How to Clean a Mattress

Mattresses should be kept clean to avoid mold and mildew below the surface.

Just like you remove and wash your bedding, clean you mattress and turn it every time you change your bedding. Cleaned regularly, your mattress will last a long time.

Stains come out better when the stain is fresh. Use powdered laundry detergent with water and create a foamy mixture. Apply the foam to mattress stains. Use a damp sponge to spread the foam and remove the stain.

A carpet or furniture cleaner can be used on the mattress for tougher stains. If you are dealing with blood or urine, treat the stain with an enzymatic cleaner to break down the proteins in the stain. Hydrogen peroxide can be used on blood as well. Blot the stain until the blood is all bubbled out.

One thing you should not do when cleaning a mattress is saturate it with any type of liquid. The fill in the mattress will absorb excess fluid. Trapped inside the mattress, the fluid will cause mold and mildew below the surface.

Once this occurs, the mattress is probably beyond salvage and will need to be replaced. Cleaning stains right away and with as little liquid as possible is best. Make sure that the mattress is dry to the touch before turning it over or applying bedding. Open a window or turn on a fan to speed the drying process.

When in doubt, contact a professional. Consult an expert mattress cleaner for your particular situation to see if the mattress can be saved or if it will need to be trashed. A professional cleaning once a year could extend the life of your mattress.

In the absence of stains, mattresses should be cleaned regularly to release odors from the material. Sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the mattress and let it stand overnight. The baking soda will soak up the odors in the mattress just like it does in the refrigerator. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck up the baking soda and any dirt from the mattress. Using upholstery fresheners like Febreze® is okay as long as you let the mattress dry before doing anything else to it.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Zip your mattresses in mattress covers. This reduces the odors that get caught in the fabric. If your child is a bed wetter, put the mattress inside a cover and use a waterproof pad to avoid ruining the mattress.

Always cover your mattresses with bedding before use. Sleeping directly on the mattress will cause the outer covering to bead up because of the friction and will thin the fabric, not to mention the abundance of odors and dirt that will accumulate.

How to Clean a Mattress - Back Home