Learn How To Clean a Mattress Easily and Quickly

Regularly cleaning your mattress is not just a good idea; it is necessary for maintaining good hygiene standards. And if you have kids, pets, or both – and no mattress protector – the cleaning frequency should only increase.

This is where our guide on how to clean a mattress comes in. We have scoured the web for the most effective methods to share valuable tips and tricks to help you do so efficiently and effectively. So let’s get started!

How To Clean a Mattress – Routine Cleaning

Proper maintenance will not only keep you from having to replace your mattress but also decrease allergens and irritants and provide more restful sleep.

The best techniques for routine mattress cleaning are listed below. You’ll need the following items:

  • Dish soap (clear)
  • Enzyme cleaner
  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Microfiber towel
  • Baking soda
  • Cold water

Start by removing the bedding and washing it. If possible, use the hottest water setting to aid in the removal of dust mites.

Then, using the upholstery attachment, vacuum your mattress to get rid of dead skin cells, dust mites, and other debris. Make sure to hit all the nooks and crannies.

If the mattress has any tough stains, now is your chance to try to remove them. When cleaning a stained mattress, it’s best to use an enzyme cleaner or liquid dish soap and water. However, it’s important to know what type of mattress you have before applying the cleaning solution.

After you’ve double-checked that you’re using the appropriate cleaner, proceed by dabbing the stain with a damp cloth. To remove stubborn stains, you may need to apply a bit of cold water to your cloth.

Sweat and body oil buildup can create nasty yellow stains on your mattress that will eventually develop an odour. So let’s discuss another aspect of routine care: how to clean a sweaty mattress. The best way to do this is to sprinkle baking soda on your entire mattress to dispel sweat stains and neutralize any odours.

Make sure to let the baking soda sit for a few hours or even overnight. If it’s a sunny day, open the curtains to allow light to hit the mattress, as UV rays can aid in the destruction of germs. Finally, vacuum up the baking soda and the sweat stains should be gone. You can also take your mattress out to expose it to fresh air and the sun.

How To Deep Clean a Mattress

When it comes to general housekeeping and spring cleaning, we don’t often consider disinfecting our mattresses. However, to keep dust mites, bacteria, and allergens at bay, it’s recommended that you deep clean your mattress at least twice a year.

Below we’re providing instructions on how to deep clean a mattress. You’ll need the following common household items:

  • Vacuum cleaner
  • A few boxes of baking soda
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Clear liquid dish soap
  • Toothbrush
  • Spray bottle
  • Some white rags

First, remove all of the bedding. Next, using an upholstery attachment, carefully vacuum the top of your mattress.

Then you should evenly sprinkle baking soda over the entire mattress. There’s no need to worry about using too much; just make sure you spread it out evenly. Use a vacuum brush or toothbrush to rub the baking soda into your mattress.

As you may have realized, we’re not using any toxic cleaning supplies during this process. We’re teaching you how to clean a mattress naturally.

The soda will help remove moisture and deodorize your bed, so let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Once you’ve let the baking soda work its magic, vacuum the mattress again.

For the next stage of this process, you’ll need to add one cup of cool water, one cup of hydrogen peroxide, and two big squirts of liquid dish soap into your spray bottle and shake it up. Now, it’s time to spray the solution with a fine mist over the entire surface – just a light, damp coating.

While the top of your bed is still damp, add another layer of baking soda. However, unlike earlier, use a rag to rub the soda into the mattress. This is how to deep clean a mattress with baking soda. You can even add a little extra to more prominent stains.

You should end up with a firm layer of paste as the solution and soda begin to dry. To achieve the maximum effect of this technique, let your coated mattress sit overnight (eight-plus hours).

After eight or more hours have passed, it’s time to once again scrub the mattress with your brush breaking up the pasty residue. Finally, you’re ready to vacuum the surface of your bed one last time.

Now you know how to get a mattress clean and deodorized without using any expensive or harmful chemicals. What’s more, you might be ready for some healthy and refreshing sleep for up to six months.

How To Clean Urine Out of a Mattress

Urine stains are especially aggravating because they can soak into the mattress and produce a persistent odour. Removing this type of stain is easier if you start cleaning it as soon as possible.

In this section, you’ll learn how to clean a urine-soaked mattress the right way.

For this, you’ll need:

  • Old bath towel
  • Paper towels
  • Microfiber towel
  • Two tablespoons of laundry detergent
  • Two cups of cold water
  • Cup of vinegar (white)
  • Spray bottle

Apply pressure by pressing a towel into the affected area to get as much pee out as possible. Scrubbing won’t remove mattress stains but will just spread them out and cause them to be better absorbed.

Next, combine the vinegar, laundry detergent, and water in your spray bottle. You should then liberally squirt the mixture onto the affected area.

Allow the cleaning solution to sink in the stain for 15 to 20 minutes after applying it. The detergent will clean the dirty mattress by removing the urine, while the vinegar will eliminate the stench.

Once you’ve soaked the stain in the solution, cover the affected area with a thick layer of baking soda or unscented kitty litter. Let it soak up as much fluid and odour as possible overnight.

When the powder or kitty litter is dry, it’s time to vacuum the mattress thoroughly. If the odour persists, continue the cleaning solution application and drying process until it’s gone.

How To Clean a Mattress With Urine Stains

If the urine dried by the time you discovered the accident, you’ll need to take extra precautions. It’s best to rehydrate the stain. Unfortunately, this may make it smell worse at first, but it’s the only way to get rid of it.

  • Soak the damaged area in the same vinegar, detergent, and water solution.
  • Cover with plastic or a clean garbage bag.
  • Leave for 24 hours.

This rehydrates the urine, allowing the solution to work without drying it out. The next step in cleaning this dirty mattress is removing the plastic covering and allowing the bed to air dry.

It could take up to 12 hours to complete this task. After the area has dried, inspect for odours or urine stains on the mattress. To remove all signs of urine, you may need to repeat the cleaning process multiple times.

How To Clean a Mattress From Pet Urine

Animal urine is concentrated and has a more pungent odour than human urine. Plus, many animals, like dogs and cats, use pee to mark their territory.

Therefore it’s critical to clean the mattress stains quickly to prevent your pets from repeatedly marking their territory on your bed. You can accomplish this by following the five easy steps below:

  1. Blot up as much pee as you can without rubbing in the stain.
  2. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the affected area. Don’t use kitty litter if you have a cat, as it will encourage them to use the bed as their bathroom.
  3. Reapply baking soda with a brush.
  4. Keep repeating Step 3 until the baking soda is dry after its first application.
  5. Continue as directed for human urine (in the section above), beginning by soaking the stain in a cleaning solution.

How To Clean a Mattress From Vomit Stains

Vomit, like urine, can penetrate deeply into the mattress and create a long-lasting unpleasant odour, so you’ll want to clean it extremely well.

If you’re wondering how to clean the puke from a mattress, begin by clearing up as much vomit as you can without rubbing it into the bedding. Clean up the mess with an old bath towel, blotting out as much wetness as possible with paper towels or a microfiber cloth.

Next, combine two cups of warm water with two tablespoons of washing detergent. The detergent will aid in the decomposition of the vomit and the removal of the stain.

The next step in cleaning vomit from a mattress is spot cleaning the surface. To avoid soaking the mattress, dampen a clean cloth with the solution and apply it.

Using a spray bottle, dilute three parts white vinegar with one part water and apply to the affected area. Don’t soak the mattress; just dampen it. The vinegar will have a strong odour, but the odour will fade as vinegar dries.

Allow the mattress to air dry before repeating the steps above until the stain and odour is gone.

How To Clean Blood From a Mattress

Start by soaking up as much blood as you can with a towel. Blood stains are difficult to remove because blood hardens once it has dried. It’s essential to use cold water since hot water will help lock the blood stain into the fabric.

Next, apply a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide to the stain. Blot it with a clean, dry cloth once it has stopped fizzing. Repeat this process as much as necessary. Cleaning a mattress with hydrogen peroxide is highly effective.

Then, form a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide or cold water, and apply it to the stain. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes before wiping it down with a moist cloth.

Another good tip for cleaning blood from a mattress is to try mixing hydrogen peroxide with meat tenderizer instead of baking soda.

How To Clean a Wet Mattress

When cleaning a wet mattress, the first thing is to figure out how it got that way. Since mould and bacteria will grow and spread, drying it as soon as possible is crucial unless you’re dealing with bodily fluids (which we went over in the previous sections).

If your mattress’s wetness resulted from a flood, you should know that it’s most likely beyond repair. Floodwater is usually toxic, so cleaning this mattress with baking soda won’t cut it. Therefore, it’s safer for you and your family to throw it out and purchase a new mattress.

How To Get Rid of Mattress Odour

As previously noted, an enzyme-based cleaner is excellent for removing lingering odours from an old spill or accident. However, below we’ll teach you how to clean a mattress with baking soda and vinegar, as well as a few other household items.

You should start by mixing the ingredients below into a sort of cleaning paste.

  • Tablespoon of vinegar
  • Teaspoon of laundry detergent
  • Teaspoon of water
  • Two tablespoons of baking soda
  • Drop of disinfectant

Lightly scrub the problem areas with the cleaning solution. Then spot clean the mattress with a significant amount of baking soda and leave it to sit overnight if possible before vacuuming it up.

If the stench is caused by sweat or body odour, combine cornstarch and baking soda, as cornstarch is an excellent oil-drying agent.

Pro tip: Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to any homemade cleaning solutions mentioned throughout this article.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve made it this far, you should have a pretty good idea of how to clean a dirty mattress. Getting a waterproof mattress protector would help keep your sleeping surface protected from future spills or worse things, such as bed bugs.

Also, you should clean your bedding regularly and give your bed a deep cleaning at least twice a year.

Hopefully, our guide has supplied you with all the info, tips and natural cleaner recipes that you’ll need to keep your bed fresh and germ-free. We hope that you’ve learned how to clean a mattress properly and are thrilled to share your newfound knowledge.


FAQ

How do you steam clean a mattress at home?

While this type of cleaning isn’t too difficult, it does necessitate some forethought and planning. So, let’s find out just how to clean a mattress with steam.

Start by removing all of the bedding. Now is an excellent time to wash your mattress cover. Next, carefully vacuum the mattress.

After that, any visible stains on the mattress’s surface should be spot cleaned before you steam clean the mattress. Once your steamer is prepared, hold the head two or three inches above the surface and move it slowly along in a sweeping motion.

Make sure that the mattress surface is damp but not soaked. Be sure to clean the sides as well. Finally, open the bedroom windows and turn on some fans (if you have them) for at least three hours to allow the mattress to air dry.

How do you get bad stains out of a mattress?

Generally, it is recommended to mix a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Then you should spray a stain and blot it (with a clean cloth). Repeat these steps until the stain disappears. Next, you should sprinkle some baking soda and hoover it up in an hour. After that, you should let your mattress air dry.

If you need any more guidance regarding how to clean a mattress, just scroll back to the top and take another look. We hope that you’ll find the help you may need.

What is the best way to clean and freshen up a mattress?

Use a vacuum cleaner with the upholstery attachment to remove dust, dust mites, and dead skin cells and then lightly spray the entire surface of the mattress with a refreshing mist. You can also use a mild detergent on any spots or stains.

Let the mattress air out for a few hours before making the bed. You should clean your mattress at least once a month to keep it fresh and free of allergens. If you have pets, you may need to clean your mattress more often to remove the pet dander.

If you have a memory foam mattress, clean it the same way as you would a box spring mattress, only with less liquid, to avoid over-wetting it.

Damjana Cikaric

After teaching for 8 years, Damjana found a new challenge — writing. With her academic background in the English language, doing research and writing is always fun and enjoyable. In her spare time, she loves binge-watching TV shows, especially crime documentaries, or spending time with her dogs.

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