How to get blood out of a mattress hinges on one rule that's easy to get wrong: only ever use cold water. Heat cooks the proteins in blood and sets the stain permanently. Get that right and a fresh stain lifts easily — and even old, dried blood usually comes out with the peroxide method below.
Press a cold, damp cloth onto the stain to lift as much blood as possible. Work from the outside in so you don't spread it, and blot — never rub.
Dab 3% hydrogen peroxide directly on the stain. It'll fizz as it reacts with the blood — that's it working. Let it bubble for a minute or two.
Blot with a cold damp cloth, then repeat the peroxide if any colour remains. Two or three light passes beat one soaking.
Blot dry, then let the mattress air-dry completely (a fan helps) before re-making the bed.
Mix baking soda (or salt) with a little cold water into a thick paste. The mild abrasion helps break up set stains.
Spread the paste over the dried stain and leave it 30 minutes to an hour. It will lift and absorb the old blood as it dries.
Scrape off the dried paste and vacuum the residue. For anything still showing, finish with hydrogen peroxide as in the fresh-stain steps above.
Blood is protein-based, so a biological enzyme cleaner can finish off old marks that peroxide alone won't shift.
A washable waterproof mattress protector means the next surprise stain hits something you can just throw in a cold wash — no peroxide, no paste, no panic.
More: the full how to clean a mattress routine · urine · yellow sweat stains. If a stain has soaked deep into the foam for good, see the best mattresses in Canada.
Practical stain-removal tips — not medical advice.
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