When was the last time you cleaned your mattress? Have you ever cleaned it before?
Well, you should start getting into the habit of cleaning your mattress because, with time, it becomes home to bedbugs, dirt, dead skin, and dust.
Not only that, but also the mattress could have stains (urine, blood, or food) and absorbs your sweat leaving a foul odor with time.
And that’s just nasty to sleep on every night!
Do you need a professional to clean your mattress? No!
It’s pretty easy to clean your mattress and save money while doing it. You can really maintain a fresh-looking mattress for a long time without having to buy a new mattress.
How to Prevent Stains on a Mattress?
Mattress protectors! It’s smart to keep your mattress clean from the day you bought it by using protectors.
But, it’s not too late to protect your mattress now. First, you’ll clean your mattress. Then, you can confidently put the mattress protector to keep the mattress looking and smelling fresh and clean for longer.
Usually, most mattress protectors are inexpensive, made of soft fabric, and waterproof. Some mattress protectors are antimicrobial, stain repellent, and bedbug protectors.
What is the best choice for a mattress protector?
Zippered mattress protectors are best. I personally love zippered mattress protectors because it covers the entire mattress, including the sides from any stains, spills, dirt, and bedbugs.
Quick note: If you’re using a zippered protector, you should place it underneath the zippered mattress protector.
How to Clean Your Mattress & Keep it Fresh?
If this the first time you’re cleaning your mattress, then it might take some time to deep clean it. It’s no shock that if you regularly clean your mattress, it’ll be easier to clean.
But, it’s never too late to start sleeping a nice, fresh, and clean mattress. As you get into the habit of regularly cleaning the mattress, the next time, it usually easier and quicker as you don’t have to go through a full cleaning process.
Here’re nine steps that can help you finish the job perfectly.
1. Your Mattress Cleaning Supplies
To deep clean a mattress, you need specific cleaning supplies on hand.
You’ll need:
- Baking soda.
- Cleaning cloths.
- Laundry detergent.
- Bucket of cold water.
- A vacuum with an upholstery attachment.
- Dish soap or an enzyme cleaner to remove any stains out.
Yes! You can deep clean your mattress with these simple supplies! You don’t need a professional. So, let’s get into it.
2. Strip The Bed
Strip the mattress and remove the bed sheets, mattress covers, and pillowcases. It’s best to regularly change your bedsheets, pillowcases, and covers at least once a week.
Normally, you should wash the bedsheets in hot water, but check the label just in case it’s made of certain materials that only can be washed in cold water.
3. Vacuum
Now that the sheets are in the washing machine, it’s time to focus on the mattress itself. First, grab the vacuum cleaner’s upholstery attachment and vacuum in straight lines making sure to get into any crevices to get all the dust and dirt.
4. Stain Remover
Make sure you don’t skip vacuuming! Because if you apply the stain remover and water over the dust and dirt, it’ll stain!
So, after vacuuming the mattress, you need to remove the stains (food, urine, or blood) from the mattress. Don’t soak the whole mattress with the stain remover! Only cover the areas where there’re stains with the stain remover.
The memory foam mattress hates water! So, it’s important to carefully apply only enough stain remover to get the job done.
For every type of stain, there’re special stain removers.
Biological Stains
If you have biological stains (sweat, urine, etc.), then use an enzyme cleaner. Spray the enzyme cleaner onto a clean white piece of cloth, and cover the stained area with it. Then, with another piece of clean cloth, soak it in cold water and continue covering the stain until the stain is removed.
The less product and moisture you apply, the better. This method is excellent for sweat, blood, urine, vomit, and other related biological stains.
DIY Solution 1
If you love making your cleaning products, then, as an alternative, you can make mix dish soap with water to create an enzyme cleaner. Then, you can apply it to the stains using the same process.
DIY Solution 2
Also, you can make another DIY solution! Just mix of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and cold water to remove biological stains.
5. Sprinkle Your Mattress
Where did the fresh smell of the new mattress go? Well, it got replaced by the smell of sweat, dust, dirt, and other stain odors over time. Also, if you have pets at home (dogs or cats), and they sleep on your bed, you’ll their smell is on the mattress as well.
How to lose that nasty smell? It’s simple; just sprinkle the entire mattress with baking soda. You should concentrate the baking soda on the areas with stains. Then, you should rub the baking soda into the mattress using a brush. Now, let the baking soda sit for a couple of hours to absorb any odor.
6. Vacuum Again
After a few hours, the baking soda has worked its magic, and your mattress will be odor-free. So, you’ll need to vacuum the mattress again to remove the baking soda. Now, smell the mattress and notice that it smells good and fresh. Open any window in the room to allow air circulation for better results.
7. Flip The Mattress
Good work on the first side, now it’s time to do the same steps but on the other side. So, flip the mattress and repeat all six steps.
You should flip your mattress every three months and clean it to maintain a healthy and fresh smelling and looking mattress.
Experts tip: check the label of your mattress to see how it’s advised to flip the mattress for cleaning. For example, every few months, the Casper foam mattress should only be rotated 180 degrees. However, the top pad of Duxiana’s Dux mattress should be flipped and turned.
8. Protect The Mattress
Now that you’ve done an excellent job cleaning the mattress, you need to protect it. As we mentioned before, the best solution to preserve any mattress is a mattress protector!
The ideal option to protect your mattress from dust, sweat, biological stains, and odors is a zippered mattress protector that is waterproof.
This step will make cleaning more effortless in the future and prevent the stains from reaching the mattress.
9. Keep Out The Dust
Finally, keep the dust and dirt away from your mattress by using fitted sheets. Also, keep the room and the room clean. Wrapping your mattress will protect it from dust mites and bedbugs and, therefore, protecting you.
Also, if you have allergies or asthma, the worst thing you need to sleep on is a bed full of dust and dirt! So, it’s important to wrap the mattress with fitted sheets and changing them regularly.
Undoubtedly, cleaning a mattress will extend its life and make it enjoyable and relaxing to sleep on. However, you should buy a new mattress after eight years or so because the mattress will be worn out, and that will hurt your spine.
So, if your mattress has been on your bed for years, just get a new one instead of cleaning it. Enjoy your fresh mattress, and have a good night’s sleeps. Cheers!
