You Can Clean Blood & Body Stains Naturally (Or Not At All)
Photo by Karolina Grabowska via Pexels
Let's be *really* honest for a moment: underwear stains are a part of life. Whether it's blood, discharge, or something else, you might have underwear discoloration from time to time. And while we're not saying you have to (or even can) get rid of stains, we also know that there are simple ways to remove them from your underwear, should you want to. What's more is that these methods are all easy to implement anywhere, whether you're in the outdoors or in your bathroom. Here are a few tips to get started:
Rinse, rinse, repeat
Yes— that’s what we said! The very first thing you should do is douse your underwear in cold water as soon as possible to dilute the situation. The older the stain, the more challenging to remove.
Saline solution or salt water
This combo works best on lighter stains. If you're traveling, salt packets from restaurants or contact lens cleaning solution has been known to work well.
Aspirin or baking soda
These two common ingredients are also simple agents to help remove stains (and something you might be able to find in the cupboard of an Airbnb, ask for at the front desk of a hotel, or bring with you while spending time outdoors). Sprinkle some baking soda (or crushed up aspirin) and mix with water until it's a paste you can put directly on the spots you want to remove.
Fresh lemon juice
This works best on light-colored garments. When applied directly for 30 or more minutes, it can remove unwanted marks on your underwear.
Have fresh blood stains specifically?
Hydrogen peroxide is a tried and true method for lifting blood from fabric. And because it doesn't take much to be effective, it's also something you can carry with you in a small bottle if you're traveling or heading outdoors.
Lastly-- recognize that "clean" might never look the same as "new".
Factors like pH balance can contribute to the permanent staining of your underwear, and like it or not some stains might never come out. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, like every stain we encounter outdoors, it's all a part of the adventure.