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 Cleaning
For only spot cleaning, use 1 cup of vinegar and 1 to 2 cups of warm water.
Stain Removal with Baking Soda
If the mixture of water and vinegar doesn’t suffice, use baking soda. After sprinkling, just let it sit for an hour.All-Purpose Stain Remover
This 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.
How to Clean Stains from Mattress
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.
Tips to Keep Your Mattress Clean
- 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.
