how to clean a mattress

How to Clean a Mattress

Cleaning your mattress is an important part of maintaining a healthy home. A clean mattress offers healthier sleep and lessens the risk of dust mites, mold, and bacteria. Find out how to clean a mattress in this article to make sure you're getting the best night's sleep ever!

Why You Should Care about Your Mattress

Don't ever undervalue the importance of a clean mattress. It is the one item you use for multiple hours each day, with most us us sleeping around 56 hours a week.

It is important to remember that it can now hold up to 10x its weight in dust mites, pet dander, dead skin cells, and bacteria. And that is just the surface! It also contains sweat, oil, makeup, and other gross substances. Ignoring this will cause your mattress to turn into a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi (that's the stuff that causes the unpleasant odors).

How to Know if a Mattress Needs to be Cleaned

A mattress is just like any other item in your home, requiring regular cleaning. Regular cleaning of your mattress will prevent build up of dirt which can lead to stains on your mattress and even the possibility of mould growth!

If the mattress is visibly soiled, you will want to take a deeper clean. You can tell if it's soiled when there are stains or sweat from the body on the bed linens, especially when urine or feces have been spilled onto the mattress. Additionally, a musty odor may emit from a dirty mattress. If this is happening, then it is important to treat your mattress right away.

How to Clean a Mattress: Required Tools

Three Stage Mattress Cleaning

Cleaning your mattress can be completed in 3 stages: vacuuming, stain treatment and odour neutralising.

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Stage 1: Vacuuming Your Mattress

The initial step for cleaning your mattress is to remove any loose hair, dust and surface dirt. Start by stripping the bed, and washing your bed linen as normal. Now we'll start on cleaning the mattress. Take your vacuum cleaner, and attach the upholstery tool. A picture of this is below:

Make sure that this tool is completely clean before starting. If not, wipe the tool clean using Clinell Universal Wipes and then using this tool, lightly vacuum across the full surface of the mattress. Once vacuumed, attach the crevice cleaning tool below:

Use this tool to clean out each of the recesses caused by the mattress tufting or padding. Once complete, flip the mattress and repeat on the other side. Finally, vacuum the side of the mattress.

Stage 2: Stain Removal

Cleaning a mattress is a difficult task. You can't simply throw the mattress in the washing machine to remove stains. These are most commonly cause be food and drink spills, with other common mattress stains being urine and blood.

Completely spray the stain with The Pink Stuff Oxi Stain Remover Spray, leaving the sprayed area wet a few minutes to start working. Following this, dab the stain with a microfibre cloth. Work from the outside toward the centre of the stain for the best results.

Stage 3: Odour Neutralising

One of the easiest methods to reduce any smells coming from your mattress is to simply air it. Stand your mattress upright close to an open window and leave it for a full day and the smells will start to disperse. If you've got good weather and a patio, air the mattress outside for best result!

If this doesn't solve the smell coming from your mattress, you can use a concentrated disinfectant. Add 2 capfuls of your favourite fragrance to a 750ml trigger spray bottle, and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Spray this across your whole mattress and allow to dry. Re-sheet your bed and you're good to go!

Preventing Future Stains and Smells

The best way to prevent future stains and smells is to regularly clean your mattress and also to clean any spills as you go. After following stages 1 to 3 above, your mattress should be in top condition. Following this, we recommend carrying out stage 1 each time that you change your bed sheets. This will prevent any build up of soiling.

It is also important to clean and spills, such as tea, coffee and bodily fluids, as you go. This will prevent a stain setting on your mattress. To clean spillages as you go, follow the below guidance:

  • Food and drink spills - remove bed sheets straight away and wash as per normal. If liquid has been spilt, use kitchen roll to soak up as much as possible. Dab and apply pressure to draw out as much liquid as possible. Once complete, if a stain if left treat with HG Stain Spray as per the instructions in stage 1
  • Bodily fluid spill - always use gloves when cleaning up a body fluid spill. First, remove bed sheets straight away and wash as per normal. Bodily fluids can easily soak into the centre of a mattress, creating a unique cleaning challenge. To treat 500ml Bio Productions Micro Clean with 500ml lukewarm water. Using a sponge, squeeze a generous amount of Micro Clean on the area of the mattress exposed to the bodily fluids. The enzymes in the product will eat away any bad bacteria. Leave the mattress to dry.

How to Clean a Mattress With Baking Soda and Vinegar

Cleaning a mattress with baking soda and vinegar is an effective and natural way to eliminate odours and freshen up your sleeping surface. To begin, remove all bedding and vacuum the mattress to remove any loose dirt or debris. Next, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda evenly over the mattress surface, paying extra attention to any stained or odorous areas. Allow the baking soda to sit for several hours or overnight, as this will help absorb any unpleasant smells. Afterward, use a handheld vacuum or brush attachment to thoroughly remove the baking soda from the mattress.

Once the baking soda is cleared, it's time to tackle any remaining stains. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and lightly mist the stained areas. The vinegar's natural acidity will help break down the stains and neutralize any lingering odours. Allow the vinegar solution to sit for a few minutes before blotting the area with a clean cloth or paper towel. Lastly, ensure the mattress is completely dry before putting on fresh bedding. You can either let it air dry naturally or use a fan to speed up the process. By following these simple steps, you can keep your mattress clean, fresh, and ready for a restful night's sleep.

Conclusion

Our guide gives you all information you need to clean your mattress. Although the first clean make take some tim e, once you get on top of cleaning your mattress it will take next to no time. What are you waiting for? Now that you know how to clean a mattress, go and get cleaning right away!

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