How do you remove blood stains from a silk blouse?
Pippa, how old is the bloodstain? And what color is the silk blouse? If the bloodstain is less than 48 hours old, you have about a 50/50 chance of removing most or all of it with saliva. I’m not kidding: keep spitting (generously!) on the stain, let that soak for at least ten minutes, and rinse the spots in plain cool water. Re-do the saliva treatment if there is any blood left, and let it soak for even longer. Then wash the blouse as the manufacturer directs. You’ll know if the saliva treatment is working or not by examining the edges of the stains after just a few minutes. If the edges have started to “feather” and look a little dissolved, then the odds of removing the stains are in your favor. If not, keep going, but lower your expectations. After any stain has “set,” chemically, then it’s almost impossible to remove. The rule of thumb is that after 48 hours, just about any stain is permanently “set.” The stains become part of the cloth’s fibers, just as good as any intentional dye.
