Blood cleanup poses unique challenges to anyone who’s tasked with the job. This is because blood carries pathogens that can cause diseases like HIV, malaria, hepatitis B, and more. When cleaning blood, you want to ensure you’re using the right techniques to reduce your risk of exposure to bacteria and viruses.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to clean up blood on different surfaces in a safe and sanitary manner.
Blood spills on non-carpeted floors
Surfaces like ceramic, tiles, metal, and vinyl are the most common settings for blood spills. While these surfaces are easy to clean, there are still a couple of important steps to keep in mind. Blood spills tend to spread quickly on non-carpeted floors which means you should act fast to contain the spill.
Here’s how to clean blood spills on non-carpeted surfaces:
- Wear disposable gloves and start wiping the blood with an absorbent material like a paper towel.
- Mix a solution of bleach that equals one part bleach and nine parts water. Gently pour the solution onto the contaminated surface and leave for at least 20 minutes.
- Wipe the contaminated surface with multiple pieces of paper towels. You can also use a rag and mop to clean the surface.
- Non-disposable cleaning materials like the rag and mop should be saturated with a bleach solution and allowed to air-dry before storing them.
- Dispose of the paper towels and gloves in a leak-proof bag or container before placing in a garbage bag.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water. Use hand sanitiser afterwards.
Blood spills on carpeted floors
Blood cleanup on carpeted surfaces is quite difficult to do since carpet is absorbent in nature. Some of the procedures used on non-carpeted flooring apply to carpeted surfaces with a few additional concerns. Here’s how to clean carpeted floors safely:
- Wear disposable gloves and start disinfecting the contaminated surface with a carpet shampoo (preferably with antimicrobial properties). Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Start blotting the blood spill with a paper towel. Time is of the essence when cleaning blood on carpeted surfaces so make sure to perform blood cleanup as soon as possible.
- Use a wet vacuum to extract the remaining fluids. Repeat the process twice to remove as much blood as possible.
- After vacuuming, use an appropriate disinfectant on the contaminated surface. You can then follow this up with steam cleaning to sanitise the affected area.
- Proceed to dry up the surface by using industrial fans. Dispose of the soiled rags appropriately and sanitise the equipment used afterwards.
Blood spills on furniture
Like carpeted floors, furniture uses leather for the most part which exhibits absorbent properties. The key is to act quickly since blood stains can be difficult to remove once it hardens. Here’s how to cleanup blood spills on furniture.
- Wear disposable gloves and blot the blood stains with a paper towel.
- Use a leather-specific shampoo to clean the affected area. Before you use a disinfectant, test it out on an inconspicuous area of the furniture first to see how it will react.
- Use an upholstery cleaner to thoroughly clean the contaminated surface. Repeat the process until the blood stains disappear.
- Re-apply a mild disinfectant over the affected area and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Dry the surface with a paper towel and dispose of them in a leak-proof bag.
Blood spills on pools
Blood cleanup on pool surfaces most requires the same steps as non-carpeted floors do. But the most important step is to contain the blood spill and ensure it doesn’t contaminate the water and other areas of the pool.
The good news is that chlorine found in pool water can kill a wide variety of bloodborne pathogens, including those that can cause cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, and more. Currently, there is no evidence in which a person has contracted a disease after being exposed to pool water contaminated with blood.
For the health and safety of your guests, make sure the pool is inaccessible until proper remediation has been done. It’s also worth contacting a professional trauma cleanup company to ensure that all areas of the pool have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
Blood spills outdoors
Blood spills outdoors pose unique challenges as cleaning bodily fluids on dirt, grass, or gravel can be quite difficult. The potential for exposure is quite high in these areas and sometimes disinfecting the contaminated surfaces is challenging on its own.
The first step is to block off the area and request for a trauma cleanup service right away. Like with most blood cleanup procedures, make sure to wear the appropriate PPE and observe caution when trying to secure the area until help arrives.
Each situation will be different and the extent of the blood spill many necessitate help from a biohazard cleanup company. Remember that human blood is a hazardous substance and cleaning it requires careful planning and consideration. By following these steps, you’ll be able to remove blood from different surfaces and reduce your risk of exposure to serious health risks.
