laundry question - old bloodstain?

this bloodstain is in a mostly cotton work uniform of my boyfriends - he hurt himself on the job ( a minor cut - he's a mechanic) and bled on his uniform, but for some reason it didn't get washed for about three weeks (he had others he was wearing). now i need to get the stain out of it, but it's already set. i haven't tried anything yet, i don't want to try the wrong thing and make it worse. should i just let it soak in some detergent and wash it as usual, or is there something specific i should use?

thanks in advance

How big of a stain and what color is the fabric?

If it's a small stain a baking soda and water paste may do the trick.
You'll need a brush of some sort to work it into the cotton fibers.

Hydrogen peroxide is good for bloodstains (I used to be a phlebotomist).

Peroxide might also bleach the fabric, depending on what color it is and how well it is dyed. If it's white, then it's perfect. If not, and I doubt a mechanic's uniform is white, then do a spot test on the inside of a hem to see if it'll ruin it. Leave the peroxide on for a few hours.

Whatever you do, don't use anything hotter than lukewarm water on any kind of stain, and don't put it in the dryer until you've gotten the stain out. Heat makes the stain more set in.

Here's what Tide says to do with it:
http://www.tide.com/en_US/fabricadvi...ored&x=28&y=10

Do you have rust remover around? Good luck!

Nature's Miracle works on laundry, too

I LOVE oxyclean. Soak it in a bucket of oxyclean for a few hours, then run it though the wash. If it is still stained, soak it again. Don't put it in the dryer until the stain is gone, or it will set the stain in.

I have used oxyclean to get blood stains out. It usually works just fine!

thanks guys its about the size of a half-dollar, and the fabric is dark blue. i'll try some baking soda first (going to skip the peroxide cos it might lighten the fabric), and if that doesn't work, well, iv'e always wanted to try Oxyclean and see if it's as good as they say it is, so i'll try that second. will report back.

You know... I always use plain old ivory soap and let it soak.... seems to work.

I use Spray N Wash Stain Stick, not the liquid spray but the stick. You have to saturate both sides of the fabric pretty good. But I have found it gets out everything, even set in stains.

Phels Nappa ( spelling) soap...