It’s no secret that a good night’s sleep is essential for both our physical and mental wellbeing. One of the easiest ways to ensure good quality shut-eye is to create a cosy and comfortable space to sleep, starting with your bed and mattress.
A good mattress is an investment, so it pays to take proper care of it. By learning how to clean a mattress, you may be able to prolong its life. What’s more, keeping your bed and the surrounding space clean is conducive to a more relaxing environment, which may even help you to sleep more soundly at night.
The Best Way to Clean a Mattress
Cleaning your mattress doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ve outlined a few tips and tricks to help you get the best results.
What to Use to Clean a Mattress:
- A vacuum cleaner
- A microfibre cloth or an old toothbrush
- Specialist mattress cleaner or a solution of hydrogen peroxide, bicarbonate of soda and washing up liquid
1. Wash Your Bedding
Coincide your mattress clean with laundry day. This will leave you with more space to move around the bed, as well as helping you to have a truly stellar night’s sleep. Wash sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases on a high temperature (60+ degrees) to kill any bacteria and remove stubborn dust and dirt. We would also recommend using a laundry sanitiser to be extra sure. This is also a good time to wash your mattress protector.
2. Should You Hoover Your Mattress?
The short answer is yes! Now it’s time to tackle any dust, dirt, hair or crumbs. Use the specialist upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner, as these are designed to be gentle on fabrics while still providing sufficient suction. Don’t worry if you don’t have one; you can use your normal nozzle attachment – just take a little extra care.
Work methodically from top to bottom and left to right. Don’t forget to tackle the underside of your mattress too, as the space underneath our beds is often notoriously dusty. This is also a good opportunity to dust and wipe the bed frame clean.
3. Removing Stains From a Mattress
Once you’ve removed the dust and dirt, you might be wondering how to get stains out of a mattress if you’re faced with any stubborn marks.
Depending on size and severity, there are a range of methods that you can employ.
Follow the steps below to find out how to clean your mattress if it is stained:
- In a container, combine 250ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide, three tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda and a few drops of washing up liquid. Stir until the mixture is well combined and the bicarbonate of soda has dissolved.
- For larger stains, apply your solution with a cloth. If you’re tackling smaller marks, an old toothbrush will do the job nicely.
- Gently dab the solution into the stain, patting away any excess. For particularly stubborn or dark stains (such as blood or coffee), opt for a dabbing technique rather than scrubbing to prevent it from spreading.
- Leave for 30 minutes or so before checking whether the stain has lifted. If it is still visible, repeat the process.
- Once the stain has been removed, leave any damp areas to air dry. For larger patches or to speed things up, you could also use a hairdryer.
4. Remove Smell From Your Mattress
To get rid of musty or unpleasant smells, lightly dust the surface of the mattress with bicarbonate of soda. Not just a baking essential, bicarb is also a natural deodoriser and a useful thing to have in your cupboard for a whole host of cleaning tasks. Leave for 30 minutes to an hour then hoover thoroughly.
5. Air the Mattress Out
Finally, open your windows and prop the cleaned mattress upright nearby. This will allow air to circulate around it properly, which can help to alleviate musty smells and dry any damp areas from the stain removal process.
You could even take it outdoors if you’ve got a clean surface to rest it on. We recommend that you leave it to air for at least six hours.
6. Final Steps
Once your sheets have dried, you can remake the bed. If you’ve had to clean any stains, just ensure that any damp patches are also completely dry before you put your mattress protector and bedding back on.
How Often Should You Clean Your Mattress?
While there’s no hard-and-fast rule on how often you should clean your mattress, we would recommend giving it a quick spruce up every six months. As with anything, prevention is better than cure. Regular upkeep will ensure that your mattress looks and feels brand new for longer.
How Often Should You Change Your Mattress?
For anyone wondering how long a mattress lasts, you can expect to get anywhere from six to ten years of use from it depending on quality and how well it’s looked after
Though a regular cleaning routine will prolong its life, there comes a time when every mattress needs replacing. If yours is starting to feel saggy and less supportive, or no amount of cleaning leaves it feeling fresh, then it could be time for a new one.
Top Tip: Flipping your mattress every time you clean it could help it to wear more evenly and may extend its life.
