How To Get Period Stains Out Of Underwear

Almost everyone who has gotten their period has had to deal with an unexpected leak. Here's how to remove the stains, so you don't have to throw anything away.

Periods are not fun. I know it, you know it. However, periods are something we have to deal with for many, many years, so we might as well know how to be prepared for it. Almost every person who has gotten their period has had to deal with stained underwear at some point – I would stake my almost non-existent reputation on it. I can't even count the number of undies and clothing items I've had to throw out over the years.

I'm here to tell you not to make the same mistakes I did. Don't throw out your undies or your clothes! Don't go buy new sheets because you leaked! My best advice is to buy Knixteen period underwear , because of course they would have prevented a leak from happening in the first place. But, for those times when you don't have your Knixteens and experience leaks, I'm going to teach you how to clean and remove those awful period stains.

Image via Instagram (@olivialocher)

How to remove fresh blood stains

If your period stain is fresh, it's pretty easy to remove. The best way is to run the fabric under lukewarm water, then scrub it with some soap. How you wash the clothing will depend on the fabric - if it's a more delicate knit, dab it, but if it's something sturdier like jeans, scrub it. I like to use dish soap as opposed to hand soap, because generally it's got better stain-fighting powers. After spot treating it, the stain should be gone, but toss it in the wash to finish it off.

Of course, this is much easier with clothes and sheets. If you're dealing with a bloodstained mattress that can't be put under a sink or into a washing machine, wet a washcloth or towel with lukewarm water and scrub with soap. This might take a little longer only because you don't have the power of running water on your side, however, the stain will come out eventually.

When you're trying to get blood out of a mattress, it's important to remember not to soak it. If you use too much water, your mattress will literally never dry. After you've gotten the stain out, put a fan near the wet spot to help it dry faster (this is especially helpful if your house/climate tends to be damp).

How to get out dried blood

So maybe you had a fresh stain on your clothes, spot-cleaned it and tossed it in the wash, but it's being stubborn and still won't go away. Or maybe the blood has dried already. Old blood stains can be tricky; I've found the best thing to do is dip a dry washcloth or towel in hydrogen peroxide and dab it onto the stain. Try not to rub, and be careful on darker clothing as hydrogen peroxide can cause the dye on your clothing to fade. After this, rinse it off and toss it in the washing machine. This tactic has never failed me or anyone I know, so I highly recommend investing in hydrogen peroxide instead of a new pair of panties.

DIY stain remover

If you don't want to make the trip to the store to buy hydrogen peroxide, there are a couple ways you can create a similar product using things around the house (chemistry!) If you crush up a few painkillers and mix them with water, this will create a paste you can use the same way you would hydrogen peroxide. A few spoonfuls of salt or baking soda mixed with water will also have the same effect. Voila, no more period stains! Pretty cool, right?!

Since you're saving so much money not throwing out bloodstained clothes and underwear, you'll have leftover money to indulge in something new! I would like to once again recommend our teen period underwear , because if you had them, you wouldn't need to read this article in the first place.