The mattress and bed area is a haven for many people, and keeping it clean and healthy on a regular basis is often an important task. Not only will cleaning keep the mattress healthy and free of contaminants, it will also raise its expected lifespan over time.
This is especially true if you’re utilizing basic manufacturer directions for cleaning and upkeep, which will be included by many top mattress brands like Serta and several others. However, even without these, cleaning a mattress is a simple process anyone can carry out. Here are some simple steps on doing so.
Table of Contents
Remove and Wash Linens
First and foremost, start by removing the bed linens from the mattress. These can be washed in a washing machine after being peeled from the mattress and tossed into a washing basket for convenient retrieval.
All coverings of the mattress should be removed in their entirety, including any bed skirts, potentially. This will make it easier to clean the mattress itself and keep things orderly.
Vacuum the Entire Surface
Typically using the upholstery tool on your vacuum, which is meant to clean upholstery and fabric surfaces, work it over the surface of the mattress itself. This will help to loosen dust and debris on the surface of the mattress as well as suck up any unfortunate fecal particles or stains that may have made their way onto its coverings.
Be sure not to use a tool with stiff bristles for this, as it will damage the fabric of the mattress over time.
Treat Any Stains
Over time, it’s possible that stains of various types may have shown up on the surface of your mattress, and that’s perfectly normal. These may include things like urine stains from a night terror or fecal matter from an accident.
In these cases, it’s important to treat the stain properly for maximum removal efficacy, as doing so can help extend the life of your mattress considerably. There are actually a few methods for doing so:
- Fully natural: Especially if the stain is recent or fresh, using just a washcloth and warm water can help to remove it. This will serve to both clean the mattress as well as moisturize the affected area, which can keep it from feeling overly uncomfortable or dry after cleaning is complete.
- Dish soap: For certain tougher stains, dish soap is actually an effective method for cleaning them up. Make sure to test an inconspicuous area before any treatment, though, just in case it reacts poorly with the materials of your mattress itself.
- Hydrogen peroxide: In other cases, you might combine two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, one tablespoon of liquid dish soap and some warm water in a spray bottle to create your own cleaning solution. This can be used to treat the affected area in much the same way as dish soap can, but is typically more helpful when it comes to urine stains.
- Commercial Cleaning Products: Finally, there are also commercial cleaning products which you can use for particularly stained areas of your mattress that you might consider. However, be sure these don’t contain any harmful chemicals that may damage the mattress material.
Drying and Ventilation
Especially if you’ve used water or any other measures to remove stains from the mattress, it’s going to be necessary to let this air dry properly. Doing so will help keep mildew and mold from developing in wet areas of the mattress that may prolong its lifetime considerably.
In addition, you’ll also want to make sure your mattress is well-ventilated before returning it to use once cleaned up. This process is doubly important if you’ve used any sort of moisture or water in your cleaning process.
Rotate the Mattress
Finally, for those mattress types that are designed for this (many newer mattresses are not), you’ll want to rotate your mattress regularly. This will help keep the wear and tear on the mattress even, which will keep it functional and healthy for a longer period of time.While doing this is great for all mattresses, it’s especially helpful if you have a newer or expensive one that you intend to use for quite some time after purchase.
Follow these steps if you’re looking to keep your mattress clean and healthy at all times.