Avoid Expensive Cleaning Services With This Helpful Mattress Care Guide

A mattress is a big investment. It is also a very important one as your mattress is what you spend a majority of your time on. Just think about it—you spend about a third of your days on your mattress. It is important to keep that mattress clean and well-taken care of. It is also important to make sure that your mattress is a safe and sanitary place for you to spend your evenings. It will help keep your home fresh and help keep you healthy. The good news is, there are ways that you can clean, deodorize and care for your mattress not only so you make the most of your financial investment, but so your mattress continues to be a safe and healthy place for you to lay your head at night.

Vacuum The Mattress

Did you know that you can actually vacuum a mattress? In fact, it is one of the key components in cleaning your mattress that can really make a difference.  

However, before you start vacuuming the mattress, you also want to make sure you are cleaning all of the coverings on your mattress as well. Toss all of the sheets and bedding into the wash. Use an all-natural laundry detergent and the hot water setting on your washing machine. This will actually help kill any critters or bed bugs that are common in sheets and blankets.

Here’s how you can vacuum your mattress for the best results:

• Vacuum the entire mattress surface with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner.

• As you vacuum pay close attention to the seams and crevices in your mattress (this is where dirt, dust and dead skin will collect).

• Make sure to use the vacuum’s crevice attachment for a really deep clean.

If you are really serious about vacuuming your mattress, then you can even consider special vacuums that are specific mattress vacuums. You should vacuum both before and after you spot clean and deodorize your mattress.

Deodorizing The Mattress

Mattresses are made out of highly absorbent materials—which is what makes them so plush and comfortable. It is also what makes them hold on to odors so easily, and why over time, mattresses can start to smell. The good news is, you don’t have to live with a smelly mattress, or replace your mattress all together. There are easy ways that you can deodorize your mattress and have it smelling like new.

For Best Results Deodorizing A Mattress

• Sprinkle some baking soda over the entire surface of the mattress.

• Don’t be afraid to use an entire 1 pound box (especially if your mattress is particularly potent)

• Leave the baking soda on the bed for 24 hours, or for 18 hours at least.

• If your mattress is in a room with a lot of sunlight, then open up the blinds to help with the sanitizing power.

• Once the baking soda has sat in and gotten to work, vacuum up the remaining baking soda and enjoy a fresh-smelling mattress. 

If you find that your mattress odors keep coming back, repeat the process, but spray the mattress with white vinegar first. You will need to let the mattress dry completely before going back in with baking soda, so you may want to plan this deodorizing chore for an evening when you can sleep away from the house or in another room. Smells can happen with any mattress—but this safe and natural solution is a great way to make sure they don’t interrupt your sleep.

Tip: If you want an extra layer of scent protection and a fresh smell for your mattress, take a few drops of lavender essential oils and spray it over your mattress when you are done—or put a few drops of the essential oil into the baking soda before application.

Stain Removal

No matter how many layers of blankets and sheets you may have on your bed—mattresses can and will get stains. These stains can be difficult to remove and can soak in and ruin the integrity of your mattress. The good news is—nearly all stains can be removed from mattresses, if you know how to do it properly.

Do a careful check for stains on your mattress so you can spot treat them. An upholstery cleaner or enzyme-based pet odor remover is usually your best bet for bodily fluids (even if they aren’t made from a pet). Make sure to check the ingredients on products like this to make certain they are safe and healthy. Do not over saturate the mattress when you are spot cleaning, as too much liquid can ultimately cause an issue with mold and mildew. You can also try a simple homemade solution of 1 teaspoon mild dish detergent and 1 cup of warm water. Do not use bleach on your mattress.

Once you have your solution and have applied a small amount to the stain in question, dab at the stain with a clean, white rag until the stain has lifted and is coming off the mattress. Keep doing this process until the stain is gone for good.

Regular Mattress Cleanings

Regular mattress cleanings are another important part of taking care of your mattress and making sure it stays safe, and odor free.  Regular mattress cleanings are important, you should do them every three months or so—every 6 months at the most. You should be cleaning your bedding, including the mattress pad and protector much more often than this. While steam cleaning and deep cleaning are popular solutions for other areas of the home—this is not recommended for mattresses.  

Deep cleaning and stream cleaning your mattress on your own can cause you mattress to retain too much moisture, and ultimately cause issues with mold and mildew. The very best thing that you can do is to hire a professional cleaning services. There are mattress cleaning companies that can help you clean your mattress without the risks.  

Helpful Mattress Cleaning Tips

• Some mattresses suggest that you “flip” the mattress every few months. However, you need to check on the tag of your mattress before flipping. Not all mattresses are designed to be flipped. If your mattresses comes with a warning that says “do not flip” then rotate your mattress every six months to keep it clean.

• After cleaning your mattress, or having it professionally cleaned, always make sure that you air out the mattress to let it dry. This means turning on fans, and opening doors and windows to aid in the drying process.

• Always give memory foam mattresses and natural latex mattresses more time to dry than standard coil mattresses. There is more dense material that needs time to air out with these mattresses.

• Make sure you pay close attention to the products that you are using when you clean your mattress. Using toxic cleaners, then sleeping on top of these toxic materials isn’t good for you or your health.

• You may want to clean children’s mattresses more often than adults, to make sure they aren’t sleeping on dirt, dust or irritants that can make it difficult to fall asleep.

• Consider giving your mattress a deep clean right after you have been sick, to make sure any lingering germs are taken care of.

Keep these tips in mind when you are cleaning to make sure you are maintaining a healthy sleeping environment.

Protecting Your Mattress

The best way to keep our mattress clean is to do your best to make sure it doesn’t get dirty in the first place. It is important to protect your mattress to prevent staining. Although some companies will offer a removable mattress cover for their products—this typically isn’t enough to really keep the mattress protected. We recommend not removing any mattress cover and that you always use the two-layer approach to keep your mattress safe.

The two-layer approach means using both a mattress protector and mattress pad to keep your mattress safe and protected.

Keep Your Mattress Feeling Fresh With These Helpful Tips

Now that you are armed with some basic information on the best way to clean and care for your mattress—you are ready to take the steps necessary to keep your mattress looking (and smelling) its best. If you, like many shoppers have taken the time to find a high-quality eco-friendly and safe mattress, you want to keep using these safe, non-toxic cleaning services tips to keep your eco-friendly and organic mattress a non-toxic space as it was meant to be.

Lisa Czachowski is a professional social blogger and has worked on several online publications including Citrus Sleep. Lisa is an experienced content writer and copyeditor. You will find many of her works throughout CitrusSleep.com that cover a wide array of subjects including sustainability, natural, sleep products, health, fashion and many more. She is passionate about what providing as much information as possible on products you bring in your home and what we wear.

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