How to get blood out of shoes

How to remove blood from shoes

1. 1

   Blot fresh blood immediately

   Press a paper towel or cloth dampened with cold water onto the blood and lift. Keep switching to a clean area. On dried blood, gently flake off any crust with a dull edge first.

   Why: Blood that hasn't dried or bonded to the material comes away easily. Rubbing pushes it deeper into mesh, canvas or leather grain.

2. 2

   Take out the laces and insoles

   Remove laces and insoles and treat them separately. Identify the upper material: canvas, knit or mesh, smooth leather, or suede and nubuck.

   Why: Each material needs a different method, and blood often soaks into laces and insoles where it's easy to miss.

3. 3

   Canvas, knit or mesh: scrub with cold enzyme solution

   Mix a little enzyme laundry detergent into a bowl of cold water. Dip a soft brush, work it gently into the stain, and let it sit 15 to 30 minutes, keeping it damp. Rinse by dabbing with a cloth wet with clean cold water.

   Why: Cold water keeps the blood protein soluble, and protease enzymes break it into pieces that rinse away. Gentle brushing reaches into the weave without fraying it.

4. 4

   Smooth leather: wipe with cool soap foam

   Whip mild soap in cool water to make plenty of suds. Apply only the foam with a sponge, rub the stain gently without spreading it, and wipe dry with a soft cloth. Condition the leather once it's dry.

   Why: Foam carries very little water, which matters because water left on leather can harden and shrink it. Cool water keeps the blood from setting.

5. 5

   Brighten any leftover mark on white canvas

   On white canvas or white fabric uppers, dab the leftover mark with 3% hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes and rinse. One shoe maker suggests diluted chlorine bleach, about 1 tablespoon per quart of water, for white canvas only.

   Why: Peroxide and bleach oxidize the brownish heme pigment that can stay after the protein is gone. Bleach strips color and damages leather and spandex, so keep it to white canvas.

6. 6

   Air-dry at room temperature

   Stuff the shoes with paper or insert shoe trees and let them dry in a ventilated spot, away from heaters and direct sun. Check the stain once they're fully dry.

   Why: Dryer heat damages shoes and sets any blood left. Stuffing holds the shape while the upper dries.

Why blood needs cold water on shoes too

Blood is a protein stain: hemoglobin and clotting proteins that cling to whatever they dry on, and that heat cooks into place. That rule doesn't change on a shoe. What changes is how much water you can use. Shoes are a mix of materials glued and stitched together, with foam and insoles that hold water, so soaking them is rarely an option.

The methods here use cold water in small amounts, matched to the upper. The general method across materials is on the blood stain page, and broader care rules by material are on the shoes page.

Canvas, leather and suede take different treatment

Canvas, knit and mesh are fabrics, so they take a cold enzyme detergent solution and gentle brushing. Smooth leather takes only a light touch: soap foam, a quick wipe and conditioning, because soaking hardens it and harsh chemicals damage the finish. Suede and nubuck have a napped surface, and shoe makers say not to wash them with soap and water.

Shoes are exempt from the federal care labeling rule, so most don't have a care label. Check the maker's care page if you're unsure.

By situation

Dried blood on sneakers

Flake off the crust, then keep the stain damp with the cold enzyme solution for 30 minutes or more, re-wetting as needed, before brushing and rinsing. Old blood may need two or three rounds, and a leftover shadow on white canvas can be treated with peroxide.

White sneakers

White canvas shows the brown shadow clearly. Use the enzyme step first, then 3% hydrogen peroxide or the diluted bleach solution on canvas only. Keep bleach off leather trim, colored parts and any stretch materials.

Suede or nubuck shoes

Blot fresh blood very lightly with a cloth barely dampened in cold water, let it dry, then use a suede brush. Don't use soap and water. For anything more than a small spot, take them to a shoe repair or cleaning shop, which is also the advice for oily and ink stains on suede.

Laces and insoles

Soak laces in cold water with enzyme detergent, then wash them by hand or in a mesh bag. Scrub fabric insoles with the same solution, rinse lightly and let them air-dry completely before putting them back.

Machine-washable sneakers

Only if the shoe maker says it's safe. Treat the stain with the cold enzyme solution first, wash cold on a gentle cycle, and air-dry. Never use the dryer.

What not to do

• Don't use hot water. Heat sets blood protein into the material.
• Don't put shoes in the dryer or near a heater. Shoe makers warn that heat damages shoes and deforms plastic parts such as lace tips, and it sets the stain.
• Don't soak leather or wash suede with soap and water. Water left on leather can harden and shrink it, and soap and water damage suede's nap.
• Don't use chlorine bleach on colored, leather, suede or stretch parts. Bleach strips color and damages leather and spandex.

Other methods that work

Hydrogen peroxide (3%)

A few drops of drugstore hydrogen peroxide on blood fizz as catalase in the blood breaks it down, and the peroxide bleaches the leftover color. It's most useful on white canvas after the enzyme step.

Caution: It can lighten dyes, so test it on a hidden spot such as the tongue's underside. Keep it off leather and suede.

Salt water

Old government guidance suggested strong salt water for dried blood. It's traditional advice with weak evidence, and an enzyme detergent does more.

Caution: Rinse it out thoroughly afterward, and use it on fabric uppers only.

Stain still there?

A brown shadow remains on canvas

That's usually heme pigment. On white canvas, use 3% hydrogen peroxide or the diluted bleach solution, then rinse. On colored canvas, repeat the enzyme step instead.

A water ring appeared on leather

Too much water was used. Let the shoe dry fully at room temperature, away from heat, then condition the leather. If the mark stays, a shoe repair shop can clean and recolor leather.

Blood soaked into the foam lining

Blot the lining with the cold enzyme solution, then press dry towels inside to pull it out. Air-dry fully with paper stuffing, changing the paper as it gets damp.

Safety

• Wear disposable gloves when cleaning someone else's blood.
• Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or acids.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Blood on other surfaces

• Blood stains: the complete guide
• Blood on carpet
• Blood on clothes
• Blood on a couch
• Blood on a mattress
• Blood on sheets
• Blood on white clothes

Other stains on shoes

• Stains on shoes: the complete guide
• Grass on shoes