You learn something new everyday

[clevermanka]

From my Yahoo group Sewretro:

Hxxx posts:
So, I'm making a pale pink duchesse prom dress for my sister this week. In fact, I'm on my way to Fedex it now.  I sat down to tack the lining in place around the zipper, and to my horror, there were blood spatters.  A lot of them.  Over an 8" square area, on the outside of the very pale satin.

I cried a bit, mentally gave up on the dress, mentally rescinded that giving up, and then ran upstairs to check the internet to see what it had to say about blood stains.  I didn't know if it was from today or yesterday, couldn't tell if it had set.  Only one stain removal option listed involved anything I had on hand...

so I ran back downstairs and spit on the dress. And it worked, like a charm.  I didn't even blot or rub the stains. They just disappeared!

I love human chemistry.

Cxxxx responds:
It does work. But only YOUR spit will remove YOUR blood. If you'd missed the blood spots and your sister had gotten the dress and tried spitting on it, it wouldn't work.

Not really positive, but my understanding of it is that there are enzymes in your saliva that will dissolve the proteins in the blood, thus removing the stain. Why it would be person-specific I'm not sure, I'm not biologist. But if I had to guess I'd say that your enzymes are chemically matched to your proteins.

Wow, too cool! The things I learn on a sewing group.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mac_/]

This could come in useful after the encounter with my next victim....er, I mean, girlfriend...

[amithst.livejournal.com]

If it is your blood, wouldn't that mean she won?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mac_/]

Hmmm, good point, and even if I did win, I would then be charged with the task of involuntarily getting saliva from her... Maybe I should stick to using chloroform...

[cherryjane.livejournal.com]

Cool, but the bigger picture...

What are her blood splatters doing all over the dress!?! eww!

erin
xoxo

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I've bled on garments I'm making...It happens. You prick your finger while basting in a zipper, and then there are dots everywhere you touch. Blah.

[draco-kc.livejournal.com]

Hell, in my personal experience, it seems that a garment just isn't done unless I've inadvertently lost a few cc's of blood somewhere along the line in its construction. Apparently whatever small gods of needlecraft that tend to look over my endeavors require blood sacrifices to be properly appeased. [*chuckle*]

[http://users.livejournal.com/kai_/]

Peroxide also works wonders.