Removing Blood from Fur

[Hern]

Putting on your best face...
A simple method to remove dried blood is to rub in Borax. This may take two rubbings.

Blood around mouth was wiped down after skun'n.
After boarding and drying fur, blood can be removed...

 
Place Borax on dried blood and rub it in, comb it out...
 

Not bad, but let's rub in more Borax...
 

Perfect, the second rub and combing...
 

[Pa Goosehntr]

  Very nice Hern...is that the female??

[Brushwolf]

Thanks for that tip Hern!!! Have to try that next time.

[Hern]

Yea Goose. I turn her fur out and thought to do a pictorial with Borax.
She also had dried blood between her front legs and some on shoulders from skun'n process., which I removed with Borax.

After skun'n, I try to clean up fresh, wet blood with paper towel or handy wipes. I can never get fur clean at this point so I let blood dry. Then I comb dried blood and rub in Borax and comb and repeat the second time if needed.
At fur sales and fur buyers, I see guys bringing in Fox & Coyote with blood or matted blood on fur. With time spent on combing and rubbing in Borax, these same guys would give their fur a better appearance and possibly get a higher dollar average.
After turning Fox & Coyote fur out, combing fur out and then upward will give a better appearance. Finish combing fur upward, when hide dries, hair will remain standing up and will give a full appearance.

[Deadeye]

Hern did you try washing your fur after skinning? I do that before I flesh. Turns out very nice.

[Hern]

Yes, I've washed a ton of fur. Even the cleanest looking Coyote or Fox is filthy dirty. I hate wet fur...lol.
Deadeye, washed fur looks great. But it takes time to wash, take out side to spin and snap excess water, hang and hit with fan then comb. Seems to take me an extra day, just more time than I have, but washed fur looks wonderful.
I use a tumbler.
I will tumble Canines (fur out) with course corn cob girt and dryer sheets. They come out clean and shiny.
After flesh'n Coon, I tumble fur in and this removes excess grease and cuts down of drying time.

When trapping in rainy conditions, and I have mud ball Fox and Coyotes. I will stop at nearest crick and wash and dunk and wash and dunk several times.

Most folks don't wash or tumble fur. Just thought I would post the Borax rub to help folks clean up their fur before selling.

[Pa Goosehntr]

  I know a guy that takes them to a laundry mat at 2AM and washes them 

[Brushwolf]

What for tumbler do you use  and how long to tumble???

[Hern]

I have a clothes dryer with heating element taken out. Holes and lent catcher are duct taped.
Time- between 10-15 minutes. I can do several pelts at a time.
While tumble is going, I can do other things like skun', boarding or flesh'n.

[Brushwolf]

Thanks Hern. I watched a viedo on YouTube a few months ago a guy made a tumbler from wood if I remeber right. He also used corn cob grit.On the viedo it seemed to work pretty good. I like the look of washed fur but your right about the time. Takes an extra day to dry. But I like what pa goose said about taking them to a  laundry mat. Never thought about that. lol 

[Brushwolf]

Well thanks for posting about removing blood Hern it works very well. 

 I have been thinking and very curious about the corn cob grit thing so I have a few questions


1. Where do u buy it?
2. Is there a certain type or size to get?
3. How much grit do you put in the dryer for how many pelts?
4. How long does it last or how do you when to replace it?

Thanks

[Hern]

1)Rod Zullinger
2)Course
3)That you will have to test and find out for yourself depending on drum size
4)Again, depends how dirty or wet pelts are. You will get a feel for it.

3 & 4 questions are answered after you do a few pelts and 'see' your results. It's a formula you will work out for 'your' drum. 
If more/less grit is needed or more time needed you will have to personally make these adjustments to your satisfaction. I use a small coffee can (plastic) to place grit in drum. 3-4 scoops and 2-4 dryer sheets. I usually do one Fox  per load, and I skun/flesh the next. I can drum 4-6 Fox before changing grit.
As far as changing grit, most clean looking Canines are dirtier than appear. I can see dust/dirt mixed with grit in bottom of drum. Time to change. Corn Cob grit is whitish color. Grit will take on a dull or dirty color. Time to change.
You didn't ask for time in drum. I usually run Fox for 5-10 minutes. Again, you will have to adjust your time per your drum.
I love the tumbler and Corn Cob grit for Raccoon. I skun and flesh Coon. Throw Coon fur in, skin out into tumbler. Run for 12-15 minutes. Then board Coon. Really takes the grease off and cuts drying time. Grit will need changed often when doing Coon.
Cleaning my ole dryer drum...Dirty grit is hand scooped from drum. I get out as much as possible then use shop vac to remove the rest. Shop vac cleans it out, dust and last of grit.

As far as using laundry mat to wash fur. Use laundry mat to only wash dirty, muddy wet, skun fur. Then use the spin cycle and get out of there.

[Brushwolf]

Thanks Hern

[Hern]

Brushwolf, recently I was told that Woolite Pet Stain Remover will clean up dried blood. Then a little Borax to finish off.
I keep forgetting to pick up this product when I'm in town, but will get some soon. I'll let you know how the Woolite preforms.
I put up some Fox & Coyotes that another guy caught and he skun. I have them dried and off the boards, but still have to get some dried blood off faces. I'll give the Pet Stain Remover Woolite a try on these.

On another note, these Canines were all cable caught. One pretty female Coyote's neck is damaged from cable. No guard hairs, in top neck area, with little under fur. I combed and combed, but can't make it look pretty. Darn shame for a big, prime Coyote. $30-$40 Coyote down to maybe $5. Other cabled pelts are fine.
Some have belly hair worn off between the back legs, which seems typical in cable caught fur. As animal pulls, lunges or circles about, the cable slides between their back legs as they change positions and shears/cuts off belly fur, leaving a bare spot or little belly fur.

[Hern]

Yesterday, I used the Woolite Pet Stain Remover spray bottle to remove dried blood on finished fur.
I sprayed area, wiped and rubbed with paper towels. Solution picked up dried blood and dirt immediately. Tough areas I treated twice. I then combed area.
Results- Very good job. Will use this product again.
Will continue to use Borax too, I think each product has it's place in the fur shed.
I would like to state combing will remove alot of dried blood. Borax & Stain Remover is for the tough spots.