Tips on How to Clean a Mattress

Due to the mattresses’ overall size and weight, cleaning it may appear to be quite a daunting task. In fact, for most people, it will be. The good news is that there are several cleaning techniques you can apply to minimize the hassle and shorten the cleaning period of your mattress.

If your bed is currently due for a quick clean up, don’t fret! We have compiled a list of mattress cleaning tips and tricks here to help you along the way while also avoiding the many pitfalls that can complicate and even damage the integrity of your mattress.

Prepare Your Cleaning Materials

Before we can even begin the mattress cleaning process, first, we need to make sure we have all the necessary cleaning tools and chemicals on hand. Having the correct cleaning equipment will significantly assist us in not only doing quick work in cleaning the mattress but also ensure we clean it properly.

Here are the items you will most likely need when cleaning your mattress:

• Cleaning chemicals such as laundry detergent and dish soap
• Cold Water
• Baking Soda
• Clean, dry cloths
• A vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment

If you have all of the above items on hand, we can properly begin the mattress cleaning process. Note that you don’t need to have ALL of the things above, but it will help optimize mattress cleaning if you do.

First Step: Strip Your Mattress and Clean the Bed Linens

The first thing you need to do is to strip your mattress of its bedsheets. Throw your bed linens and pillowcases into the washing machine and let it do its job. The main thing you need to focus on is your mattress.

Second Step: Vacuum Your Mattress Thoroughly

Time to take out your vacuum cleaner and equip the upholstery attachment, which is the best vacuum cleaner accessory for this particular job. Start from the top part of the mattress and work your way down slowly on a straight line.

Take your time to make sure you remove all embedded dust and debris. Do the same on the sides of the mattress. As for the bottom part, you can leave that alone for now as we will be applying a different cleaning method there. An important note here is to not press too hard on the fabric as the vacuum may damage the mattress.

Third Step: Removing Mattress Odors

You only need to sprinkle the right amount of baking soda throughout the surface of your mattress. Use a scrub brush to gently spread it further while also embedding it deeper into the fabric. Let it set in for at least 10 minutes so that it absorbs the odor.

Now, once you are satisfied that the baking soda has done its job, it is time to remove it from your mattress. Whip out your vacuum cleaner again, and with the upholstery attachment equipped, repeat step 2.

Fourth Step: Mattress Stain Removal

That is the part of the cleaning process that tends to offer the most problem. Follow these tips on how to remove the mattress stain will boil down to what caused the dye in the first place. We will be going through some of the most common fluids that cause mattress stain tips on how to remove each.

Removing Dried Blood

You will need three primary ingredients when it comes to removing dried blood on a piece of fabric. These are liquid dish soap, salt, and hydrogen peroxide. Mix 2 ounces of hydrogen peroxide with the salt and dish soap. Just enough to give the mixture a paste-like consistency.

Take your cleaning paste mixture and spread it evenly on the stained area. Please wait for the paste to dry and carefully scrape it off. There will most likely be some residue left, so use a clean cloth with hydrogen peroxide and dab the remaining stain away.

Removing Urine Stain

Removing urine stain from the mattress can be a bit complicated compared to eliminating other types of stains. Here, we will need to first go through a pre-cleaning process to ensure optimum results. You will need baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and liquid dish soap during the pre-treatment process.

Mix all three ingredients thoroughly and apply a light amount over the area. Remember not to drench the fabric; use a small amount of the mixture. Lightly blot the area with a clean, dry cloth. In some cases, the pre-treatment will be enough to remove the urine stain from the mattress if this is the case with yours, great! If not, let us move on to the next step.

If the pre-treatment fails to remove the stain altogether, we will need to strengthen our cleaning solution. To do this, we will need hydrogen peroxide, water, and powdered detergent. To prepare our cleaning solution, you must first whisk the powdered soap and water together. Don’t pour too much water; what you want is for the concoction to form into a dry foam.

Lightly spread this cleaning foam over the area of the mattress and let it dry for about 30 minutes. Use a spoon to scrape the dried cleaning solution off the bed. Take a clean cloth and dampen it a bit with hydrogen peroxide and dab the remaining stains and residue off the fabric. Once you have removed all traces of the stain, go over the area again using a vacuum cleaner.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning your mattress will not only help it last longer but also benefits your health, as well. As you can see, the cleaning process is far more straightforward than you would expect. As long as you know the techniques and have the right tools, cleaning your mattress can be done in a jiffy.