cleaning blood

[Rod73]

I have agreed to detail a friend of mine's car, no payment required. It is for a very good cause. He was unfortunately robbed and beaten while working. And nearly bleed to death on the way to the hospital. He is ok now and taking some time away from work.


My goal is to erase that entire experience from his car (literally) and make his car look brand new. In my excitement to do this for him, it has hit me I don't have a wealth of experience cleaning large quantities of blood. So I am asking the more experienced detailers who may have seen it all for suggestions?

[GSKR]

I wouldn't touch it,and I know where your heart is trying to help him.can his insurance policy replace the contaminated panels or such.

[Rod73]

That is something I will ask (insurance policy) next time I see him.

[Coach Steve]

Blood is difficult to completely eradicate. To fully rid the area of it you must use an enzyme based detergent usually only available to professional crime scene cleaners. However, those same enzyme based cleaners are used in slaughter houses. The only difference between the two is the ones used in slaughter houses are NSF certified safe for use in institutions and food prep areas. You may be able to find that type of cleaner at PetSmart or the like for cleaning up after animals that have bled on carpet or furniture. As long as it's enzyme based, it will work.

**Make sure you wear thick nitrile or rubber gloves and a dust mask that covers your mouth and nose. Wear goggles at all times. You want to prevent anything from being able to enter your mucous membranes.**

Before you get to the point of using an enzyme based detergent, you will need to remove as much of the surface level blood as possible by first cleaning the carpet and fabric as you normally would using cold water and a good extractor. Let it dry completely then mix a 1:1 ratio of hydrogen peroxide to kill any bacteria that has grown and to release the blood from the fibers. Do a test area first to make sure the solution won't adversely affect the carpet/fabric. Use a spray bottle and generously wet the area affected. after it stops foaming, clean it again using cold water and an extractor. this is the point where you will need the enzyme based detergent. That will finish removing any remnants of the blood including color, plasma, odor, etc.

Good luck and if you're the least bit hesitant about doing this job, don't do it. Leave it to the pros.
One thing I forgot to mention above is how critical it is that you use cold water only. Hot water will set the color into the carpet/fabric and permanently stain it!

Sorry to hear about your buddy. Hope he makes a full recovery.

[LSNAutoDetailing]

I wouldn't touch it,and I know where your heart is trying to help him.can his insurance policy replace the contaminated panels or such.

I agree. Blood is a bio-hazard. I would NOT touch it.

[wn1998]

I doubt his insurance would replace anything since it sounds like it was a fight and not a car accident.

Dried blood is of little risk as diseases like hepatitis and HIV die is a highly oxygenated environment (outside of the body). I double checked several souces on the net before I posted this and you should too! I would still wear gloves and some protection on your eyes as a precautionary but it shouldn't be much of a risk to you.

As for cleaning the blood out of his car, I have no clue. I hope for your sake he has lot and lots of vinyl and a dark colored interior.

Happy Detailing!

[Firehouse Mike]

Blood is difficult to completely eradicate. To fully rid the area of it you must use an enzyme based detergent usually only available to professional crime scene cleaners. However, those same enzyme based cleaners are used in slaughter houses. The only difference between the two is the ones used in slaughter houses are NSF certified safe for use in institutions and food prep areas. You may be able to find that type of cleaner at PetSmart or the like for cleaning up after animals that have bled on carpet or furniture. As long as it's enzyme based, it will work.

**Make sure you wear thick nitrile or rubber gloves and a dust mask that covers your mouth and nose. Wear goggles at all times. You want to prevent anything from being able to enter your mucous membranes.**

Before you get to the point of using an enzyme based detergent, you will need to remove as much of the surface level blood as possible by first cleaning the carpet and fabric as you normally would using cold water and a good extractor. Let it dry completely then mix a 1:1 ratio of hydrogen peroxide to kill any bacteria that has grown and to release the blood from the fibers. Do a test area first to make sure the solution won't adversely affect the carpet/fabric. Use a spray bottle and generously wet the area affected. after it stops foaming, clean it again using cold water and an extractor. this is the point where you will need the enzyme based detergent. That will finish removing any remnants of the blood including color, plasma, odor, etc.

Good luck and if you're the least bit hesitant about doing this job, don't do it. Leave it to the pros.
One thing I forgot to mention above is how critical it is that you use cold water only. Hot water will set the color into the carpet/fabric and permanently stain it!

Sorry to hear about your buddy. Hope he makes a full recovery.


All of the above is very accurate. I am a current WA State EMT and have cleaned out A LOT of ambulances and equipment. I currently do interiors for local law enforcement is they get blood or other biohazards in their patrol cars. I use a product from Mt. Hood Chemical in Portland OR called Vampire. It is an enzyme based spotter that works very well. I also use another product called CaviCide 1 as well as hospital grade wipers. If you HAVE THE PROPER PPE (personal protective equipment) you can safely give it a shot. I'm not sure what a large amount means, but you might need to check with local authorities for disposal.

Good Luck
Mike