out, out damn spot!

So, anyone have any top-tips for removing bloodstains from cotton? It's really dried in now. But I need to get it out or ditch the shirt, or have the whole 'zomg you've been stabbed' pointy fingers at me again XD

Any substances that are good for it? Anything that will fix it forever and therefore mustn't go near?

I could not be further from a domestic goddess.

I'm meant to be tidying right now, but the coastguard just fished someone out of the sea right outside my window, so my attention has been stolen away from my dust-mountains and onto the CG van, two ambulances and the lifeboat. Don't they know that I should be working...

Person seems to be alive an' all. Wonder how/why they got in the water...