How to Clean A Mattress | Deep Clean A Mattress At Home

Buying a mattress can be quite an investment, so make it last with regular cleaning. While cleaning a mattress may sound daunting, the process is actually quite simple. Learn how to clean a mattress with this easy step-by-step tutorial.

 

We spend hours on our mattress every night. Think of what’s lingering on it: sweat, dead skin cells, puke & pee from our kids and/or pets. It’s gross! Luckily, cleaning a mattress is quite easy to do. With a few quick steps, your mattress will be clean and fresh. Let’s take a look at how to deep clean a mattress, step by step.

What You Need to Deep Clean A Mattress

 

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Ingredients Needed to Clean & Deodorize A Mattress

• Baking Soda
• Essential Oil (Optional)- If you are unsure of where to buy essential oils, you can check out this post to help you choose a brand that’s best for you
• DIY Stain Remover– Use stain remover if there are any visible stains on the mattress

Supplies Needed to Clean A Mattress

• Hand-Held Vacuum Cleaner or Vacuum with Brush Attachment
• Washcloth
• Steamer

How to Clean A Mattress At Home

Remove & Launder All Bedding

Start by removing all the bedding: pillows, sheets, blankets, mattress pad… everything. Toss the bedding in the washing machine and give it a good cleaning; no need to put dirty sheets on a clean mattress.

 

Vacuum The Mattress to Remove Debris

With the bedding removed, vacuum the mattress to remove any dust and crumbs. A hand held vacuum works great for this, or use the small brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner.

 

Treat Stains on Mattress

Prior to using any product on your mattress, check to make sure your mattress is okay to get a little wet. Some mattresses, like memory foam, do not tolerate moisture, so spraying a product directly onto the mattress is not recommended. Always test any cleaning product on a small area to make sure there are no unwanted changes.

If there are any noticeable stains on the mattress, use our DIY Stain Remover to treat them. Simply spray the stain remover on the stain and gently work it in with a toothbrush (not your own).

 

Wait 5 minutes, then blot the area with a damp cloth. (I’m telling you, this stuff works so well, I couldn’t even find the stain. I just had to look for the wet spot I had sprayed.)

 

Allow any area treated for stains to completely dry before moving on.

How to Sanitize & Disinfect A Mattress

Sanitizing A Mattress

I’m going to say that you can (perhaps) sanitize a mattress with a hand-held steamer, but you’ll need something else to actually disinfect it. Many steamers claim to kill 99.9% of bacteria… and that sounds amazing until you read that in order to kill 99.9% of bacteria, you need to hold the steamer in place for 2 full minutes. Can you imagine how long you’d be working on the surface of a mattress if you had to hold a steamer over every inch for 2 minutes?! No thanks! However, the steam that comes out of a steamer is incredibly hot and will reduce bacteria on the mattress, so if you have a steamer, go ahead and run it over the mattress to reduce bacteria, viruses and dust mites.

Disinfecting a Mattress

My go-to for disinfecting will forever be Force of Nature Cleaner (you can find my full review and discount code here). This is a hospital-grade disinfectant made from salt, vinegar and water. To be safe, however, Force of Nature says this about using its cleaner on fabrics, “To be super safe we recommend 1^st testing in an inconspicuous spot to confirm the material is colorfast. The reason is that there is huge variation in the type of dyes, fibers, and processes used to make something colorfast. And don’t use Force of Nature on fabrics labeled “Use only non-chlorine bleach”, since hypochlorous acid is a type of chlorine.” (Source-Question 8) I don’t recommend disinfecting your mattress on a regular basis unless someone has had the stomach flu (Norovirus).

If you choose to sanitize or disinfect your mattress, make sure it is completely dry before moving onto the deodorizing process.

How to Deodorize A Mattress

Once you are done removing stains and sanitizing/disinfecting (if desired), sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda directly onto the mattress. Baking soda works wonders at removing moisture and absorbing odors.

For a little added scent, mix in a few drops of lavender essential oil to the baking soda prior to sprinkling it on the mattress.

See our carpet deodorizer recipe (which you can also use on your mattress) for the correct ratio of baking soda to essential oil.

 

Once the baking soda has been sprinkled on the mattress, gently move the baking soda around with your hands so the entire mattress has some baking soda on it. Allow the baking soda to sit on the mattress for at least 15 minutes (the longer, the better).

After the baking soda has had a chance to sit, vacuum it up with your hand held vacuum; then put your clean bedding back on the mattress and you’re done.

See… learning how to clean a mattress wasn’t so hard, was it?

If you do not own a mattress protector, I would highly recommend getting one. It’s a layer of protection for your mattress, and you can throw it in the wash to get it clean.

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Common Questions About Cleaning A Mattress

How Do I Clean Pee Out of A Mattress?

Luckily, the steps for cleaning urine from a mattress are very similar to the tutorial above. Start by removing the bedding and get it in the washing machine. If you are working with a fresh accident, apply a generous amount of baking soda to the urine stain and allow it to sit on the stain for at least 15 minutes. (The longer the baking soda sits on the stain, the more moisture and odor it absorbs.) After allowing the baking soda to sit, vacuum it up. Continue to repeat this process until the stain lightens and doesn’t smell as strong. Now grab our DIY Stain Remover (which is a simple combination of dish soap and hydrogen peroxide). Spray the urine stain with the stain remover, using a toothbrush to really scrub it in. Allow the stain remover to sit for 5+ minutes, then use a wet washcloth to pull out the stain. Allow the mattress to dry, then sprinkle the stain with a combination of baking soda and essential oil (see our carpet deodorizer recipe for details, as this doubles as a mattress deodorizer). Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes and then vacuum it up.

How Do Clean Vomit From A Mattress?

Often a virus, like norovirus, is the cause of vomiting, so not only do we need to clean the mattress, we also need to disinfect the mattress. Start by putting on gloves and a mask to protect yourself as you clean. Remove the bedding from the bed and get it in the washing machine. Clean as much of the vomit from the mattress as you possibly can with paper towels. Apply a generous amount of baking soda to the vomit stain and allow it to sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. (The longer the baking soda sits on the stain, the more moisture and odor it absorbs.) After allowing it to sit, vacuum up the baking soda. Repeat the process if necessary. Clean the stain with our DIY Stain Remover. Spray the stain remover onto the stain and work it in with a toothbrush. Allow the stain remover to sit for several minutes, then pull out the stain with a wet cloth (make sure to wash the cloth when done!). Allow the mattress to dry, then use Force of Nature Cleaner to disinfect the mattress (be sure to test a small inconspicuous area prior to use to make sure it doesn’t negatively affect your mattress). I love Force of Nature because it’s made with vinegar, salt, and water, yet is powerful enough to be registered as a hospital-grade disinfectant, proven to kill norovirus. (You can find my full review and discount code here.) Spray Force of Nature onto the vomit stain and allow it to dry. (Remember to throw out any vacuum bag and disinfect your vacuum canister when done.)

For more information about cleaning after norovirus, check out this post.

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