPE, correct disinfectants, and safety precautions. That means:
- disinfectant
- personal protective equipment such as gloves
- red biohazard bags
- biohazard labels
- brush and dustpan or tongs
- disinfectant wipes
- towels/cloth
You might potentially need a sharps container as well, depending on the nature of the mess.
With those at the ready, here’s how you clean up blood spills.
First – Get set up with your PPE.
Second – Clear away any debris around the blood. If there’s broken glass or shards, use the dustpan or tongs to remove them.
Third – Cover the blood with an absorbent towel or cloth and allow it to soak up as much of the excess blood. Discard the towel in the biohazard bags
Fourth – Apply the disinfectant as indicated. Allow it to dwell for the required length of time.
Fifth – Scrub, working the area with wipes or towels working from the outside of the spill inward.
Afterward dispose of any waste and used products, disinfectant and clean any of the reusable equipment (such as the dustpan or tongs) and wash your hands.
If this spill occurred at work, you’re likely required to report the incident so do so.
How to Clean Blood Stain
If the blood in question has already hit fabric and started to stain it’s time to act fast!
Two Big Ideas to Follow
- Act Fast
- Don’t Use Warm Water
The sooner you attend to it the easier it will be to clean and using warm water or heat of any kind is strictly a no-no – the heat will cause the stain to set. With those two principles in mind, here’s how you can remove blood stains from fabric with a product you already have in your medicine cabinet!
You’ll Need
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Paper towel or clean cloth
First – Test the hydrogen peroxide in a small spot to ensure it won’t discolor your fabric.
Second – Splash the hydrogen peroxide on the stain and let it sit.
Third – Let the peroxide sit and work it’s magic. Dwell time!
Fourth – Dab with the clean cloth, starting on the outside of the stain and moving inward.
Repeat as necessary.
Once the stain has been removed you can wash the clothing/fabric as normal.
Hydrogen peroxide is a great first step in cleaning the stains because its a very light form of bleach. If the stain doesn’t come out with it, you can test a few other cleaners including dishwashing liquid, ammonia, baking soda, or use a cleaner made specifically for that purpose, in which case you want to follow the manufacturer’s instructions by the letter for best results and safety.
How to Clean Up Blood Poolside
It’s the summer and pool parties are everywhere! The rough housing, horseplay, slippery surfaces, and, let’s face it, the likelihood for alcohol to be involved makes for a recipe for a tumble and potential injury. If your have to clean up some blood from around your pool here’s what to do!
First, make a simple bleach solution using 9 parts water to 1 part bleach. If you are using some other specific disinfectants, always follow the information and instructions on the label!
Clean-up Procedure Using Bleach Solution
- Block off the area to prevent anybody from making a mess or getting infected.
- Put on disposable gloves to protect yourself.
- Use paper towels, or other absorbent material to wipe up the blood. Place these directly into a garbage bag.
- Pour the bleach onto the contaminated areas.
- Let it work! Dwell time is the most critical piece of disinfecting!
- Wipe up the bleach solution.
- Remove gloves and place them, along with all other disposable soiled cleaning materials into the garbage bags.
- Any non-disposable tools such as mops or brushes should be saturated in the bleach solution and left to air dry.
- Double-bag and secure the garbage bags and throw them away.
The other option? Calling in the experts with the skills, equipment, and confidence to clean and disinfect the area. If you have a blood clean-up job that needs taking care of, just make one quick call. Available 24/7 The BIOClean Team is here to help!