How to remove period blood stains
Updated · By the Luniva team
Quick answer
Use Luniva Enzyme Powered (the pink one). Spray it directly onto the stain, leave it for 1–3 minutes, then wash as normal following the garment care label.
Cold water only until the stain has gone. Keep a bottle by the washing basket so leaks get treated straight away, before they dry.
Step by step
- 1
Rinse in cold water
Hold the stain under the cold tap, from the back of the fabric, to push the blood out the way it came in. Never use warm or hot water.
- 2
Spray and wait 1–3 minutes
Spray Luniva Enzyme Powered onto the stain until it's wet through. Don't rub, and don't let it dry on the fabric.
- 3
Wash cool, then check
Wash with your usual detergent at the temperature on the care label. Air-dry and check the stain has gone before tumble drying.
Period leaks happen to everyone: on knickers, pyjamas, sheets, mattress protectors and jeans. Period blood is a protein stain like any other blood, so the same rules apply: cold water first, never hot, then Luniva Enzyme Powered. Spray, wait 1–3 minutes, then wash as normal.
Why hot water makes period stains worse
Blood is rich in protein. Heat cooks protein into the fibres, which is why a hot rinse, a hot wash or a tumble dryer can turn a fresh mark into a permanent brown shadow. Rinsing in cold water first washes out what hasn't soaked in yet, and an enzyme treatment works on the protein that's left before the garment goes in the machine.
Fabric guide
Best on washable everyday fabrics
Cotton, linen, denim, polyester and cotton blends: clothes, kidswear, bedding, towels and washable covers.
Test first on delicates
Patch-test an inconspicuous area on silk, wool, viscose, leather-trimmed items or anything labelled dry-clean only.
Don't let it dry
Spray, leave 1–3 minutes, then wash. Don't let the treated area dry out before washing.
Check before drying
Inspect the area after washing and repeat if any shadow remains. Dryer heat can set a leftover mark.
Period blood: questions
Strip the sheet and rinse the stained area under the cold tap from the back. Spray Enzyme Powered until it's wet through, leave it 1–3 minutes and wash as normal. Treat the mattress protector the same way if it's machine-washable.
Often, yes. Rinse in cold water to loosen the stain, spray until wet through and leave 1–3 minutes, then wash. A stain that has been through a hot wash or the dryer may need a second treatment.
Yes on washable cotton and everyday fabrics. For period pants, follow the maker's care instructions first, as some have their own rules for washing and drying.
Denim is thick, so make sure the stain is wet through. Rinse cold from the back, spray Enzyme Powered, wait 1–3 minutes and wash inside out at the temperature on the label.
Pink. Blood is a protein stain, which is what Enzyme Powered is for.
Based on controlled laboratory testing. Performance may vary by stain type, fabric, age of the stain and wash conditions. Always follow the garment care label and test an inconspicuous area first.
