How To Clean A Mattress
Our mattresses are some of the hardest-working things in our household, yet we don’t even know it! But when was the last time you deep cleaned your beds? Oftentimes, we only think about changing our sheets, with mattress cleaning only a rare occurrence. In fact, they may even be the dirtiest parts of our beds, despite being covered in pillows and bedding.
Mattresses are big investments, as high-quality ones never come cheap – but they can last a lifetime and mean a world of difference for your sleeping health.
Read on to learn more about how to properly care for your beloved mattresses!
Best Mattress-Cleaning Supplies
It’s best to gather the arsenal you will need in order to tackle your mattress cleaning agenda beforehand. Here are the most important items you will need in the cleaning process.
- Vacuum cleaner – Prepare a wide, flat attachment and a narrow nozzle attachment to use with your device.
- Stain remover – You can use store-bought cloth stain remover, but a good mix of hydrogen peroxide and even dish soap diluted with water would be enough.
- Baking soda – Yet another helpful use for this excellent multi-purpose cleaning ingredient!
Best Mattress-Cleaning Process
Don’t be afraid of this task that seems to take up a lot of your time and energy.
- Strip your bed of pillows, bedding, and linens.
It’s time to remove everything that is on top of your bed. This includes the decorations and toys, to the essentials like pillows and blankets. Set aside the pillowcases and duvet covers for laundry cleaning. If space is tight, move the blankets and pillows to another room to ensure they don’t get caught up in the mattress-cleaning in the same space. Finally, remove the linens and fitted sheets that cover the mattress. - Wash your sheets and bedding.
Cleaning the mattress does take some time, so it’s good to throw your covers and such into the washing machine. This way, you’ll save time later and be able to enjoy a 100% fresh new bed. Make sure to follow the care instructions with each piece. They’re likely to be made of different materials and thread counts so read the labels, just in case.
You may wish to split loads into smaller segments since some modern washers and dryers take extra long with extremely large loads. In addition, you can swap to a fresh set while the previous ones are being washed. - Vacuum the surface of your mattress.
Clear away the surface of your mattress with a good sweep of the vacuum cleaner. Start with a flat, wide attachment to help get rid of any dust, hair, dead skin particles, mites, and the like from the surface and the creases. Make sure to spend some time to pay attention to the creases and seams, using a narrower attachment meant for hard-to-reach places. This will help clear more foreign material the larger attachment may have not reached.
If you have a steam cleaner at home, that will help suck out the dirt more effectively, especially if you notice that your mattress has turned yellow-ish in time. This is likely an effect of age and contact with skin, sebum, and sweat.
- Spot clean any old stains.
It’s important to clean off any accidental spills and stains.
Of course, you cannot get your mattress soaking wet, as it will not handle moisture or liquid cleaning materials well. Apply the solution of your choice with a cloth and work on the stain by dabbing it from the outer edges to the center. Make sure to avoid getting parts of the mattress too wet. When you are satisfied with the stain removal, wipe away any excess cleaner from the mattress and dry it with a clean cloth before proceeding to the next steps. - Treat the mattress with baking soda.
This step is especially important if your mattress has adapted a smell that bothers you. Baking soda helps deodorize and clean your mattress, because it breaks down harmful acids and absorbs unpleasant odors. Before proceeding with the next step, feel free to add some essential oils into your baking soda batch in order to leave your favorite scent on the mattress. Once that’s done, you can move on with the cleaning process.
Generously apply baking soda over the surface of the mattress, making sure to cover as much space as possible. Brush in the baking soda particles lightly into the mattress. At the very least, leave it on for 30 minutes to do its work. If possible, do this in the morning and leave it in for the day. The longer you leave in the baking soda, the more effective its application will be. - Air out your mattress.
If you can, leave out the mattress to get fresh air and as much of the sun as possible. If that’s not possible, open your windows wide to let some of that in. The sun has ultraviolet rays that can help kill the harmful bacteria, or even mold, hiding inside your mattress. Let the baking soda work on the surface of the mattress as well, and afterward, suck up the particles using your handy vacuum cleaner. Again, use the narrow nozzle attachment to run through the seams, especially now that you have baking soda all over the surface. - Flip your mattress.
Rotate your mattress so that the bottom side is now facing up, and it will now become your new sleeping surface. This also ensures that the wear and tear of your mattress is evenly distributed throughout the item. It’s advisable to flip the mattress every 3 to 6 months in order to even out the wear naturally. - Use a mattress protector.
This is an extra step that has been shown to go a long way. Purchase a plastic mattress case to add a layer of protection over the mattress. Sealing the mattress away from possible spills, dust, and human contact can help it last longer from molds and bugs. If you find sleeping on the plastic a little uncomfortable, there are also commercial mattress pads that can sit on top of your mattress before you return its sheets and bedding for a fresh new bed.
There you have it – the ultimate way to clean, prep, and freshen your bed. Your overall health will improve greatly with some tender loving care for your mattress!