How to Clean a Mattress?

Introduction

On average, we spend about one-third of our lives asleep or in bed. This makes the mattress one of the most important pieces of furniture in a home. A mattress is meant to be comfortable and clean at all times.

However, just like other pieces of furniture, there is a tendency for it to get stained, dusty, or unsanitary. This can have adverse effects on sleep, rest, or even one’s health as a whole. 

If you don't already have one, you can always purchase a high-quality, cozy, affordable, and simple to clean bed from Egohome. 

Why is it important to clean your mattress?

Mattresses are exposed to a variety of pollutants on a daily basis. These pollutants can include saliva, dust, sweat, dead skin cells, and many others. The importance of cleaning your mattress includes the following:

• Improves the quality of your sleep: A clean mattress helps you achieve the quality of sleep you deserve. This is because it is free from all irritants that can make you feel uncomfortable during sleep.
• Eliminate triggers for allergies: Allergies during sleep or while trying to sleep can be frustrating. Individuals with dust, mites, or fungal allergies need to keep their mattresses clean at all times to remove such triggers.
• Improve the outlook of your room: Your mattress is one of the most obvious pieces of furniture in your bedroom. Therefore, a clean mattress helps make your room look tidy and well-organized. 
• Enhance air quality: The removal of dust from your mattress can help improve the quality of the air in your room. Apart from dust, odors due to sweat and saliva can also reduce air quality. This makes cleaning your mattress a very important exercise. 
• Extend the lifespan of your bed: Regular cleaning can also help reduce wear and tear in the fabrics of your mattress. It also helps to get rid of unnoticeable insects, which can cause damage to your mattress. Therefore, if you want a long-lasting mattress, cleaning is very important. 

What materials are needed?

While it is always best to get professionals to do the job, it is good practice to be able to clean your mattress yourself. In order to appropriately clean your bed, you will need some materials for the exercise.

Some materials might be readily available in your home, while you may have to get from a store. To ensure you get quality equipment, it is advisable to get your supplies from a trusted company.

Materials needed to clean your mattress include:

• Water: This will be needed to mix various cleaning agents to make them usable. It is important to use only clean water. 
• Vacuum cleaner: A vacuum cleaner is a very important tool to get rid of dust or tiny solid particles on your bed.
• Cleaning towels: This will be needed to get rid of stains that are present on your mattress.
• Bleach-free detergent: This is a cleaning agent that helps make dirt more soluble and helps get rid of it. It is important for it to be bleach free as bleach can be too harsh on the fabric.
• Enzyme cleaner or soap: This can help get rid of stubborn stains and odors. 

The materials are not limited to these, but these are the basic materials you will need. Other materials can include baking soda, a soft brush, hand gloves, etc.. The soaps and detergents should be fabric friendly and not cause damage to your mattress. 

It is advisable to check with the manufacturer of your mattress for recommendations on cleaning agents or materials. 

How do I clean my mattress?

Cleaning your mattress can be a tedious exercise. Therefore, it is important to do it on a day when you’re less busy or when you have enough energy for it. The steps for cleaning your mattress are as follows:

• Gather your cleaning materials 

The first step to cleaning your mattress is to make sure you have the materials needed. The materials mentioned in the previous section should be sourced and made available. 

• Wash your bedding

Most people use bed sheets, pillowcases, and blankets. These fabrics are used as protective coverings for your bed. Therefore, they tend to accumulate more dirt than the bed itself. Therefore, the next step to having a clean mattress is to wash the fabrics that are used to cover it. 

You can do this with the aid of warm water and detergent. Most fabrics have recommendations on the use of washing machines, so it’s best to check them out. Pillows should also not be left out, as some can be washed. 

• Inspect your mattress

After removing the sheets from your mattress, you need to examine the mattress. This means looking for stains, discoloration, unpleasant odors, or bugs. This is important because the materials needed for a regular cleaning will be different from those needed to tackle stains, discoloration, or odors.

• Air out your mattress

This involves improving the ventilation of your room by opening the windows. This will help to get rid of any unpleasant odors and help your mattress breathe.

Solid dirt, hair, and dead skin cells are the easiest to get rid of. The best way to get rid of these pollutants is to use a vacuum. Use the upholstery attachment in your vacuum to thoroughly cover the mattress's surface, including the sides. 

Pay close attention to the seams and crevices; stretch them out in order to get rid of trapped dirt. Don’t forget to do the same for the other side of your mattress.

• Remove stains from your mattress

After getting rid of solid pollutants, the next exercise is to remove stains from your mattress. Your mattress can be stained with sweat, blood, urine, or even insect secretions. You can get rid of stains by following these steps:

1. Get a spot-cleaner.
2. Apply the spot-cleaner to a piece of cloth.
3. Use the cloth to gently blot the stain.
4. Soak another piece of cloth in cold water.
5. Use a water-soaked cloth to clean the area.
6. Repeat the process until the stains are gone.

While getting rid of stains, it is important to make sure your bed isn’t soaked. This will make the drying process easier and faster. Also, small amounts of cleaning solutions should be applied at a time.

The choice of cleaning solution will depend on the kind of stain. Sweat stains can be cleaned with dish soap. Meanwhile, urine and blood stains will be best cleaned with an enzyme cleaner. 

Other cleaning methods could include the use of a 1:1 mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide or vanish.

• Dry your mattress

Take your mattress outside to dry. If that’s not possible, you can open your windows and ventilate your room properly to aid in faster drying.  

• Apply baking soda to your mattress

If you can get your bed outside to dry, this step is actually optional. If not, you can apply baking soda to your bed. This helps to absorb the remaining moisture and remove any unpleasant odors.

It is advisable to leave the baking soda for a few hours for it to be effective.

• Vacuum your mattress again

Use your vacuum cleaner on the surface of your mattress one more time. This is to get rid of the baking soda on your bed. Make sure the bed is completely clean.

Repeat the whole process for the other side of your bed. Also, it is important to clean your bed frame if you use one.

Tips for keeping your mattress clean

While cleaning your mattress is important, maintaining it is also very important. Keeping your mattress clean will make subsequent cleaning easier and prolong the lifespan of your bed. Tips for keeping your mattress clean include: 

• Use a mattress protector: A mattress protector is a fabric you place directly on your bed before spreading your bed sheets. It offers additional protection to your bed. Most are also waterproof and can prevent spills from getting on your mattress.
• Use tight-fitted bed sheets: This prevents insects from getting directly onto your bed. They also prevent dirt or stains from getting to your bed directly.
• Keep your bedroom free from insects: Getting rid of insects in your bedroom will prevent them from getting to your bed. This guards against bug spots and bed damage. You can use insecticides to do this.
• Clean every stain quickly: Cleaning your bed at regular intervals is very good. However, it will be much easier if you get rid of stains as soon as they get onto your bed.
• Wash your bed sheets regularly: Bed sheets should be washed or changed at least once a week. This prevents unpleasant odors from getting to your mattress.

Conclusion

A mattress is a very important piece of furniture in your bedroom. The cleanliness of your mattress will determine the quality of your sleep and even the lifespan of your mattress. Therefore, regular cleaning and maintenance of your bed is a very important exercise.

References

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21056174/
• https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-a-mattress
• https://www.mattressonline.co.uk/advice/how-to-deep-clean-mattress