How to Clean Your Mattress

How to Clean Your Mattress

Listen, we know you’re busy and, unless you’re Cinderella, deep cleaning isn’t generally a high priority. And even when you do put on your rubber gloves and prepare to clean the house, cleaning your mattress isn’t generally at the top of the list. 

The fact is, though, you don’t want to neglect cleaning your mattress forever. 

Don't keep hiding from cleaning your mattress!

Like anything else, mattresses get dirtier over time, even if you take precautions to avoid stains and damage. Don’t believe us? Prepare for some unpleasant statistics. 

All sorts of nastiness builds up in mattresses when they aren’t cleaned regularly. That includes up to 10 pounds of dead skin flakes in a 10-year-old mattress, plus dust mites that love to feast on all that dead skin. Oh, and don’t forget about all the night sweat. Told you it was gross.  

Eventually, an unclean mattress can get to the point of actually impacting your sleep as well as shortening its lifespan. That’s simply no good. 

If some simple cleaning can help you avoid all that, it’s worth the effort, right? 

We’ll make it easy for you. Here are some tips on cleaning common mattress types.  

Memory Foam Mattresses

Memory foam mattresses have become a very popular mattress option. However, because memory foam is petroleum-based, they require some different cleaning methods than other mattresses. 

Memory foam is very absorptive so you want to avoid using a lot of water or other liquids when cleaning a memory foam mattress. Water is the enemy here. 

Instead, start by vacuuming the surface of the mattress thoroughly. Use the upholstery attachment (if it hasn’t been eaten by your storage closet, of course). To deodorize and dry clean the mattress, sprinkle some baking soda or borax over the mattress and let it sit for an hour before vacuuming all that off, too. 

If there are any stains on the mattress, you can spot treat them with diluted white vinegar, upholstery cleaner, or simply some warm water and a small amount of mild detergent. Remember not to oversaturate the memory foam, though. 

Is letting pets on the bed ideal for keeping the mattress clean? Well no, but no one's perfect

Latex Mattresses

Water is the thing to avoid while cleaning memory foam mattresses but harsh chemicals are the enemy when you’re trying to clean latex mattresses. 

Latex is a natural material and so harsh chemicals and latex simply aren’t a good match. Like toothpaste and orange juice. Or cats and dogs. Or pineapple and pizza. (Ooh, we went there. Sorry not sorry!)

Opt for homemade, natural solutions instead to keep from damaging your latex mattress. Just like with memory foam mattresses, it’s a good idea to start with a vacuum-baking soda-vacuum combination first to take care of any odors.

After that, use a 1:1 solution of white vinegar and water to spray onto stains. If you don’t have vinegar, some hydrogen peroxide can work, too. Blot the spot gently with a clean cloth and repeat as necessary. Leave the mattress to air dry. 

Innerspring Mattresses

If you have a traditional innerspring mattress, you’re in luck. No special cleaning methods needed. You can clean these mattresses with the same methods used for either memory foam mattresses or latex mattresses. 

Again, avoid soaking the mattress with any of the cleaning products you use, and be sure to let it fully dry before you put the sheets back on. 

The Sheets & Giggles Mattress

Fun fact, because our mattress has a Eucalyptus Lyocell cover it resists bacteria and dust mites. This is because Eucalyptus Lyocell wicks away moisture - the thing bugs and bacteria need to survive and thrive - keeping your mattress cleaner than cotton, wool or polyester covers.

Our mattress is made from both latex and steel coils, so none of the above cleaning methods are quite right. Here is what we recommend:

For occasional deep cleaning, use your vacuum’s upholstery attachment to vacuum the surface and sides of the mattress. Blot any stains with a gentle cleanser, followed by a clean cloth dipped in cold water. Be careful not to get the mattress too wet. Allow the mattress to dry, and then apply baking soda to the surface of the mattress to soak up any lingering smells. Give it a few hours to fully absorb, then vacuum up the baking soda using the upholstery attachment

Ah, nothing better than sleeping on a fresh, clean mattress

Mattress Covers

You’re probably wondering now how often you need to clean your mattress. Ideally, you’d clean a spill/stain as soon as it occurs and do a general mattress cleaning about twice a month. Add in some professional mattress cleaning twice a year and you’d be in great shape. But we both know that’s probably not going to happen. 

That’s why you need a great mattress protector. 

A mattress protector protects your mattress from spills, stains, and other damage. It can seal out dust mites and pollen, too. 

In other words, if you have a good mattress protector on your bed, you won’t need to clean the mattress as often. You’re not off the hook; you do still have to do it sometimes, but definitely less. 

It’s like a mattress cleaning shortcut. And who doesn’t love a shortcut?