Cleaning Up Blood Without Leaving a Trace – 5 Tips



How can I clean up blood without leaving a trace? Blood is one of the hardest substances to clean because of its ability to stain fabric, seep into porous materials, and bind to anything it comes into contact with. Another challenge lies in the fact that just because there is no visible trace of blood after cleaning does not mean that all traces of blood have been eliminated. The fact is, when it comes to blood clean up, cleaning is not enough.

5 Tips for How to Clean Blood

  1. Ask the right questions. How long has the blood been there? Blood that has sat for a while is harder to clean than fresh blood. How much blood is present? Large amounts of blood can be dangerous and nearly impossible to clean by yourself. What kind of surface was the blood spilled on? Porous materials like carpet and furniture may not be salvageable once contaminated with blood and may need to be disposed of.
  2. Protect yourself. Because blood can carry diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis, it is important to wear personal protective equipment such as latex gloves and goggles during blood clean up or while cleaning up other bodily fluids.
  3. Skip the bleach. Believe it or not, bleach is ineffective at completely removing traces of blood and can cause skin and eye irritation, destroy carpet and other furnishings, and disturb ecological balance.
  4. Clean first, then sanitize. Cleaning up blood and sanitizing are not the same thing. Cleaning is the process of removing material from a surface, whereas sanitizing is completely ridding a surface of microorganisms. Therefore, even though a surface may be clean, it may not be sanitized, and harmful biological material may still be present.
  5. Admit when you need help. As a general rule, if the bloodspill is larger than a standard dinner plate, you should avoid cleaning it on your own and call a bioremediation specialist for guidance on blood clean up.

Why is Removing All Traces of Blood Important?

For people who have experienced a homicide, suicide, or other trauma with significant bloodspill in their home, removing all traces of the blood and other biological material is important for a few reasons:

  • Emotional recovery. No one wants to be reminded of a family member, friend, or co-worker’s traumatic death or accident, especially in the one place that is meant to be a safe haven – home. Deciding how to clean up blood is an important step in emotional recovery.
  • Sanitation. Being exposed to someone else’s blood can be dangerous because of potential bloodborne pathogens like HIV, MRSA, and hepatitis. If the blood is not completely sanitized, the bacteria that is left behind can create lingering odors and has the potential to infect current and future occupants.
  • Property value. When significant blood is spilled in a home, business, or other property, the bacteria that is left behind can seep into carpet, padding, sub flooring, and walls, causing significant structural damage to the home or properties.

As an industry leader in biohazard cleaning, Aftermath’s goal is to relieve our customers’ burden by offering compassionate care and complete blood clean up when they need it most. The Aftermath Way is more than a guide to how to clean up blood – it is a mindset. Call us anytime for more information.