How to Clean a Mattress: Guide to Mattress Stain Remover and Cleaning

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If you are trying to figure out how to wash and how to clean a mattress, then this guide will teach you about mattress cleaners, stain removers, and how to clean urine from mattresses.

The Ultimate Guide on How to Clean a Mattress

First, think about how much time each day you spend on your mattress. Then, think about the last time you cleaned your mattress. A little scary, right?

This post will show you how to clean a mattress, what mattress cleaner to use, how to clean stains, and even how to get blood stains and pee stains out of mattresses.

If you bought your mattress from a Tempur-pedic store, you may want to call them and ask if they have any specific methods they recommend.

The good news is, it is relatively easy and inexpensive to wash a mattress and clean mattress stains.

There are more solutions rather than just flipping the mattress.

Depending on whether you are looking to spot clean dirt, deep clean, or remove odors, there are a few different methods to use.

Spot Cleaning

To spot clean a mattress, you have a few different options. Using a cleaning solution mix of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and liquid dish soap, spray the stain. Then rub with a clean rag.

Alternatively, for a non-toxic cleaner, look for a natural enzyme cleaner such as Rocco & Roxie.

For a more natural cleaning method, make a paste of lemon juice and salt. Leave the mixture on the stain for about an hour. Then, wipe off the remaining salt with a clean rag.

Mattress Cleaner

For a deeper clean, you can make or buy a cleaner. For quick and inexpensive cleaning, clean your mattress with baking soda, as explained in the following steps.

To get started, remove all of the pillows, sheets, and other bedding from the bed and give these a good wash. You can check out the 5 best laundry detergents you can buy from USA Today. Then, to save money, use my method to make your own DIY Reusable Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets.
Next, vacuum the mattress using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner. I have the SHARK Rotator Professional Lift-Away HEPA Bagless 2-in-1 Upright Vacuum that works really well for this purpose. This helps to clean dead skin cells, debris, and allergens.
Then, spot treat to remove blood stains, urine stains, vomit stains, and sweat stains out of mattress.
Now, sprinkle the surface of the mattress with a generous amount of baking soda (with optional essential oils). This will help get odors such as pee smells out of the mattress. Leave the baking soda on for several hours. The longer, the better.
Finally, with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner, vacuum all of the baking soda from the mattress.
Bonus / Optional: Air out your mattress in the sunlight, if you can. Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight works as a natural disinfectant.

How to Clean Mattress Stains

Depending on the type of stain, there are different methods to wash the mattress. For general stains, follow the directions above for spot cleaning.

To get urine or blood stains out of a mattress, try using small amounts of hydrogen peroxide or laundry detergent and brush or blot the area with a clean cloth. Keep in mind, hot liquids set stains, so only use cold water on blood stains. Yes, these non toxic ingredients you already have at home are a great mattress cleaner stain remover!

How to Get Pee Smell Out of Mattress

For smelly urine on the mattress, whether from the kids or pets, What’s Up Fagans, has a blog post on how to easily remove pee smell from a mattress.

Protect Your Mattress

In order to save yourself money and time, protect your mattress from mold, bacteria, and spills. If you do not already use one, then get a good quality, waterproof mattress protector

In addition to good mattress covers, remember to wash your sheets and mattress pads regularly (ideally every 2 weeks). Also, keep in mind, hot water sets stains. So, be sure there are no stains on the bedding before you place them in a hot water washing machine cycle. Every 6 months or so, rotate your mattress.

For more cleaning ideas, hacks, and guides check out Green Cleaning.

As parents to 3 little kids, we are always on the hunt for non toxic/eco-friendly products. We found one we use daily called Force of Nature, It's a little appliance that uses electricity to turn salt, water & vinegar into a multi-purpose cleaner, EPA registered disinfectant and deodorizer. It's strong enough to kill bacteria and viruses just like bleach, but it has no toxic chemicals whatsoever! It's also EPA approved for use against Covid-19. They have a promotion right now for 30% off & free shipping if you use coupon code SPRINGCLEAN30. Give it a try: Force of Nature See our full review of Force of Nature.