How to Clean Your Mattress

You’ve made a chart to keep up with the regular cleaning of your apartment or house, and you’ve stocked up on laundry supplies. But what about your mattress? Cleaning a mattress can feel like an overwhelming chore, but mattresses inevitably encounter stains and you’ll want to do some general upkeep regularly to keep your mattress fresh.

How to clean a mattress

If you’re furnishing your dream place and in the market for a mattress, you know you’re making a serious investment. Learning how to clean a dirty mattress (or just keep up with some regular cleaning) will keep your investment in the best possible shape. Even if you don’t have to deal with stains, mattresses can harbor dead skin, dirt, and dust mites. So, you’ll want to regularly clean your mattress, especially if you have pets or suffer from allergies.

Thankfully, cleaning a mattress is a lot easier than you might imagine. First step? Making sure you have the right mattress cleaning tools and products on hand. Materials you’ll need for deep cleaning a mattress include:

• Baking soda
• Cloths for cleaning
• Cold water
• Enzyme cleaner or dish soap (for stains)
• Laundry detergent
• A vacuum with an upholstery attachment

Then, you can follow these mattress cleaning tips to ensure you always have a clean bed.

Washing all bedding

Take off your pillowcases, sheets, and mattress covers and toss them in the washing machine for their own cleaning session while you’re hard at work on the mattress. Setting the washing machine to hot water will help you banish dust mites. You can put some pillows in the washing machine, but check the care label first to make sure you can wash yours.

Vacuuming your mattress

Can you wash a mattress? Not exactly, but you sure can vacuum it! Take the upholstery attachment for your vacuum and run it over the full mattress surface. Don’t forget the sides, and pay close attention to seams. The crevice attachment can help you get to hidden dust and dirt.

Spot-cleaning for stains

You’re not alone if you’re wondering how to clean mattress stains at home. At some point, every mattress will encounter some stains, so knowing how to deal with those stains is key.

You should never apply cleaning solution or water directly to a mattress, and you should never soak a mattress either. How much moisture a given mattress can tolerate will vary depending on the material. For instance, you’re not supposed to get memory foam wet at all. Spot-cleaning is the safest way to go when you’re cleaning a dirty mattress. Choose a stain remover based on the type of mattress you have and the type of stain you need to get out.

Biological stains like blood, sweat, urine, or vomit call for an enzyme-based cleaner. Take a clean white cloth and spray the enzyme cleaner onto it, then use the cloth to blot the stain. Then, put some cold water on a different clean cloth and go back to blotting until you get the stain to lift. Use as little moisture and product as you possibly can.

You can also go for a DIY solution as an alternative to an enzyme cleaner. Mix dish soap and water, then apply just the foam you get to the stain. Another DIY solution calls from equal parts hydrogen peroxide and cold water.

Sprinkling baking soda

In a best-case scenario, we could all put our mattresses in the sun and fresh air after cleaning. Of course, most folks renting an apartment don’t have that option. Enter: baking soda. Baking soda breaks down acid, absorbing any odor or moisture left behind after the first cleaning steps.

You’ll want to sprinkle a layer of baking soda over the full mattress top, leaving it for several hours at a minimum. The longer you leave it on, the better it works. If you can time your mattress cleaning endeavor so you can leave the mattress with the baking soda for a night (say, before an overnight trip), even better.

Open windows to let sunshine in while the baking soda works its odor-removing magic. UV rays help kill bacteria or mold on your mattress.

Vacuuming, round two

After the baking soda does its job, you’ll want to do another pass with your vacuum. Thoroughly vacuum to remove all baking soda from the mattress.

Flipping your mattress

You’ve gotten one side of your mattress spotless. Now, flip it over and repeat the above steps.

Pro-tip: Even when you’re not deep cleaning your mattress, you should still flip it at regular intervals. Consistent flipping helps the mattress last long as it will let it wear more evenly. If you have a spring mattress that will compress over time, flipping it every three months can help preserve the mattress. Otherwise, check with your mattress manufacturer for best practices for the model you have. If you start to notice sagging, you can go ahead and flip even if you haven’t reached the three-month mark.

Putting on protective layers

Once you’ve fully cleaned your mattress and allowed it to dry completely, you can take a few steps to protect the mattress. Cover a fresh mattress with a mattress protector to make future cleaning even easier. Using fitted sheets (as long as you regularly wash those fitted sheets) can help protect them from dust as well. However, mattress encasements provide more protection, especially if you suffer from asthma or allergies.

Learning the best ways to clean a mattress can help preserve your mattress for years to come. Mattresses are expensive, so you certainly can’t just toss one in the trash every time it gets dirty. At the same time, you can’t avoid every stain, and regular sleeping simply creates some debris. These easy steps will help you clean your mattress at home to ensure your mattress stays fresh and comfortable.