Mattresses

Published February 24, 2022

12 min

How to Clean a Mattress : A Step-Wise Guide

Nectar Editorial Team

Table of contents

Step 1: Gather all your mattress cleaning suppliesStep 2: Strip the Bed Off the Bedding EssentialsStep 3: Vacuum the MattressStep 4: Spot Clean your Mattress with Stain RemovalStep 5: Sprinkle Baking Soda All Over the MattressStep 6: Vacuum EverythingStep 7: Flip the MattressStep 8: Protect the MattressStep 9: Guard it with Fitting SheetsTips to Keep Your Mattress CleanHow to Clean Stains from MattressHow Often Should You Clean Your Mattress?Frequently Asked Questions

You had a blast party last night, and you wake up to see that your mattress is simply like a domino’s outlet because of the pizza toppings. All your hangovers are gone, and you’re wondering how to clean a mattress? Presumably, you’ve spent quite an amount of money buying it, and now you’ve completely lost your mind. What if we tell you that mattress cleaning is not as complex as you're fretting it to be?Continue reading to know how to clean a mattress in-depth!

Step 1: Gather all your mattress cleaning supplies

To quench your inquiry about knowing how to deep clean a mattress, we have listed below the specific requirements for mattress cleaning:

A vacuum comprising an upholstery attachment
A mattress cleaner like enzyme cleaner or dish soap to kick out the stains
Laundry detergent
Baking soda
Cleaning cloth
Cold water

Step 2: Strip the Bed Off the Bedding Essentials

Do you know one of the beneficial parts of cleaning a mattress? Your bed sheets, pillowcases, mattress covers, and additional accessories also get a chance of a roller coaster ride in the washing machine. This means you don’t have to worry about cleaning them separately. Therefore, strip all of them and put them into the washing machine, pouring hot water as it will push all dust, dirt, and mites away. And for pillows, you might as well wash them by exploring the care instructions.

Step 3: Vacuum the Mattress

Now is the time to vacuum the mattress! Grab your vacuum cleaner’s upholstery attachment and start running it all over the mattress, including the sides. For complete deep cleaning of the mattress, you need to focus more on the seams and break out the crevice attachment to suck in any dirt or debris found.

Step 4: Spot Clean your Mattress with Stain Removal

Don’t just put your mattress into the water or clean it directly. In fact, memory foam mattresses are not supposed to be soaked at all. The first magic mantra to know about removing stains from mattresses is- less is more! Therefore, the safest approach to removing stains is picking a stain remover. Now, you need to check your mattress’s fabric and the stain type. If it’s a biological stain, opt for an enzyme cleaner. First, stain a white cloth with the cleaner and then blot the stain on the mattress with that white cloth. Post that, dip another clean cloth in cold water and continue blotting until the stain disappears. The aim here is to avert as much moisture and product as possible. This process is perfect for biological stains like blood, urine, sweat, vomit, etc.

Homemade Mattress Stain Removers

Making homemade mattress stain remover is a comparatively easy process. Instead of enzyme cleaners, you can mix dish soap with water and apply the foam part onto the stain for biological stains. You can also make a solution of cold water with hydrogen peroxide.

For Spot CleaningFor only spot cleaning, use 1 cup of vinegar and 1 to 2 cups of warm water.

Stain Removal with Baking SodaIf the mixture of water and vinegar doesn’t suffice, use baking soda. After sprinkling, just let it sit for an hour.
All-Purpose Stain RemoverThis is an all-rounder stain remover made of 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of Borax, 4 tablespoons of white vinegar, and water.

Step 5: Sprinkle Baking Soda All Over the Mattress

It might happen that your flat doesn’t get enough sunlight or air. Not to worry, just sprinkle baking soda all over the mattress and keep it out for quite a few hours. The best thing to do is, sort out the baking soda part by keeping it on overnight. The baking soda will sponge all the moisture in by breaking down the acid. The more you can keep the baking soda on, the better it will work. While the baking soda is at its work, open the window for some sunlight as the latter’s UV rays will kill the bacteria, dust, mites, and more.

Step 6: Vacuum Everything

Once the baking soda has performed its magic, start vacuuming the whole thing. If you happen to own a fabric headboard, then it is time to vacuum it.

Step 7: Flip the Mattress

Once one side is completed, flip the mattress and repeat the whole process. It is recommended to flip your mattress once every three months, even if you are not deep cleaning.

Step 8: Protect the Mattress

Cover it with a mattress protector once the mattress is all dried up. This product will make your future cleaning pretty more effortless.

Step 9: Guard it with Fitting Sheets

The last step is to guard your mattress by fixing fitted sheets to prevent any kind of dust. Further, using wrapping mattress and box springs minimizes dust mites.

Tips to Keep Your Mattress Clean

The following are some of the ways that show how to clean a mattress from regular stains:

Pee Stains

To remove urine stains from a mattress - both fresh and old, make a mixture of 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, and a small amount of liquid dish soap into a bowl.Start by dripping a rag into the mixture and then dabbing it onto the stain without completely drenching the stain spot. Then switch to a clean cloth and blot the moisture while constantly using a fresh one. Once done, cover the area with a cloth dampened in cold water and let it dry.

Sweat Stains

To clean a mattress that has formed yellowish sweat stains, lightly spray the area with 3% hydrogen peroxide, just don’t dampen it. The peroxide will dry and take everything with it.

Blood Stains

You can remove blood stains until you haven’t experimented with heat; then, it will only make the stain permanent. Start by mixing 2 ounces of hydrogen peroxide and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap and salt. Spread this on the bloodstain, keep it for 10 minutes, and then pluck it away with the spoon.If there is any residue, dip a cloth in the peroxide and clean it. Let it dry. If the brown color persists, simply spray peroxide and wait for it to dry. That’s it; this is how you remove blood stains from your mattress.

Yellow Stains

To clean a mattress with a yellow stain, spray hydrogen peroxide on it. Then, with damp clothes or a gloved hand, continue cleaning the stain in a circular motion. Then wipe off the remaining peroxide with a dry cloth.

How to Clean Stains from Mattress

It is highly recommended to use a waterproof mattress cover . The cover helps keep away dirt, dust, mites, and more. In addition, you don’t have to worry about cleaning a mattress so big all the time if you have a mattress protector.
After placing the mattress, put on a fitting sheet to guard your mattress against any dust or similar hindrances.
If you put a foam topper or mattress pad, then put it first, followed by the mattress cover and fitted sheets.
Wash your mattress cover monthly and let your mattress feel the breeze during that time.
Air and sunshine are two best friends of your mattress, even before you know how to clean a mattress, try introducing it to air and sunshine.

You will undoubtedly love mattress cleaning now that you’ve picked all knowledge about how to clean a mattress thoroughly. Mattress cleaning definitely does extend its life, but there comes the point when everything comes to an end, and so does your mattress. So after around 7 or 8 years, you must consider buying a new one.

How Often Should You Clean Your Mattress?

The frequency of cleaning a mattress depends completely on the usage. If you are someone using the mattress regularly, it ought to be washed once in 6 months or so. If you have spilled something, or there is a stain, immediately wash it as stated in the process above of how to clean a mattress.This article is for informational purposes and should not replace advice from your doctor or other medical professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to clean a mattress without a vacuum? Spray vinegarCover the wet vinegar by sprinkling baking sodaCover the mattress with a towel for 2 to 4 hoursEmpty the towels and let them air dryTidy up the baking soda by cleaning with a cloth or brushing the residue. Can you steam clean a mattress? Yes, you can, and steam cleaning a mattress is actually considered a sustainable process. How to clean a mattress topper? Make a mixture of cool water and distilled white vinegar. Spray on the mattress topper, and blot out the excess with a towel. How to clean a pillow top mattress? Strip off all the beddings Use a vacuum cleaner to absorb dustSprinkle baking soda Let it sit for 20 to 60 minutes Can I use carpet cleaner on the mattress? Yes, in fact, it is often considered the best mattress cleaner available at home. How often should I flip my mattress? The mattresses should be rotated once every 1 to 2 times a year. Flipping is not suitable for some types of mattresses. You should always get recommendations directly from the manufacturer about flipping the mattress. How much does it cost to deep clean a mattress? On average, it takes $50 to $150 to deep clean a mattress. Why To Clean A Mattress Cleaning a mattress is undoubtedly beneficial, but you first need to acknowledge that your mattress requires cleaning and why you should do it?Sleeping without showering and having all sweats on the mattress – gross, right? But this is what most people do when they are exhausted. Sweat, dead skin, dirt, and whatnot get stuck on your mattress, and that’s why you need to know how to clean a mattress.Then comes dirt and dust from the windows and door. You keep the windows open at some point of the day. That is when it all enters. Then you dust the room, and it gets drawn towards the mattress.If you have allergies or skin disease, you should clean a mattress regularly because keeping it tainted might only aggravate your illness.Debris, mites, and small insects like bed bugs are omnipresent and need frequent cleaning to get rid of.