Blood on a Couch: Clean It or Call a Pro
Fresh blood on a couch from one person's small cut can often be lifted with cold water and patient blotting. Blood is a protein stain, so heat and hard scrubbing set it deeper. The signs that a couch needs a crew are listed further down.
How to get blood out of a couch
Act fast and use cold water, never hot. Blot with a clean white cloth or paper towel and lift straight up rather than scrubbing. Check the cleaning code on the tag first: S or W means water-based cleaner is safe, SW allows either, and X means vacuum only, so call an upholstery cleaner. Test any product on a hidden spot. For a dried stain, an enzyme cleaner made for protein stains works better than soap.
Blood on a couch from someone else
Blood from a person other than the one cleaning carries bloodborne pathogens, and OSHA's standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, sets rules for employees who handle it. Wear gloves, bag the cloths and wash your hands. If you are unsure whose blood it is, treat it as someone else's.
When blood on upholstery needs a crew
Call a crew when the blood has soaked into the cushion foam, when a lot of it spread across the couch, when it came from an injury scene or a death, or when the couch cannot be cleaned through. Blood that reached the foam stays there after the fabric looks clean. The crew removes what cannot be cleaned and disinfects the rest.
Blood on a couch in a Houston home
The blood cleanup service page explains what the crew removes and how a walk-through works. Call any hour.