Mattress Cleaning Tips (2022 Updated)

Mattress Cleaning Tips. After a big event, like a party, cooking with oil, or just being sick for a few days, we can contact more germs than healthy adults. As an added precaution to prevent our mattresses from getting ill after too much contact with strangers’ bodily fluids and bacteria-filled debris, it’s crucial to clean your mattress properly and regularly.

This article explains the vital steps in mattress cleaning while also providing tips and the benefits of mattress cleaning and how to make sure that the job is done right.

Here are tips on how to cleaning a mattress

1. Prevent Dust from Settling on Mattresses and Furniture

Before cleaning, ensure that your rooms are dust-free, vacuum regularly, and clean your furniture with a lint-free cloth and mild detergent. Although it may seem minor, people often forget to clean the corners of their mattresses, where dust can collect and rot into stains over time. Before cleaning the mattresses, check for stains by turning the mattress over.

If there are any apparent stains (such as blood) on one side of the mattress, start there. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda onto the spot and apply a paste made from water and baking soda. Let it air dry for an hour, then vacuum it up. This will eliminate odor and kill any germs.

2. Disinfect and Remove Stains

Removing stains from the mattress, you need to use warm, soapy water and a sponge. Apply liberal amounts of liquid dishwashing soap to a wet cloth, wring it out thoroughly, and gently wipe your mattress. Repeat as necessary. You can also pour rubbing alcohol directly onto your stains to disinfect them and remove them stains at once.

Apply rubbing alcohol directly onto the stain with a cotton ball or cloth, wait for around 20 minutes, then vacuum it up. Although this may take a little extra time in the beginning, to make multiple applications of alcohol-soaked cloths or cotton balls onto stains, you will save yourself time later on by being able to clean your mattress correctly and efficiently.

3. Remove Odors

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t eliminate that stale smell your mattress is giving off. In this case, you will have to clean the mattress and dust it entirely thoroughly. Making sure that everything gets deep cleaned often is crucial in preventing a foul odor from forming in the first place.

Ensuring that your mattresses are regularly cleaned and aired keeps bacteria from growing and prevents odors from developing. You should also make sure your mattress is adequately ventilated. The air in your room shouldn’t be stagnant.

4. Wash Mattresses

If you want to avoid bacteria growing in your mattress after prolonged use, always ensure that it is washed and disinfected. You can use fresh baking soda for this. If you have a two-sided mattress, start wiping from one side to the other.

Cover the area entirely with molding action soap and sprinkle with baking soda, then wait 20 minutes before vacuuming it. Repeat as necessary to get rid of any remaining debris. Always vacuum mattresses frequently throughout the week to prevent bacteria growth in the first place.

5. Avoid Exposure to Heat or Sunlight

It’s a good idea to avoid exposure of your mattress and pillow to extreme heat or sunlight. Exposure to heat can lead to burns, which may not be apparent at first but can cause skin irritation. Exposing your mattress and pillow directly to the sunlight will degrade the vinyl fabric of the mattress, causing a foul smell and exposing you to bacteria and other microorganisms, which may cause infections.

Try covering your mattress with bed sheets when you are in direct contact with it. If you have an old cover for your bed sheets needing replacement, consider using old pillowcases or fabrics as covers for your mattresses.

6. Discard Your Mattress as Soon as Possible

As soon as your mattress starts to have a foul smell or your bed feels uncomfortable, get rid of it and buy a new one. You may think it is better to wait until your old mattress has completely degraded before buying a new one, but this is not true. The longer you leave your old mattress untreated, the more bacteria and other germs will grow, causing it to rot faster than expected.

You should also be aware that mattresses can deteriorate faster after you have had guests staying over or if you have been sick. If there are no apparent signs of deterioration when you come into contact with these smells and problems, consider throwing it out even sooner.

7. Keep Your Mattress Dry

When you get a new mattress, place a pillow between the sheets and your old mattress to prevent it from getting wet during use. If possible, try using an air mattress or airbed instead of your standard-sized one for guest visits. If you’re not going to be using your mattress for a short period and can afford it, buy a new one rather than flippantly throwing away the old one and risk having millions of germs ruining your home.

8. Maintain a Regular Pillow-Side-Up Position

It would help if you always bought new pillowcases for your mattress every year. Even if you don’t have guests over often, the bacteria and viruses on your pillows can get onto your mattress and cause unpleasant odors and other problems when you use them. Keep your pillows on the side that is not your skin’s side to avoid contaminating both pillows with bacteria.

If you keep your pillows on the same side of the bed or couch, try rotating them once a week to spread germs evenly between different surfaces covered by the same pillowcases.

9. Check All Areas of the Mattress

It is easy to forget to check all mattress areas when cleaning it. It is easy to miss small areas on the sides, corners, or middle. You can avoid these hidden areas by lifting your bed sheets and looking underneath them.

If you see any stains that look suspicious or filth, it is a good idea to clean those areas separately with rubbing alcohol to kill germs and other bacteria. After you vacuum your mattress, check the vacuum bag for stains afterward.

10. Beware of the Carpet

Try not to stand on your mattress or lie down on your hands and knees to avoid getting dirt from your carpet onto the mattress. If you are afraid of them getting dirty, place sheets underneath you or use a clean towel to prevent stains.

11. Get an Anti-Allergen Mattress Cover

If you begin seeing signs of allergies in your home, such as a runny nose, sneezing, eye irritation, etc., consider replacing the bedsheets with anti-allergen-covered bedsheets as soon as possible. Be sure that they are fitted tightly around the edge of the mattress to prevent dirt from coming into contact with it while you sleep.

Mattress Cleaning Tips – Conclusion

In conclusion, a clean and tidy mattress helps you sleep better and healthier, ensuring you wake up refreshed each morning. Maintaining your mattress is good for your mental health as well. You can rest easy knowing that you are keeping harmful microbes away from your body in the long run.