Having a good sex life creates closeness in relationships and can even improve your health. One thing we don’t often consider in the midst of a steamy encounter is how messy it is. If you notice an unusual stain on your sheets after sex, you may wonder, “does semen stain?”

Since semen is a viscous liquid, it can leave stains. Semen stains are considered protein stains, which means they will have an opaque appearance at first, then harden and turn yellow as it dries. You’ll need to treat these stains with cold water because hot water can make them permanent.
In this article, we’ll discuss what a semen stain looks like. We’ll also give you the best methods of removing that stain from your clothing, sheets, mattresses, upholstery, and carpet so it won’t become permanent.
What Does A Semen Stain Look Like? (What Color)
Semen stains start off as opaque, whitish stains when they’re wet. As they dry, they turn yellow and harden. When the stain has hardened, it’s much more difficult to remove from your fabric.
Are Sperm Stains Permanent?
Fortunately, semen stains aren’t permanent. In fact, if you clean the soiled surface while the stain is still wet, it will come right out. You’ll want to use cold water to clean it, though; hot water can make the cum coagulate into the fabric and leave a sticky mess.
How To Remove Semen Stains
Now that you know that sperm won’t leave permanent stains, let’s discuss the best ways to remove them.
1. Removing Sperm Stains From Clothes
If you get cum on your clothes, the easiest solution is to toss the soiled garment into the washing machine. You’ll want to use a cold water cycle to keep the semen from coagulating into your clothing.
If using the washing machine isn’t an option, the next best option is to fill a sink with cold water, remove the soiled garment, and wash it in the sink with laundry detergent.
You could use dish soap or hand soap to clean it if laundry detergent isn’t available. When your clothes are clean, wring them out and hang them up to dry.
If you don’t have time to let a wet top or bottom dry completely, you could try to spot-clean the stain. Just wet a washcloth or paper towel with cold water, add a few drops of soap, and scrub your clothing until the stain comes out.
If you have access to a hairdryer, you can use it to speed up drying time. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a wet spot, but at least the stain will be gone.
2. Removing Sperm Stains From Sheets
Getting semen stains out of sheets is simple. Just throw your sheets in the washing machine and clean them in cold water.
3. Removing Sperm Stains From Mattresses
Removing cum stains from mattresses is a little bit tricky. Obviously, you can’t just put a mattress in the washing machine. Instead, you’ll need to blot up as much semen as possible with a washcloth or some paper towels, then use a sponge or cloth dipped in cold water.
Once the area is wet, work a few drops of laundry detergent or dish soap into the mattress with your sponge or cloth. Rinse the cloth with fresh water, then go over the area again. Repeat this step until all the soap is gone.
When you’re finished cleaning, you can blot the wet area with a towel until most of the moisture is absorbed.
4. Removing Sperm Stains From Upholstery
To remove semen stains from upholstery, you can just use regular upholstery cleaner that you would use on dirt or pet messes. Just be sure to remove any excess semen before cleaning to avoid making a bigger mess.
If you don’t have upholstery cleaner, you can use the same process as you would use on a mattress. Remove as much excess cum as possible using a washcloth or some paper towels, then use a sponge dipped in cold water to saturate the remaining stain.
When the area is wet, place a few drops of soap on the sponge and scrub the area until the stain is gone. After cleaning, you can rinse out your sponge with fresh water and go over the area again.
Repeat this step as many times as necessary to remove all the soap. Blot the area with a towel until most of the moisture is gone. If you need the area to dry quickly, you can plug in a hairdryer nearby to speed up drying time.
5. Removing Sperm Stains From Carpets & Rugs
If you get cum on the carpet, your best bet is to use a carpet cleaner. If you have a pet or small child, chances are you already have some lying around to treat other messes.
Clean up any excess semen, then follow the instructions on the bottle to remove the stain. If you have a high pile carpet, make sure you scrub well to prevent any semen from getting down into the fibers and drying there.
If you have a shampooer, the job will be even easier. After you clean up any excess mess, you can run your carpet cleaner over the stain and let the scrubbing brushes do all the work.
When you’re done shampooing, you can use a towel to absorb any moisture left behind.
Related: Does Matcha stain clothes?
Conclusion
A healthy sex life is good for your relationship, self-esteem, and physical and mental health. It’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Nonetheless, when your late-night encounters get messy, you’ll probably want to clean up the evidence to avoid embarrassing other people in your home.
Luckily, semen stains aren’t permanent. As long as you treat them with cold water before they dry, they are pretty easy to remove. If you get a stain on your clothes or bed sheets, just throw them in the washer on a cold cycle.
If you stain your furniture or carpets, you can use upholstery or carpet cleaners to remove the stain quickly.
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