A comprehensive guide to Mattress Cleaning

A good night’s sleep can work wonders for your overall well-being. And a mattress plays an important role in ensuring you get a restful slumber. Over time, even the best mattresses get worn out. No matter how many layers of sheets you use, a mattress manages to attract dust, allergens, and stains.

Whether it’s your drool or your baby’s poo, your mattress has been quietly absorbing everything you’ve been throwing at it. Perhaps it’s time to, well, go to the mattresses. 

How often should I wash my mattress?

The answer to that question depends on your usage. If you have pets who climb into the bed or infants who tend to wander out of their mackintoshes, you could do well by cleaning your mattresses as regularly as possible. However, under normal circumstances, you could schedule a deep cleaning of your mattress cleaning every six months. 

How do I remove tough stains on my mattress?

No matter how hard you try, accidents happen, and stains are left behind. Whether it’s spilt coffee, a pet accident or that stubborn mark whose origins you can’t (or would rather not) recall, it’s important to take care of stains on mattresses before they set in.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to handling common mattress stains:

How to remove fresh stains on mattresses

1. If it’s a fresh stain, immediately blot it with a clean cloth or a paper napkin. Make sure to absorb as much liquid as possible.
2. Then, soak a soft cloth in a solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid and gently dab the stained area as you work from the outer edges towards the centre.
3. When the stain is gone (or at least as good as gone) you can blot it again, this time with a damp cloth to rinse any soap residue. 
4. Don’t forget to let the mattress air dry completely before replacing the bedding and linen.

How to remove blood stains on mattresses

1. Start by blotting the stain with a damp cloth to prevent the blood from setting.
2. Apply a solution of one portion hydrogen peroxide and two portions cold water to the stain, working your way in from the outside. Repeat the process until you remove the stain (or most of it).
3. Air dry the mattress – you could use a hair dryer – before you cover it up again.

How to remove urine stains on mattresses

1. Blot as much urine as possible with paper napkins or dry cloth
2. Blot the area with a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar. The vinegar will cut through the urine smell.
3. Then, sprinkle some baking soda on the damp spot and let it sit for a few hours. The baking soda will absorb any remaining moisture and neutralise all odours.
4. Once the baking soda has done its job, vacuum the area thoroughly.

What is the best way to deep clean a mattress at home?

Before you start finding ways to clean your mattress at home, it’s crucial to check your mattress care instructions. These instructions will guide you on what cleaning agents to avoid any damage to the mattress.

To be sure, even though you can deep clean your mattress at home once every six months, you could do well with regular vacuuming and spot cleaning to ensure that your mattress is rid of dirt, odour, and allergens.

To deep clean mattress at home, follow these steps:

1. Strip the mattress

Obviously, you cannot clean the mattress with the sheets, mattress protectors, and other bedding on it. So, start by stripping it so that you’re now looking at the naked mattress.

2. Clean the bed frame

Remove the mattress from the bed frame to clean the frame itself. More often than not, the bed itself tends to attract a lot of dust. No amount of deep cleaning of the mattress will help if you don’t clean the bed frame.

3. Sweep the floor under the bed

The bed is one of the heaviest pieces of movable furniture in most homes. If your bed has storage, the floor under it doesn’t get cleaned for months, if not a couple of years. There’s no point in deep cleaning just the surface and ignoring everything beneath it. 

4. Vacuum the mattress

Use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner to thoroughly vacuum the mattress surface. Make sure to spend a little extra time vacuuming the seams and edges where dust tends to accumulate.

5. Remove stains

Before you get into shampooing the mattress, make sure you’ve got all the stains out. The critical thing to remember is never to soak your mattress. So, make sure to go easy on the water. 

Remember that you won’t be able to completely get rid of the older stains that have set in. So, you may have to settle with having got most of it out.

No matter what cleaner you use – the DIY homemade solutions mentioned earlier or an enzyme cleaner – ensure you don’t pour it directly on the mattress. Always use a damp cloth and blot the stain till you get rid of it (or most of it).

6. Sprinkle baking soda on the mattress

Baking soda is a great cleaning agent that also absorbs moisture and odours. Once you sprinkle it over the entire mattress, let it sit for a few hours. This will make sure most impurities and odours are neutralised.

7. Vacuum the mattress again

Now, vacuum the mattress again, this time to remove all the baking soda. 

8. Flip the mattress

Some mattresses are designed to flip so that they wear out evenly. If it isn’t just rotate it so you even it out from all sides.

9. Cover with a fitted sheet

Fitted sheets have become all the rage these last few years for all the right reasons. They protect the mattress and make sure the bed sheet sits better. 

Caring for your mattress is essential for all the reasons you can think of and then some. But it’s also a lot of hard work. If you find mattress cleaning terribly daunting, book an appointment with Urban Company, and our experts will get it cleaned in no time.