How to Remove Stains from a Mattress?

Mattresses play a crucial role in every household as they prepare for another hectic day at home and work. Therefore, it is essential to keep them clean and cover them with mattress protectors. However, if you have not kept them covered and an inevitable accident has stained your mattress, it is not the end of the world. Removing stains from the mattress might require some work, but it is possible.

Just make sure that you have your gear ready before the moisture from spills and bodily liquid doesn’t reach the fiber below the surface. If it does, it will leave you with a stinky and damp mattress that can develop mold easily.

Here are some techniques you can follow to get rid of stains from your mattress.

1. Know your Basics Right

Since you have invested a fortune in the mattress, it is only fair to clean it thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner every six months. You should repeat the process if you, your partner, or kids are suffering from asthma as dust mites settle in the mattress and can cause further respiratory issues. While hoovering the vacuum over the mattress helps, there is no better occasion to bring out the upholstery attachment and go the town with the seams and headboard. These are the spaces where dust mites and the skin flakes accumulate the most.

Another basic rule that you should abide by is to flip the mattress at least every three months so that its compressed side can gain its original shape back.

2. Removing the Stain

While most mattress stains form due to gradual infiltration of sweat in the mattress, some households with pets and children are prone to vomit, spills, milk, urine, and bloodstains seeping into their mattress. These stains can ruin your mattress once and for all if you don’t wipe them clean as soon as possible.

Make sure that you dab the liquid with a sponge or a cloth to absorb most of the moisture so that you can reduce the rate of infiltration. We would advise against using a paper towel for the job because it disintegrates easily when it comes in contact with moisture. Another point you should remember is to avoid wiping and scrubbing as it will only spread the stain on the mattress.

So, carefully dab the stain and spot it with the help of a dish soap solution or enzyme cleaner (works best for bodily fluids). Then spray some cold water on another clean cloth for spot cleaning the enzyme cleaner. Keep spot until the stain starts to lift off from the mattress. This will make your mattress damp, and you should never cover your damp mattress with sheets as it can prove to be an open invitation for mold. So, let the mattress air dry before you cover it with another layer of fabric.

The situation demands quicker action if you have a pillow-top mattress as it is more absorbent. So, either use hypoallergenic and moisture resistant mattress protectors or deal with stains before they can infect the mattress.

As for the sheets, you should throw them in the washer and blast it off with cold water quickly. Remember not to use hot water as it settles the stains in the fabric rather than removing it.

Now that you know how stains, in general, can be taken care of, here are some targeted cleaning techniques that will come in handy if you discover an accident hours after it happened.

1. Bedwetting Incidents

No matter how adorable children are, they can be disastrous if left unattended on beds without diapers on. The urine does not only leave shabby marks on the bed, but it also leaves a foul smell that invites various infections. Therefore, you should blot the moisture from the stain as soon as you discover it and try to dry the stain.

However, since the mattress has already absorbed some of it, here are the methods you can try to salvage your mattress.

a. Prepare a Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda solution. For this, mix 3% hydrogen peroxide in some dish soap liquid and dissolve three tablespoons of baking soda into it till there are no lumps. Then add the mixture to a spray bottle and spray it on the stain and let sit for a couple of hours for best results.

You can also cover the stain with Baking Soda afterward and let it sit on the stain for 8-10 hours. If not clear, it will faint the mark and kill most bacteria that can infect your mattress. Plus, the unpleasant odor will no longer be there.

b. Another solution that you can spray on the stain is a vinegar and water mix that contains both liquids in a 1:1 ratio.

Repeat covering the stain with baking soda and vacuum it once you are satisfied with your odorless mattress.

2. Period Mishaps

Perhaps the worst kind of stains you will have to deal with when it comes to your mattress are those of period blood or blood of any other kind. It appears impossible to get rid of its odor and color. Then again, if you clean the spots as soon as they appear with the help of cold water, you will succeed. You can also follow the following methods to get rid of bloodstains.

a. You can dab the spot with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution or lemon juice on a clean cloth until the stain starts to lift up.

b. Use the intense cleaning of detergent to break down the stain by applying it directly on the spot and cleaning it. You can also use an enzyme cleaner since it works better for bodily fluids and helps you get rid of odors too.

3. Puke or Vomit stains

While there are no stains more disgusting than that of puke or vomit, they are equally a nightmare to get rid of when someone pukes on your mattress. So, the first thing you should do is to strip the bedding off immediately because sheets are easier to clean. If the vomit reached your mattress because you could take the sheets off, here are some methods of damage control you should follow.

a. Spray the stain with a mixture of water and white vinegar, which is prepared with equal parts of both liquids. Use a clean cloth to blot the stain till it disappears from the mattress completely.

Once you have dealt with the stain, it is time to deal with bacteria by sprinkling some baking soda on the spot and letting it sit for 8-10 hours. It will break down the bacteria and the odor particles, leaving your mattress as good as new.

Now that the job of baking soda is done, you can hoover it off with the help of a vacuum cleaner.

4. Wine Stains

Wine stains have earned enough accolades for being the toughest to get rid of. However, if it is a fresh stain, you can try your luck by dabbing the mattress with some sparkling water or covering it with salt to allow it to soak the wine. It can be a little tricky to find sparkling water handy, but you can always use some salt from the kitchen in case of emergencies.

5. Miscellaneous Spills and Leaks

Sometimes when you slip your mattress, you discover stains that you didn’t even know about. Well, this can be the mischief of kids or your partner to hide a spill from you. Whatever it is, you are supposed to deal with it before the mold and mildew settle in.

a. Use a water-based washing liquid, or mix it into a spray bottle full of water and spray it all over the stain. Now, allow it to rest on the stain and break it down for a few minutes and then dab the stain out with a blotting cloth. You might have to repeat the process a couple of times before you succeed.

In case the stains you are dealing with are seriously stubborn, then you should cover it with some baking soda and leave as it is under a sheet. Vacuum it after 5-7 days to discover that the stain has fainted, and there is no foul smell left.

In the end, dealing with stains on mattresses is not easy and can be time-consuming. So, either be prepared with the above mixtures for every time a spilling accident happens or cover your mattress with well-fitted protectors.