Anybody know of a good way to quickly get blood out of fletching before it's hopeless, which seems to be about 15 minutes? No, I'm not an ingrate! I try to take a few minutes to observe the native custom of placing a branch in the animals's mouth while giving thanks to the Creator, praying that I'm worthy of its life. It's just that re-fletching isn't my favorite pastime. I carry a water bottle and bandana, which will adequately clean the shaft, but no matter how much wiping I do, the feathers are a mess. Seems the vital area stuff is the gummiest! I haven't tried steaming, but I figure by that time it's wasted effort. Maybe I should just add a prayer for gratitude and patience! Vanes, the only thing I miss from my unenlightened "wheelie" days LOL!
Take your arrow to the kitchen sink and gently, but thoroughly, clean it with warm soapy water. Then rinse it. Let it completely air dry -- in the sun, if possible.
The feathers will be pretty matted down after that, but they will be clean.
Then hold it over the escaping steam from a whistling tea kettle. The steam will pop the feathers back into shape.
X2 on the washing with soap and warm water when you get home.
X3 on what smokin joe said. After that I usually shoot them completly through an old bag taget. The seem to come back to life.
Smokin joe knows what he is talking about.
If you know someone that works in the OR, they make a enzymatic solution that removes blood from instruments. Great stuff. I use it in the wash also if I get blood on my hunting clothes.
Yep dish soap works real good, done it many times and it cleans the fletch right up, after it dries a little steam will fluff them right back up.
After drying, steam from a tea pot will fluff them up nicely.