Remove blood from G-Tex?

[DeadFred]

Can anyone help with a proven method for removing blood from Gore-Tex (North Face Parka)?

It's not so much the stains that I care about, just the removal of the blood without affecting the g-tex. Should I just wash with techwash (normal treatment) or should I pre-soak, etc?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Barry Sr]

Old medical trick.
Presoak spot with H2O2(hydrogen peroxide).
It hemolizes red blood cells and they break up and wash away.

Never had a dirty lab coat.

 

[DeadFred]

Barry,

Thanks, that's awesome.

Does this work with dried and old blood (it's been two days), or just fresh?

 

[Barry Sr]

The sooner the better as with anything.
I have used it at the end of a week on laundry day with good results.

 

[el-bagr]

A neat thread, with personal resonance for me -- as I was skiing several weeks ago, I sliced my bare hand on ski edges while fumbling with skins. I didn't notice the cut until half an hour later, when my g-tex'd left mitt started crusting on the outside with a brownish/red substance. Pulling the mitt off, the cut was visible, but all the blood had seeped through the mitt. I guess it's proof that g-tex works.

 

[stoopid]

A neat thread, with personal resonance for me -- as I was skiing several weeks ago, I sliced my bare hand on ski edges while fumbling with skins. I didn't notice the cut until half an hour later, when my g-tex'd left mitt started crusting on the outside with a brownish/red substance. Pulling the mitt off, the cut was visible, but all the blood had seeped through the mitt. I guess it's proof that g-tex works.

Ought to send that in to gore tex as a promotional spot

the peroxide thing ought to work. Even if you just soaked it in warm water and used dish liquid and a tooth brush you should be able to get it out without damaging the membrane... (I was surprised to learn recently that washing gore tex would impact the effectiveness of the membrane over time...)

 

[maineguy]

I sure hope you got that blood stain while hiking/skiing in the Northeast.

Ted

 

[DeadFred]

maineguy,

Yeah, it was right here in my own backyard at an ice climbing spot in the Capital District of NY. However, it wasn't my blood. My dog Dakota had a little (actually BIG) mishap and I let her bleed on my coat. She's just fine though, after quite a big scare. Thanks.

 

[Jay H]

With your usename, I think I'll be scanning the newswire for any murders/disappearences in the backcountry....

I always thought that leaving blood on clothes is just a battlescar. Makes people think twice about messing with you...



Jay

 

[Mark]

Be careful with the H2O2. It may bleach out the color. Test it on an inconspicuous spot first.

 

[DeadFred]

Jay,

After your keen observation, you better hope I don't see you on a trail and make you pay for blowing my cover!

Seriously, though, I do like your recommendation and will oblige this idea by bleeding on all my wearables! This way, no matter what I'm wearing people will think twice about messing with me! Hey, good idea for lean-to selfishness...Between my dog, my username, and all the blood, I figure no one will ever ask to share my lean-to!

(The username is more a reflection of my musical tastes and my attitude toward risk than what I want to do to people. I think.)

Mark, good advice...I'm gonna try on some older g-tex first.

 

[mommabear]

When I was taught to do laundry as a kid, I was told that stain removal from tomato sauces and blood is different in that cold water takes them out and hot or warm water sets the stain in. So before anything else, I'd suggest soaking it in cold water first, scrubbing the stain out as much as possible, and then I would use detergent that's specifically made for Gore Tex. I use NikWax Tech Wash.

 

[Jay H]

Oh... Maybe I should add to my profile that I'm really 10 feet tall and 750lbs and I have sharp teeth...



Jay

 

[DeadFred]

Jay (Or, is it Yogi?),

I didn't know grizzlies where moving into the ADK's?!! I'll make sure I look out for YOU next time I'm out!



mommabear,

Thanks for the tip. Nothing personal to the rest, but at the risk of sounding chauvenistic, I'm gonna trust someone with "momma" in their username when it comes to laundry questions! I'll try that first, thanks!

 

[mommabear]

You're welcome, DeadFred. Hope it helps. Don't be afraid to put some of the techwash directly on the stain when you try scrubbing it out. Just so that you know, Techwash also has a product where you can renew the waterproof/breathability of fabrics like Gore-Tex. I've never used it before but it's probably also something good to keep in mind. Hope your puppy's OK.

 

[DeadFred]

And thank YOU again mommabear!

I do use techwash but was a little concerned about using it on blood.

Dakota is just fine but I think I'm still a little wigged out by it. She tumbled over a 120 foot icefall as we were beginning to set up a top rope. She hit a ledge and then, before we could downclimb to her she went the rest of the way. She had a little cut on her chin and that was it!! Amazing dog and very resilient!! She's an Australian Cattle Dog...very tough. I learned that doggie booties are great in the snow, but when near an ice fall they offer little purchase on the ice, esp compared to her claws. I feel terrible and a little guilty, but I guess I'm looking at it as an accident that just happened. She is a very experienced hiker and a combination of factors just led to this unfortunate accident.

Thanks for the well wishes!

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I see this thread at an amusing time for me.

Know what? It was -20F. My coat must have been almost that cold. When my blood splattered on my Goretex coat, it immediately froze, and turned a pink color which easily flaked off. Much of it didn't have a chance to sink in to the material.

 

[DeadFred]

So Pete, let me get this straight...

You ruined your face but your Goretex coat is just fine?!