Easy Ways to Clean a Mattress: Simple and Natural

June 27, 2022

Your mattress may look very normal at a glance, but in reality, it may harbour many things like sweats, odours, dead skin cells, oils, dust mites, bed bugs after coming home from an overnight trip, spills, and other things that can deteriorate its quality.

While it's easy to neglect all these things on your mattress, this dirt can eventually build up and affect your comfort, especially if you are an allergy sufferer. All in all, a dirty mattress isn't as inviting for good sleep as it looks.

Can You Really Clean a Mattress?

Getting your bedding items off your mattress and tossing them into the washer can be an easier task. However, deep cleaning the bed is a bit more challenging, especially if it is not something that you can machine or hand wash.

The good news is that you can remove mattress stains at home without going through various complicated methods. Yes, you can clean your mattress, and it is not as complicated as it seems.

How to Clean your Mattress- General Steps

1. Gather Your Supplies:

You don't have to go on an all-out shopping spree to get the equipment and cleaning solutions for your mattress. Almost everything that you need for a clean bed can be found in your kitchen or medicine cabinet.

Tools

1. Vacuum cleaner with upholstery attachment

2. Bowl

3. A clean cloth, a dry cloth or a sponge

4. Spray bottle

Cleaning Materials

1. Cold water

2. Mild detergent or dish soap

3. Baking soda

4. Hydrogen peroxide

5. Enzyme cleaner

2. Check the Care Guide

Different mattresses have different cleaning needs. While many household cleaning solutions are suitable for most mattress types, other mattresses react differently when exposed to chemicals. Manufacturers recommend the best and safest ways to deep clean your mattress depending on the material and structure so its imperative to check their instructions first. You can also get the dos and don'ts once you review the mattress care guide.

It's also important to check the return or warranty conditions of your mattress before exposing it to various mixtures.

3. Remove and Wash Your Bedding Accessories

Strip all the bedding from the bed, including the mattress cover and other direct linen items, leaving the mattress in its bare form. Don't forget to take all the pillowcases from the pillows. After removing the bedding items from your mattress, you can now toss them into the washing machine.

Most bedding accessories are machine safe, but check the wash instructions to be sure. Wash and rinse your bedding using cold water because warm water may shrink the fabric.

Check the cleaning instructions to know if your pillows can be washed or not.

4. Clean Your Bed Frame

Remove dust from your bed frame using a damp cloth or a vacuum cleaner. Make sure the bed is ready for the cleaner mattress. Also, clean the headboard, box springs, and hard-to-reach areas where more dirt builds up.

5. Vacuum Your Mattress

If possible, use a vacuum with an upholstery attachment and deep clean the entire mattress fabric to get rid of the dust, dead skin cells, hair, pet dander, and potential bed bugs from your mattress. Deep clean the sides and the back of the mattress. Pay closer attention to the sides and hidden parts of the bed, as they are the targets of bugs and other dirt that are hard to tackle.

6. Spot Clean Your Mattress

Look for specific parts of your mattress where deep stains build up. You don't need to soak your whole mattress with a cleaning solution while doing it. This is because many mattress materials may lose their quality when exposed to chemicals. A foam mattress, for example, may absorb the liquid faster than an innerspring bed. This can stay wet for longer hours and might even become lumpy.

7. Deodorise the Bed with Baking Soda

If there are no deep biological stains, you can already sprinkle baking soda on your mattress. Leave the baking soda for a few hours under proper ventilation. This will help break down excessive moisture and odour from your mattress. Afterwards, continue vacuuming to clean and deodorise the mattress surface.

If there are deep stains like spills, urine, blood, and other bodily fluids on your mattress, proceed with the deep cleaning before sprinkling the baking soda.

8. Flip the Mattress if Necessary

After you sprinkle and vacuum the baking soda, flip the mattress (please ask for assistance) and clean the other side. But before doing this, check with the care guide if the other side of the bed can be deep cleaned.

Mattresses in general should be flipped every three months, while others should be rotated 180 degrees to prevent sagging.

9. Add a Mattress Protector

Once the mattress cleaning is done, cover your bed with a mattress protector. This will help you guard your bed against future spills and dirt and help you keep your mattress clean.

10. Bring Clean Sheets Back On

Remake your freshly cleaned bed with your freshly cleaned bedding. Make it a habit to regularly clean your bedding accessories, especially the sheets, blankets, and pillowcases, which are directly exposed to dirt.

The general procedures will be based on the steps listed above. Deeper stains will require some additional steps and tougher solutions.

How to Clean a Mattress with Spills

Here's how you can get rid of coffee spills, chips, and other common stains on your mattress:

1. Gather supplies:

• Spray bottle

• Clean cloth

• Water

• Mild detergent or dish soap

2. Remove the bedding accessories and wash them as soon as possible.

3. Create a mattress cleaning solution with water and mild detergent.

4. Spray the solution directly on the stain.

5. Carefully blot the stain off your bed using a dry cloth. Be sure not to rub the stain or it will spread throughout the mattress.

6. Air out the mattress until it dries.

How to Clean a Mattress with Urine Stains

Urine stains might be the most unglamorous thing you need to get rid of from your bed. Aside from the liquid and the nasty smells, they can leave some yellow stains on your mattress surface, which can be hard to remove. With the things that you can find at home, you can get the unwanted pee accident off your mattress.

1. Collect your supplies.

• Spray bottle

• Water

• Dish soap or gentle laundry detergent

• Vinegar

• Baking soda

• Hydrogen Peroxide (optional)

• Enzyme cleaner (optional)

• Vacuum

2. Remove all the bedding items and wash them as soon as possible.

3. Create a mattress cleaning solution using the products we listed above. Here are the mixtures you may use for specific urine stain types:

   Mixture for fresh urine stain: Half water and half vinegar solution

   Mixture 1 for dry pee stain: White vinegar and mild soap solution

   Mixture 2 for dry pee stain: hydrogen peroxide (8-10 ounces), baking soda (2-3 tablespoons), mild detergent solution. Use an enzyme cleaner for strong pet pee odours

4. If the pee stain is fresh, use a clean rag to blot the excess liquid. Do not rub the mattress to prevent pushing the liquid further into the layers.

5. Lightly spray the needed cleaning solution directly onto the stain to remove it. DO NOT put too much liquid on the mattress, especially if it is made of foam material. Since foam absorbs water fast and evaporates slowly, it builds up moulds later on.

6. Let the solution sit on the mattress until the yellow stain is removed.

7. Blot the solution from the mattress.

8. Sprinkle baking soda into the mattress to remove the pee smell.

9. Vacuum up the residue and let the mattress air dry.

How to Clean a Mattress with Blood Stains

Deep clean a bed with these steps:

1. Gather your supplies

• Spray bottle

• Cold water

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Baking soda

• Cornstarch

• Salt

• Vinegar

• Enzyme cleaner

• Talcum powder

• Cloth

• Brush

• Vacuum

Note: We highly discourage the use of hot water when treating blood stain from the mattress. Hot water helps the hemoglobin adhere into the fabric, making the pigment harder to remove.

2. Strip off the linen items from your bed, soak them in water overnight and clean your sheets according to their wash instructions. If stubborn stains are present, create a stain treatment with water and hydrogen peroxide to tackle the blood on the sheets.

3. Create the mattress cleaning solution. Here are the mixtures that you can apply for the specific mattress stains:

How to Clean a Mattress with Vomit Stains

Here's how you treat the nasty vomit stains and smells from your mattress:

1. Get your cleaning materials:

• Spray bottle

• Rag or paper towels

• Water

• Vinegar

• Mild detergent

• Baking soda

• Rubbing alcohol

• Vacuum

2. Remove the vomit from your mattress using paper towels or a rag.

3. Take off the bedding and wash them thoroughly.

4. Blot the excess liquid from the mattress. Again, do not scrub the area or you will end up spreading the dirt and smell.

5. Create your cleaning mixture. There are several types of mixtures you can try based on what's available in your home.

Cleaning mixture: Water and mild detergent

Disinfecting mixture: Mix 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar to create a solution

6. Tackle the vomit stain with the mild detergent solution by dabbing the mixture into the affected area using a clean fabric.

7. Gently spray the vinegar solution into the stain to disinfect the area and remove the vomit odour. Blot the stain and repeat until the stain lifts.

8. Sprinkle baking soda to get rid of the lingering odours.

9. Vacuum the bed after an hour and expose it to fresh air.

10. You may spray rubbing alcohol into the mattress to disinfect the area.

How to Clean a Mattress with Sweat Stains

Given the hot weather here in Singapore, it's inevitable to sweat even while you are sleeping. Aside from urine, humidity can cause yellow stains on the mattress. The moisture penetrates into the fabric, the same way that it does to the underarm parts of a white shirt. This leaves a yellowish pigment, and, sometimes, body odours. Don't wait for these yellow spots to dominate your bed before you deep clean it.

Here's how you can tackle this body fluid from your mattress:

1. Get your cleaning products

• Spray bottle

• Water

• Baking soda

• Laundry detergent

• Vacuum cleaner

2. Remove the sheets from the bed.

3. Sprinkle the entire surface with baking soda and let it sit for 15 minutes to remove sweat stains. You may brush the dry baking soda into the mattress to deep clean the surface. Air dry the mattress while removing stains.

4. Vacuum the remaining baking soda to reveal a cleaner mattress.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Often Should I Deep Clean My Mattress?

Ideally, you should deep clean your mattress every 6 months or every time you flip or rotate your mattress, especially in a humid environment when your mattress can accumulate sweat, dust mites, and dead skin flakes.

If your mattress isn't necessarily dirty, or if you already have a mattress cover, you can do regular cleaning in a simpler form, like sprinkling baking soda to deodorise your mattress and regular vacuuming when you change your bedding. Also, make it a habit to air out your mattress by simply opening the bedroom windows.

How Often Should I Flip My Mattress?

Flipping or rotating the mattress is an essential way to prevent premature sagging. By doing this, you spread out the pressure instead of letting the same sections of the mattress handle all the wear and tear.

Foam mattresses like memory foam and latex should be rotated at least once a year. The same goes for newer innerspring beds. You can do this together with the deep cleaning process to get rid of smells, dead skin flakes, and dust mites from thriving on your bed. Older innerspring mattresses should be rotated at least every 6 months or every quarter. Remember to keep a consistent rotating schedule to evenly spread the pressure into the mattress since inconsistent schedules can defeat the purpose of mattress flipping.

Can hybrid mattresses be flipped or rotated? the answer depends on the structure of the mattress. Some hybrid mattresses have specialised zones and layers that are intended to be used on specific areas only. Flipping these specialised mattresses can affect the feel of the bed. We recommend consulting with your mattress manufacturer to guide you with the proper care for your specialised mattress.

What Causes Yellow Stains on My Mattress?

Moisture coming from sweat, body oils, and urine that cause mould to form on your mattress. These moulds cause yellow pigmentation. You can prevent this mould build up by using mattress covers, regularly washing your beddings, and treating your mattress with baking soda.

Can I Wash My Mattress?

Unlike bedding accessories and some pillow types, mattresses cannot be thrown into the washer to treat spills and dirt. What you can do is to spot clean the mattress with the cleaning agents you can find at home.

How Can I Clean a Moldy Mattress?

Mould build up is one of the biggest challenges of keeping your mattress clean. Aside from being unsightly, mould can harm our health.

The best way is to prevent this from building up. Using a mattress protector, cleaning the bedding regularly and airing your bed can help ensure that your mattress is always fresh. If living in a humid area, you can use a dehumidifier to prevent excess moisture from penetrating the surfaces.

In case the mould has already built up on your bed, you can treat the surface mould with these mixtures:

• Alcohol and warm water mixture

• Hydrogen peroxide and water

Remember that these methods can only treat the surface of the mattress. For stubborn moulds, seek professional mattress cleaning services.

Shall I Use a Steam Cleaner for My Mattress?

Steaming can be effective in removing bacteria, dust mites, fungi, and other harmful elements from your mattress. However, since it makes your mattress wet, this method may cause moulds and help dust mites thrive that may defeat the purpose of cleaning your bed. the best way to deep clean your mattress without allowing moisture to enter the surface is by using a vacuum.

Can I Use Essential Oils On My Mattress?

Essential oils smell really great and relaxing. It can be tempting to spray some into your bed, especially when there are nasty smells present. But the truth is that instead of eliminating bad mattress odours, essential oils just mask the smell. Because of their oily composition, these scents may eventually form unwanted pigments into your mattress. These can also void your mattress warranty.

The best way to freshen up your bed is to use the natural baking soda or a enzyme cleaners for stubborn smells.

Takeaway

Nothing beats the comfort of a clean and safe bed. Dealing with mattress dirt isn't the easiest task but is still achievable. With the common items you can find at home, you can save your mattress from future disaster. For heavy duty mattress cleaning jobs, you might need to seek for the help of a professional mattress cleaner.

Is It Time to Change Your Mattress?

If your mattress is too old or generally uncomfortable, maybe it's time for an upgrade. Check out Vesper's latest mattress innovation to experience a better night's rest.

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