Dried Blood and Infection Risk: What You Need to Know

Question
Could I get infected by the dried blood that was in a wrecked vehicle's carpet?  I don't know how long it was there.  Did spraying the carpet cleaner on it make it infectous again?  Should I now throw everything away that touched it or just bleech everything?  I don't believe I touch the blood.

I'm really worried, please help.


Answer
I would clean the blood off the carpet with gloves on, with a disinfectant as well as a cleaner.  Bleach would work, but may fade the color of the carpet.  Once blood dries, it is typically not infectious for the viral illnesses.  But, to be sure, I would clean the blood and that would give me a little more reassurance.

Hope this helps...