Do you have little children or pets at home? Then your mattress is subject to stains. Apart from that, dead skin, sweat, etc., can leave marks or stains on the.
So, it is very important to clean and maintain your mattress regularly. If not, it can impact sleep. If you have allergies, then it can get worsen.
Unsure of the right method to clean your mattress? Do not worry! It is not as difficult as you think.
In this article, we listed out the simple and easy ways to remove the stains and odours from your mattresses. All you need to do is follow the steps below.
Table of Contents
How to Clean a Mattress? – Step By Step Guide
Below is a step-by-step guide to help you clean your mattress easily and effortlessly. Let us get started with the process.
Step 1: Keep All the Mattress Cleaning Supplies Handy
The very first step is to keep all the materials that you may require for cleaning in hand. Gather all such supplies and have them with you before starting the cleaning process. These may include the following:
- An upholstery vacuum cleaner or a vacuum with an upholstery brush attached to it
- An enzyme cleaner or any other cleaning solution to remove the stains
- Laundry Detergent
- Baking Soda
- Clean Cloth
Cold Water You may not require all of them at a time. You may need each of the items, as mentioned above, in different steps of the cleaning procedure. Make wise use of them in every step.
Step 2: Remove All Parts Of The Bedding And Give Them A Nice Wash
Let us move on to the next step, which is, stripping the bed. Remove all the parts of the bedding, i.e., bedsheets, pillow covers, etc. It is time to clean these. Before that, soak these items in a hot water bucket for some time. Ensure that you are not mixing the whites with the coloured sheets. Separate them, if any, and also check for the washing instructions mentioned on the tags.
Soaking the beddings in hot water for a specific time ensures the removal of allergens or dust mites from them. After that, wring them and place them in the washing machine.
Step 3: Clean The Mattress Using Vacuum
Let us get started with the cleaning of the mattress. As the first step, use an upholstery vacuum cleaner or a vacuum with an upholstery brush attached to it. Start vacuuming the bed to get rid of dirt, hair, dead skin, pet hair, etc., from it. For cleaning the top of the mattress, use a wide brush. To clean the side and corners of the bed, the edges, and piping or to get into the cracks, use a long upholstery nozzle attachment.
Step 4: Use A Stain Remover To Get Rid Of The Stains
After vacuuming, let us now focus on the stains, both old and new. For older stains, use a stain remover for cleaning. Remember, you should not spray the remover or cleaning solution directly on the mattress. It will soak the foam or material inside and cause damage to it. Instead, try doing this. Take a clean cloth, damp with the stain remover or cleaning solution, and rub it over the stains.
For biological stains like urine, vomiting, sweat, etc., use an enzyme cleaner. As mentioned earlier, damp clean cloth with the cleaner and then blot the stained area with it. Now, take another clean cloth damped with cold water and blot it over the stain until you see them getting erased.
If you do not have an enzyme cleaner available with you or want to use an alternative to it, this is what you can do. You can prepare your own cleaning solution in the DIY method and use the same. How do you do it? This is how:
- You can mix the dish soap in a bowl or mug of water and apply the foam over the stains.
- You can prepare another cleaning solution by adding equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and cold water. Apply this solution to the stains to get rid of them.
We have mentioned other cleaning methods for removing different kinds of stains at the end of the article. You can follow those suggestions for specified stains.
Step 5: Deodorize the Mattress by Sprinkling Baking Soda
After you finish removing the stains on the mattress, it is time to deodorize the bed. You can dry it in the sun and fresh air if possible. If you cannot do this, do not worry. We will tell you what to do. You might be having baking soda available at home. Don’t you? You can make use of this efficiently. This is what you ought to do:
- Sprinkle the baking soda all over the mattress, and let it sit for long hours.
- Make sure you sprinkle it evenly across the mattress. You can make use of a sifter for the same.
The reason we are using baking soda is that it helps in breaking down the acid and absorbs any leftover moisture or odour from the mattress. Remember, the longer hours you allow the baking soda to sit, the better results you get! Ensure you leave the windows of the room open when doing this. Allowing the light and sunshine inside causes the sun’s UV rays to kill any mould or bacteria present on the mattress.
Step 6: Clean the Baking Soda Using a Vacuum
After you allowed the backing soda to sit on the mattress for a stipulated time, start cleaning it. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove all the powder. Simultaneously, it will vacuum all the acids, moisture, and odour from it by absorbing. Repeat step 3 here by making use of the attachments.
Step 7: Flip and Repeat
After you cleaned the top of the mattress, flip it to the other side for cleaning. If you notice stains on the other side also you may have to repeat the above steps for cleaning. Else, a normal vacuuming would do to get rid of any allergens, pet hair, grime, dust, etc.
Step 8: Let The Mattress Air Out
Once you have finished cleaning the mattress, let it air out for some time so that any remaining liquid or moisture inside will dry. Whenever the moisture gets trapped inside the bedding, it will lead to mould formation that could be difficult to remove.
If you are cleaning the mattress in the warmer seasons, this is what you can do. Open the windows of the room and let the air and sunlight come inside. This will dry the bed faster.
When you let the sunshine inside by removing the curtains and drapes, the UV rays in the sun
You can also open drapes and curtains to let the sunshine in. The sun’s UV rays will kill any mould or bacteria present on the mattress, remove the odour from it and dry it faster.
Step 9: Flip Or Rotate The Mattress
To protect your mattress from wear and tear, you can flip it over. Some mattresses have identical paddings on both sides. In such cases, you can turn the mattress with the bottom side up and sleep over it. A few models may come with a specified mentioning of which is the upper side and lower side. For such designs, you can rotate the mattress to 180 degrees and sleep over it. This protects the mattress from uneven wearing on the surface.
Step 10: Use A Mattress Protector
Just like cleaning a mattress often is important, protecting it is equally important. But, how do you protect your mattress? The answer is by using a mattress protector. After you finished cleaning and drying, cover the mattress with a protector. This will maximize the ease of cleaning in the future. Furthermore, it protects from dirt, bed bugs, and stains due to spills.
How Do You Clean Specific Stains On Mattresses?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach for all kinds of stains. Some stains need different methods to remove them. In the above paragraphs, we talked about a common method for normal stains. Let us now discuss the various stains on the mattress like a urinal, blood, coffee, and wine. We will also learn the different procedures to get rid of these stains.
1. Urine Stains
Bedwetting is common, especially when you have kids at home. Sometimes, even sweat can leave yellowish stains on the mattress, which will eventually become discoloured and start stinking. How do you remove such stains and odour from your mattress? Well, here is a DIY method to get rid of urine and sweat stains. You can prepare a disinfectant spray at home with the available ingredients. Let us learn how to make one.
This is all you need:
- Laundry Detergent
- White Vinegar
- Cold Water
- Baking Soda
- Spray Bottle
Instructions:
- Take two tablespoons of laundry detergent and one cup of white vinegar.
- Prepare a cleaning solution by mixing the above ingredients with two cups of cold water.
- Take this solution in a spray bottle and spray it over the mattress.
- You may feel that the direct application is a contradiction to what we mentioned earlier. It is okay. Since your mattress is already wet with urine, a little more moisture on it will not be a big deal.
- After spraying the cleaning solution over the mattress, allow it to sit for