Cleaning
Easy DIY tips on cleaning a mattress
Here are some great DIY tips to keep your mattress as good as new!
Cheryl Knight
09.10.19

When you think of sleeping in your own bed, you probably think of a comfy place to rest at night or to take a quick nap here and there. But the words dust mites, sweat stains, and dead skin cells probably don’t pop into your head. However, all of those things are most likely on the bed with you. Yuck!

That’s why it’s recommended that you clean your mattress at least every six months. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Remove all of the bedding

The Sleep Judge
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The Sleep Judge

Before you start cleaning your mattress, you’ll need to remove all of the sheets and bedding. Don’t forget to take off your mattress cover. Then throw everything in the wash. Make sure to treat any stains while washing, and wash everything in hot water.

Step 2: Vacuum the mattress

Curbly
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Curbly

Once you’ve taken off all of the sheets, including the mattress cover, it’s time to vacuum. Go ahead and vacuum off the mattress — the top and the sides. This will help get rid of any dust, dead skin, pet hair, dirt, or even crumbs from late-night snacking. Use your vacuum’s crevice attachment if you need help vacuuming the mattress crevices.

A handheld vacuum might be easier to use on your mattress.

Step 3: Spot clean the mattress

Home Viable
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Home Viable

After vacuuming, treat your mattress for stains, including from sweat, blood, urine, or any other spills from coffee, etc. If the stains have been around for a while, they may be tougher to remove. Here are a few ways you can treat stains as recommended by Apartment Therapy:

  1. Use a non-toxic cleaner from the store;
  2. Mix liquid dish soap, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide together in a spray bottle. Treat the stained area. Rub or blog with a clean towel; or
  3. Create a paste from salt and lemon juice. Apply the paste to the stain. Let is set in for a half hour to one hour, and then wipe off the remaining residue with a clean rag.

Step 4: Deodorize the mattress

HomeTalk
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HomeTalk

Add baking soda over the surface of the mattress (make sure to only add a light layer), letting it sit for at least two hours. Some recommend leaving it on for a full 24 hours. If you can, let the mattress sit near the window or even outside, the sunlight is said to provide extra sanitizing power.

Then, vacuum up all of the baking soda. This will help remove any leftover stain removal liquid, as well as make the mattress smell fresh.

Step 5: Cover the mattress

Twitter/Lacey Fever
Source:
Twitter/Lacey Fever

Once your bed is clean and dry, it’s time to put the sheets and bedding back on. It’s ideal to have a mattress cover on your bed. This helps your mattress stay cleaner longer. Plus, they are washable. Then, put clean sheets back on the bed, and it’ll smell and look like new.

Note: if you are cleaning a memory foam mattress, the process is exactly the same. However, avoid using any products that could damage the memory foam material, such as bleach or ammonia. Instead, just use equal parts water and dish soap or even diluted white vinegar in a spray bottle.

If the drying process takes too long, you can speed it up by exposing your mattress to sunlight. Or take out the hair dryer and use that.

European Sleep Works
Source:
European Sleep Works

Luckily, cleaning your mattress is a straight forward process, and you can use a few ingredients you already have at home to mix up a cleaning solution. Here is a video detailing the steps you should follow to get your mattress clean.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Apartment Therapy

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