After a long day at work, most of us look forward to going home and getting a great night’s rest. Nothing’s better than a clean, comfy mattress greeting and welcoming you at home. A mattress is a necessity that plays an essential role in keeping you mentally and physically healthy.
Despite this fact, most people show their mattress little love and never take the time to clean your mattress properly. Mattresses can be home to bed bugs, dust mites, and other critters. Blood, sweat, and urine may also get mixed with mold and mildew. If you’ve got pets who love cuddling with you in bed, chances are their hair and fur are also somewhere in your mattress. Knowing this, are you wondering how you were able to sleep in your bed in the first place?
If you wash your sheets regularly, it’s also crucial for you to clean your mattress as well. Fortunately, it’s not nearly as often.
Below is a step-by-step guide for you to make cleaning your mattress a breeze.
1. Strip the bed and Ditch the Dust
Remove everything on your bed, from the sheets, pillows, even your plushies. We want to avoid any more of the dust mites getting into everything. The easiest way to ditch the dust is to use the upholstery tool on your vacuum cleaner. If someone in your family has dust allergies, it’ll be a good idea to do this every couple of months or more often.
- Go over the mattress’s top and sides.
- Press firmly to draw out dust beneath the fabric’s surface, then use the crevice tool to get into the quilting and other hard-to-reach areas.
You can also steam your mattress if you’ve got a garment steamer handy.
2. Treat Stains
As you may already know, your mattress suffers through a lot of stains. Some of them you may not even notice. From drool, sweat, shed skin flakes, hair and skin oil, and various bodily fluids like urine. But, if you tackle these stains and clean them as soon as possible, they’ll take less effort to erase.
Below are options for treating minor stains:
3. Using a Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
These may be a bit more expensive than DIY-ing your solution, but it’s most convenient to use, especially when you’re busy with other things and not just taking care of your home. An enzyme cleaner or enzyme-based pet-smell remover will also work well as an alternative.
Lightly spray and dab on the stain. Working from the outside edge towards the center to keep the stain from spreading.
Rotate your cloth to a clean area as it slowly picks up the dissolved stain. Avoid over-wetting the mattress.
Once the stain is gone, sponge and rinse the area with a damp cloth.
DIY solution
What you’ll need:
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Water
- Lavender essential oil (optional)
Steps:
- Mix equal parts of the ingredients above. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil for fragrance.
- Rub the stain with the paste, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Wipe away with a damp clean cloth.
4. Removing Urine and Sweat Stains
If your mattress shows a yellow cast, it’s most likely due to a buildup of sweat and body oils. Bedwetting is also typical in a household with kids. Over time, it’s common for mattresses to become discolored due to these stains.
- Add a cup each of hydrogen peroxide and warm water. Mix 1/4 teaspoon of mild dish liquid. Pour the solution into a spray bottle.
- Spritz the mattress surface and work it into the fabric with a soft brush, and let sit for about 30 minutes.
- Afterward, spritz the area again with water to rinse, blot well, and let it dry.
- For tough stains, repeat the process or add a little more hydrogen peroxide to the solution.
More tips for keeping your mattress clean longer
- It would be best if you clean your mattress regularly, at least every six months. If you notice a stain, treat it immediately to avoid any discoloration.
- Hire a professional upholstery cleaning service. If you’re in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington or Christchurch consider Premium Clean Services.
- Invest in a mattress cover to protect moisture from getting into the mattress and help prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
- Flip your mattress every three months to clean your mattress properly.
- Change the sheets at least once a week to prevent dead skin from building up on the bed.
- Vacuum the mattress to avoid dust mites from growing, especially in tight spots.
You might be interested in our article on: Can You Upholstery Clean a Mattress
Last Updated on February 2, 2024
