Dead skin cells, dirt, sweat, dust mites, oils, and stains — they sound like the stuff of nightmares, don’t they? Well, you’d be surprised to know — or, horrified, really — that we aren’t talking about fiction. Oh, no. Instead, we’re just talking about a mattress.
You know, that thing that you spend eight hours on every day? Yup, it also houses all of the unsavory things we mentioned earlier.
Right about now, you’re probably looking for a way to burn your mattress. Well, that’s a bit extreme — especially considering that cleaning a mattress isn’t as impossible as you might think. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that it’s actually pretty easy. You just have to have the know-how and come prepared.
And, if you have no idea what to do or even where to start, you’re in luck! We have here some of the best ways to clean your mattress for a good — and hygienic — night sleep.
Let’s get cracking.
The vacuum is your hero
When it comes to cleaning a mattress, the vacuum is your best friend. First things first, grab the upholstery tool and attach it. Start vacuuming from the top of the mattress.
Make sure to go over the top and sides of the mattress — basically, all the surfaces — and slowly work your way down. If needed, exert a little pressure on the vacuum to get to the dust beneath the surface.
Once done, it’s time to whip out the crevice tool. Go over all the seams, welting, and, (obviously) crevices. This should get rid of the pesky nasties accumulating there.
You should do this every other month or so. Of course, you can — and should — do this more often if you suffer from allergies, asthma, and other respiratory conditions.
Spot clean stains
Even when you take care of your mattress, stains can happen. And, if you like to have a midnight snack in bed or have a furry companion that sleeps on the bed, stains are pretty much a foregone conclusion.
But, that doesn’t mean that you have to shoo your pets out of the bed or go without a midnight snack. Of course not. Those are the little pleasures in life to treasure and the stains are easy enough to treat.
Still, it’s a good idea to get to the stains as soon as possible to make the job slightly easier. And, to make it even easier on yourself, get your hands on some carpet or upholstery cleaners. Those will usually take care of any unsavory stain in an instant.
Spray the cleaner on a cloth or right on the stained area. Work from the outside edge in to prevent and minimize the risk of the stain spreading. Continue blotting until the stain is gone.
Then, wipe over the area with a damp cloth to remove the cleaner. Finally, use a dry cloth and go over the damp area. Make sure the mattress is completely dry before putting on the bed sheet.
An important detail to remember here is to not over-soak or excessively wet your mattress. Water and mattress, well, they just aren’t meant to be together. So, be sure to go forth with a light hand.
Get rid of yellow stains with hydrogen peroxide
Sometimes, your mattress can have a yellow cast or can spot yellow stains all over. This is likely because of a build-up of sweat and body oils in the fabric.
Now, this is slightly harder to get rid of because you can’t saturate the mattress in water but, again, it isn’t impossible. You just need one ‘magic’ ingredient: hydrogen peroxide.
Combine a 50:50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and water with ¼ teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle. Shake well and lightly spritz the mattress. You can either leave it be or take a soft brush/towel and work the solution into the mattress.
Next, spray some water to rinse and blot to remove the solution. Remember to leave the mattress out to air dry completely. If the stains are stubborn, you can adjust to include slightly more hydrogen peroxide in the solution.
Keep your mattress fresh with baking soda
Another ‘magic’ ingredient to clean your mattress with is baking soda, which helps to suck out odours. The baking soda will break down the acid and absorb all the unpleasant odours from sweat, pets, kids, and more.
All you have to do is sprinkle some baking soda all over the entire surface of the mattress. Use a brush to lightly rub the powder in. Then, leave it for as long as you can. Once done, just vacuum any excess baking soda off the mattress.
Steam your mattress
No, not like how you steam your kaya bun. Instead, you’ll need to use a steam cleaner. Or, if you’re in a pinch, a garment steamer would work as well. The high temperature of the steam will kill the dust mites and their eggs.
Press down the nozzle and keep it as close to the surface of the mattress as you can. It’s also not a bad idea to vacuum the mattress again after steam cleaning to thoroughly remove the dust mites.
All ready for a good sleep
And, there you have it! Those are some of the best ways to clean a mattress. The key here is to do it often and do it right. Come back and refer to this article whenever you need a refresher.