How to clean a mattress: vacuum, spot clean and deodorize

Step by step: how to clean a mattress

1. 1

   Strip and wash all the bedding

   Take off sheets, pillowcases and the mattress protector, and wash them in the hottest water the care labels allow. Hot water and a full dry help control dust mites. While they wash, open a window to air the room.

2. 2

   Vacuum every surface

   Go over the top, sides and, if you can lift it, the underside with the upholstery tool, using slow overlapping strokes. Run the crevice tool along the seams, piping and around any tufting, where skin flakes and dust collect.

3. 3

   Spot clean stains with minimal liquid

   Mix a few drops of dish soap into a cup of cool water, dampen a white cloth (do not soak it) and dab the stain, then blot with a dry cloth. Use an enzyme cleaner for sweat, blood or urine, and always cool water, since heat sets protein stains. Foam and latex dry slowly, so never pour liquid on.

4. 4

   Rinse the spot

   Blot the area with a cloth dampened in plain cool water to lift any soap, then press a dry towel on it for a minute. Leftover detergent attracts dirt and can leave a ring.

5. 5

   Deodorize with baking soda

   Sift a thin, even layer of baking soda over the whole top surface through a mesh sieve. Leave it for at least several hours, or all day if the mattress smells, with the curtains open if the room gets sun.

6. 6

   Vacuum up the baking soda

   Vacuum slowly with the upholstery tool until no white powder is left, including in the seams. Empty or check the vacuum filter afterward, since fine powder clogs it.

7. 7

   Let it dry completely, then rotate

   Feel any spot-cleaned areas; they must be completely dry before you put the protector and sheets back, or moisture can lead to mildew. Rotate the mattress head to foot, and flip it only if it is a two-sided model.

8. 8

   Put on a protector

   A washable, waterproof mattress protector keeps sweat, spills and dust off the mattress itself. Wash it every month or two, and right away after any spill.

How to clean each type of mattress

Every type can be vacuumed and spot cleaned, but foam and hybrid mattresses need the least moisture and no steam. Check the law tag and care instructions first; removing a cover that is not meant to come off can void the warranty.

Purple says not to steam clean its mattresses or memory foam, warns that memory foam absorbs liquid and dries slowly, and notes its cover shrinks if removed and washed. Casper likewise asks owners not to remove its zippered cover and to avoid bleach on stains.

How to remove common mattress stains

Treat each stain with cool water and the gentlest cleaner that works, blotting rather than scrubbing.

• Yellow sweat stains: an enzyme cleaner or a mix of dish soap and cool water, blotted, then rinsed. Old yellowing may only lighten.
• Blood: cool water first, then an enzyme cleaner. On a white cover, a small amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide dabbed on can help; test it, as it can lighten colors.
• Urine: blot, use an enzyme cleaner, then baking soda once dry. Our guide to pee in a mattress has the full method.
• Coffee or wine: blot fast, then a mild detergent solution. Casper suggests a hydrogen peroxide and dish soap mix for these on its mattresses.

Cleaning a mattress for dust mites and allergies

If anyone in the house has allergies or asthma, the protector and weekly bedding wash matter more than the mattress cleaning itself. Dust mites live in mattresses, pillows and bedding and feed on skin flakes.

The EPA recommends washing bedding in hot water every week and drying it completely, putting dust-proof covers on pillows and mattresses, and vacuuming with a HEPA filter vacuum. See our dust mite guide for the whole routine.

When a mattress needs drying help or replacing

Dry a wet mattress fast with fans and open windows, and replace it if it stays damp, smells musty or shows mold. Once foam or padding has been soaked through, cleaning the surface will not reach the problem.

The EPA notes that wet materials dried within 24 to 48 hours usually do not grow mold. Prop a soaked mattress on its side with a fan blowing across it. Replace a mattress that has visible mold, a lasting musty odor or deep sagging that a rotate does not fix.

Mistakes to avoid

• Spraying cleaner directly on the mattress so it soaks into the foam.
• Using hot water on sweat, blood or urine, which sets the stain.
• Steam cleaning a memory foam or gel mattress against the maker’s advice.
• Making the bed before the cleaned spots are completely dry.
• Using bleach, which damages fibers and can void the warranty.
• Leaving baking soda behind in seams, where it holds moisture.