Learning how to get blood out of shoes is a necessary skill to have in case you somehow end up with blood stains on your Vessi shoes. You could step on something sharp, or your pet or child could accidentally cut themselves and get blood stains on their or your shoes. After treating the wound, the last thing you need to be stressing about is removing blood stains from the shoes. 

Although blood stains are unsightly, they can come off easily and permanently as long as you know what you’re doing. So, we’ll look at the steps and techniques to seamlessly get blood stains from your shoes without causing any damage. 

How to Remove Blood from Shoes in 4 Easy Steps

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Here are the steps and techniques to follow when getting blood out of your shoes. This applies to all types of shoes, including your favourite pearl white Everyday Classic Sneaker. By following the steps we're outlining, you can get your shoes back to their sparkly water-proofed white state, with no one being the wiser. 

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Act fast 

The most important step when removing blood stains from shoes is to act as soon as possible. The longer you let the blood sit, the harder it’ll be to remove it from the shoe. 

So, the moment you notice the blood stain on your shoe, grab a clean cloth and use it to blot away as much blood as you can manage. Remember not to rub on the blood stain, as this can cause it to stain even further. 

Rubbing on the blood stain actually pushes the blood deeper into the material, making it more difficult to remove. Therefore, avoid this at all costs, as tempting as it might be. We’ll show you effective ways of dealing with tough blood stains in a minute, so you don’t have to worry about not getting all the blood out initially. 

Step 2: Rinse with cold water

After blotting away as much blood as you can, the next step is to rinse the blood stain with some clean cold water. You can either pass the shoe under running water or submerge the shoe in clean cold water and use a cloth to wipe the blood off.

In the case of leather shoes, simply use a damp cloth to wipe away as much blood as you can manage. This is because you shouldn't submerge leather shoes in water as this can ruin them.

However, if you can submerge your shoes in water, feel free to do so and use a clean cloth to continue wiping away the stain. Remember to be gentle and patient. 

Kindly note we’re using cold water instead of hot water because the latter causes the blood to coagulate, making it harder to remove. 

Step 3: Use a cleaning agent 

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If the cold water doesn’t remove the stains, or you want to be extra sure all the blood is gone, it’s time to use a cleaning agent. 

The cleaning agent you choose depends on availability and preference. We’ll cover hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap in this guide. We want you to have several options so that if you don't have one cleaning agent at hand, you can always use another.

Let's dive in.

a) Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide does a fantastic job of breaking down the proteins in the blood and removing the stain. However, although it’s our first option when cold water doesn’t work, we caution against using it on fragile shoe fabrics. 

Kindly check your shoe care instructions to confirm you can use strong bleaches on your shoes. If not, we recommend using the other cleaning agents below. If you can use hydrogen peroxide on your shoes, here’s how to go about it. 

Here are the simple steps to follow:

1. Mix equal parts cold water and 3% hydrogen peroxide in a clean bowl.

2. With a clean cloth, apply the solution to your shoe.

3. Leave the solution to sit for a couple of minutes, then rinse it off with clean cold water.

4. Once all the blood is out, take another clean but dry cloth to dry the area.

5. Feel free to repeat this process as much as you’d like until you’re sure the blood is fully gone. 

b) Baking soda

Baking soda is a household essential, and you’re more likely to have it lying around than you are hydrogen peroxide. Among the many things it’s known for, baking soda is a good abrasive cleaner and will come in very handy when you're dealing with blood stains.

Here are the steps when using baking soda to get rid of blood stains:

1. Get a tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with a few drops of clean cold water to make a smooth paste.

2. Once you're satisfied with how the paste looks, apply a generous amount to the blood-stained area of your shoe.

3. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes to allow it to work its magic.

4. Rinse off the mixture with some clean cold water.

5. If you're sure that you've gotten all the blood out, proceed to pat the area dry using a clean cloth.

c) White vinegar

Vinegar is another household staple that comes in handy when you have tough blood stains to deal with. Although it's not as effective as hydrogen peroxide, it works in almost the same way.

Here are the steps to follow if you choose to use vinegar to remove blood stains:

1. Mix equal parts cold water and vinegar in a clean bowl.

2. Take a clean cloth and use it to dab the solution on the part of your shoe with the blood.

3. Let the solution sit for a few minutes. This can be between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on your preference.

4. Rinse the solution off using cold water.

5. Blot the spot dry with a clean cloth and repeat the process if need be. 

d) Dishwashing soap

If you do your dishes yourself, you know effective dish soap is at removing tough grease and oils from your dirty dishes. It’s also great at dealing with blood stains.

Here are the steps to follow when using dishwashing soap to remove blood stains:

1. Mix a small amount of dish soap with clean and cold water.

2. Apply the solution to the spot on the shoe with the blood stain.

3. Leave it for a few minutes to let the dish soap do its job.

4. Rinse it off with some more cold water.

5. Dry the shoe area with a clean cloth and confirm you’ve gotten all the blood out.

6. Repeat the process until you’re satisfied your shoe is back to normal. 

An Alternative Solution to Removing Blood from Shoes: Getting Professional Help 

Getting professional help when you're dealing with blood stains on your shoes can be a great option when you can't or don't want to clean them yourself. For example, you can choose to take your shoes to a professional cleaner when you're busy with work, or you prefer to take care of your young one.

The good thing about professionals is they will use advanced tools and cleaning agents to take out the stain seamlessly. You can also choose to take your shoes to an expert cleaner if you’re afraid of ruining them. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially regarding your favourite pair of shoes. 

To Sum Up

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We hope you now have a good idea of how to get blood out of shoes.

The first step is to act immediately to prevent the stain from setting. We know you can still get dried blood stains out of your shoes. However, it's better to deal with the stain while it's still fresh to ease the process.

If you can't rinse the blood out of your shoes with cold water, the next step is to use cleaning agents. These include hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, white vinegar, or dishwashing soap. We've outlined the procedures on how to use the agents above.

Remember to avoid using hot or warm water on your blood-stained shoes because this can make the blood stains permanent or much harder to remove.

Frequently Asked Questions About Removing Blood Stains from Shoes

1. Can I use hot water to remove blood stains from my shoes? 

No. You shouldn’t use hot water to remove blood stains from shoes because it makes the stain harder to remove. 

Hot water causes the proteins in the blood to coagulate and stick harder to the shoe material. Therefore, always use cold water when removing blood stains. This includes when you’re mixing your cleaning agents and when you’re rinsing the agent off. 

2. Can I use a soft toothbrush to remove blood stains? 

Yes, you can use a clean toothbrush to clean your shoes. By gently scrubbing the blood out of your shoes, you'll start to see some improvement.

However, ensure you use a toothbrush with soft bristles to avoid ruining the shoe fabric. 

3. Does bleach remove blood stains from my shoes?

No. We don’t recommend reaching for your best bleach to remove blood stains from your shoes because this will cause the stain to set even more. 

If you want something as effective as bleach, consider using hydrogen peroxide. This powerful bleaching agent will get the job done without ruining your shoes further. If you don’t have this cleaning agent with you, you can use others like white vinegar, baking soda, and dishwashing soap. 

4. Does a washing machine remove blood stains from shoes? 

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No. Avoid using a washing machine to remove blood stains from your shoes because this can cause the stain to set even further. Instead, follow the steps above to get the blood out. Once you’re sure you’ve gotten the blood out, you can then proceed to machine-wash the shoes. 

However, ensure your shoes are machine-washable before throwing them in the wash. Oftentimes, the shoe fabric will guide you in knowing if it’s safe to use the washing machine. For example, canvas shoes and sneakers made from canvas materials are safe for this. On the other hand, you shouldn’t put leather shoes in your washing machine at any cost. 

Double-check the care instructions first if you’re unsure whether machine-washing your shoes is safe. Once you get the green light, check out our guide on washing sneakers in a washing machine for extra guidance.