How to Deep Clean a Mattress at Home
Your mattress is a significant home item that affects your overall health and well-being. It is also a big investment that you want to protect. This means cleaning and caring for your mattress.
If you are used to cleaning your room and vacuuming your lovely sofa regularly, taking care of your mattress will also be easy. In this guide, we’ll list down 11 simple steps to deep cleaning your mattress for a fresh and restful sleep.
Why Do You Need to Deep Clean Your Mattress?
Contrary to popular belief, adding some bedding accessories and cleaning the surface of your mattress do not suffice to maintain its best shape for a longer period. A mattress may look clean and fresh at first glance; after all, you’re using some protective bed sheets. However, this sleep solution can harbour spills, stains, dust mites, dead skin cells, and other elements that can deteriorate its quality. With all these noticeable and unseen impurities, it’s crucial to deep clean your mattress to preserve its quality. This is particularly important for kids, the elderly, people with allergies, pet owners, or those who simply love their midnight snacks in bed.
With all the heinous amount of gunk that builds up on your mattress, you might expose yourself to some musty odours, mould buildups, and allergens. By deep cleaning your mattress, you get rid of the breeding ground for various impurities that can harm your health.
How to Deep Clean Your Mattress
Although deep cleaning a mattress sounds like heavy work, it's surprisingly easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you accomplish your mattress deep cleaning at home.
1. Gather your mattress cleaning supplies
Here are some handy mattress cleaning products that you can find at home:
- Mild laundry detergent or dish soap
- Baking soda
- 1:1 water and white vinegar solution
- Cold water
- Enzyme cleaner
- Clean cloth
- A vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment
- Lint roller
2. Remove and wash your bedding
Strip all the bedding accessories off your mattress before deep cleaning it. This includes your bed sheets, blankets, comforter, and mattress protector. Once everything is removed, you can toss the bedding in the washer with your pillowcases for a fully refreshed bed. This will help you get rid of stains and impurities that you may not have noticed.
You may include your pillows in your deep cleaning process, depending on their materials. Remember to follow the attached cleaning instructions to your bedding and pillows to effectively preserve their quality.
Wash your sheets at least once a week, or more frequently if you have allergies.
3. Assess your mattress
Before grabbing your mattress cleaning items, it’s always a good idea to assess how dirty your mattress is. Does it have many deep stains? Did it accumulate some yellow stains? Closely check for dirt buildups, discolorations, or smells to figure out how you can clean your bed. Read the care label to see what solutions your mattress manufacturer recommends.
4. Tackle fresh stains immediately
If there is an accidental spill, urine, or blood stains on your mattress, tackle it immediately. Depending on the type of stain, grab the appropriate mattress cleaning solution to effectively remove the buildup. Use cold water when creating your cleaning solution to prevent the dirt from bonding to the surfaces.
Drying out some liquid stains may take some time, which is completely normal. Give your mattress proper ventilation to speed up the process.
5. Spot clean your mattress
Spot clean old or dry stains with the required cleaning solution.
- Mild detergent for different types of dirt
- A water and vinegar solution to break down deep, old stains
- Enzyme cleaners for stubborn biological stains like blood, vomit, or urine
Never soak your mattress with water, especially if it is made of foam material. As much as possible, use a spray bottle to thoroughly tackle some parts without soaking the whole mattress. Use a clean cloth to blot the stains to prevent the pigment from spreading. The main goal is to immediately remove dirt with minimal use of liquid.
6. Give the mattress ample ventilation
If you can’t completely air your mattress out outside, you may open your windows and use an electric fan to give your bare mattress some fresh air. This will allow your mattress to breathe and get rid of nasty odours caused by sweat, oils, and dead skin cells. UV rays from the sun will also help kill bacteria and prevent mould buildup.
7. Deodorise your mattress with baking soda
Sprinkle some baking soda on your mattress and leave it for several hours to get the musty odours out of your bed. This is a reliable solution to absorb the excess moisture from your mattress and break down some acids from some stains and odours.
Baking soda is generally safe for many mattress types.
8. Vacuum your mattress regularly
Vacuum the baking soda from your mattress after removing the mattress odour. Do this in circular motions to thoroughly remove dust and baking soda particles. If you have pets at home, use a lint roller to remove pet dander from your mattress.
Whether you deep clean your mattress or not, vacuuming it on a regular basis will help to maintain its quality. If you have an upholstered bed with a lovely headboard, use this chance to freshen up your whole bed.
9. Flip the mattress if necessary
If applicable, flip or rotate your mattress to properly distribute the weight and pressure when you sleep. This will help you avoid indentations and sagging.
10. Invest in a mattress protector
When buying a new mattress, we highly recommend investing in a mattress protector to guard your bed from impurities upfront.
11. Put your clean bedding back on
Add some cosy bed sheets and blankets to fully enjoy the comfort of your freshly cleaned mattress!
How Often Should You Deep Clean Your Mattress?
Deep clean your mattress at least twice a year, once every six months. In the event of spills and stains, we highly recommend cleaning your mattress immediately. For allergy sufferers, more frequent mattress deep cleaning is advised.
How Often Should You Change Your Mattress?
If your mattress is beyond repair or is already 7 years old, it’s time to switch to a new sleep solution. Old mattresses are notorious for their dust mite buildup and lack of proper support. To enjoy better sleep quality, invest in a new mattress that is made from premium materials that fit your needs.
Searching for the best mattress in Singapore? Check our online mattress collection to find a luxurious solution for your best night’s sleep.
