Disinfecting & Sanitising The Mattress
For the best comfort and sleep, there are two ways you can go about sanitising or disinfecting your mattress. One way is by using an antibacterial spray, which is great at killing germs and harmful bacteria. The spray is best used when it is sprayed lightly across the mattress surface. Dip a rag in warm water and wring it out to wipe down the sprayed surfaces. Allow time for the mattress to dry completely before using it for sleeping again.
Another way of how to disinfect a mattress is through steam cleaning run a garment steamer or any hand-held steam cleaner to remove dust mites and allergens on your mattress. Avoid using constant bursts of streams as this can lead the mattress to be saturated with moisture, causing mildew or mould. Steam cleaning is effective in sanitising your mattress and ensuring you can sleep well without allergens and dust that can result in itchy eyes and runny noses.
Can You Bleach A Mattress
You can use bleach sparingly on a white mattress. Bleach is an effective germ killer and it neutralizes odors. But excessive use hardens a mattress. The harsh smell can linger, too.
Use these steps when cleaning a mattress with bleach:
Can you use a carpet cleaner on a mattress?
How To Clean Urine From A Mattress
Maybe, thanks to a pet or two, youve got a mattress thats been peed on.
Or perhaps youve got children who are prone to bed wetting?
It matters not. The process for getting urine stains out of a mattress is the same.
Step 1: Soak up the excess fluid with a cloth as much as you can.
Step 2: Grab an enzyme-based cleaning product and spray the stain. If you dont have a product to hand, you can make your own solution with 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide and 3 tablespoons of baking soda.
Step 3: When the patch is dry, sprinkle baking soda all over the affected area.
Step 4: Leave the stain overnight and, the next day, hoover it up.
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How To Remove Blood Stains From A Mattress
Blood is another fairly common source of mattress staining. But thankfully, with the right cleaning solution, its straightforward getting those unsightly dark stains out.
For very light or fresh stains:
For older or more embedded stains:
How To Steam Clean A Mattress
Freshen Up Your Bed in 6 Easy Steps
- Working Time: 1 hr – 1 hr, 30 mins
- Total Time: 4 – 8 hrs
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Estimated Cost: $0 to $150
We spend nearly one-third of our lives in bed, and even though your mattress is covered with a protector and sheets, it still takes a great deal of abuse from sweat, dead skin cells, dust mites, pets, and food spills. If you see stains and notice a funky odor, it’s definitely time to clean your mattress. A steam cleaner will clean your mattress and eliminate stains without you having to put in too much work. Steam that reaches between 212 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit will kill bacteria, dust mites, and break down stains for effective removal. While steam cleaning a mattress is not difficult, it does take planning, timing, and patience to make sure the mattress dries thoroughly. If you steam clean the mattress and it does not dry as quickly as possible, mold and mildew can begin to grow.
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Wash Your Bedding Regularly
Its best to wash your sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases every week, eliminating sweat, skin cells, and allergens. Wash your sheets in hot water unless the care label states to do otherwise. The high-temperature kills germs. Fewer bacteria and allergens on your bedding means fewer chances of dust and germs permeating your mattress.
Wash your pillows once every three to four months to prevent allergen build-up. Putting your pillows and comforters out in the sun once in a while makes them fluffy because sunlight dries up the moisture in them. The UV rays from the sun also kill germs.
If you use a bed skirt, youll want to wash it every few months. If you can see visible dust on your bed skirt, its time for a cleaning.
We have a number of guides that go through the cleaning process for bedding items, step by step:
How To Remove Odors From Your Mattress
If you notice any stale smells, a quick and easy way to freshen a mattress and box spring is with a sanitizing spray, like GH Seal stars Microban 24 Hour Sanitizing Spray or Tide Antibacterial Fabric Spray. Both are safe to use on fabrics and kill odor-causing bacteria. Or, to zap odors between deep cleanings, sprinkle some Arm & Hammer Baking Soda onto the mattress fabric, brush it in lightly, wait 15 to 30 minutes, and vacuum.
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What Causes Yellow Stains On A Mattress
The most common causes of yellow stains on a mattress are urine, sweat, food preservatives, and other bodily fluids. Over time, it is natural for mattresses to become a little discolored. To clean sweat and urine from a mattress, you will need to blot the area , then spray a vinegar solution on the stain and let it soak for a minimum of 10-15 minutes. Once the area is soaked, cover the stain with baking soda and let sit for 8-10 hours. Finally, vacuum up the dry baking soda.
How Do You Clean a Mattress With Vinegar and Baking Soda?
If you only have vinegar and baking soda at your disposal, its still possible to get your mattress looking fresh. Just spray a mixture of two parts water, one part vinegar, and a splash of laundry detergent onto your mattress as a cleaning solution.
Once youve blotted away any remaining cleaning solution, you can sprinkle baking soda on top of the mattress to cancel out any odors.
How Do You Sanitize a Mattress?
While vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide can help you clean your mattress, sanitizing and disinfecting it may take a bit more work. A few popular methods for sanitizing your mattress include:
- Specialized steam cleaners
- Bleach-free disinfectant spray
- Specialized enzyme cleaner
Make sure you find a mattress that suits your specific needs. At Casper, we are dedicated to designing mattresses that keep you cool, comfortable, and cradled all night long.
Effectively Eradicate The Virus
For both cleaning and disinfection, make sure the cleaner is compatible with the surface material. Check the ingredients of the solution and check for ingredients like bleach or corrosive chemicals that might damage the surface of the mattress cover or the mattress itself. If you arent sure about what chemicals to use on what surface, contact the manufacturer or look up cleaner to see if they are compatible.
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How Can I Protect My Mattress
Maintaining your mattress starts by properly protecting it. In most cases, we recommend using a waterproof mattress protector, or at the very least a quality mattress pad. These products will help prevent the buildup of dust and other allergens, while also protecting your mattress from stains.
Regularly washing your sheets can also help. By proactively washing your bedding, you can reduce the buildup of allergens on your actual mattress.
Lastly, avoiding eating and drinking in bed is the best way to reduce the risk of accidental stains.
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Why You Should Deep Clean Your Mattress
Sheets and mattress pads arent airtight when it comes to protecting mattresses from sweat, spills and dust. Think about it: Sheets and pillowcases go through the wash every couple of weeks . So, consider whats hiding underneath the surface, inside and on top of the mattress, if youve never washed it. Yikes.
Studies have shown bedding and mattresses could be the culprits behind some allergies, colds and illnesses. Amerisleep reports sheets that are one week old already have more bacteria on them than a bathroom doorknob. One study found certain feathered pillows produce prime conditions for fungi growth. Another study revealed simply turning from one side to the other in the night can launch stagnant dust and dirt particles into the air. Wellshoot.
The good news is were about to show you how to deep clean a mattress so you can fall asleep at night without worrying about bacteria, skin cells, pet dander, dust mites, fungus and moreoh, my!
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How To Sanitize A Mattress: The Complete Guide
Do you wake up itchy after a long nights rest? It might be due to a dirty or dusty mattress!
Knowing how to sanitize a mattress will leave you to sleep better at night without worry about molds, dust, or insects. There are an estimated 1.6 trillion skin cells on our bodies and 30,000 to 40,000 fall off every day.
There are also hidden insects that could grow in your mattresses leaving you allergic.
Help yourself and sanitize your mattresses and keep your bed clean with these tips below.
Read Also:
How To Remove Urine And Sweat Stains From A Mattress
Weve dedicated a section of this guide purely to pee and sweat theyre two of the most common sources of mattress staining.
Both can leave strong stains and, in the case of urine, odors. To remove them, follow these steps:
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Dealing With Cat Or Dog Urine
If one of your pets has had an accident on the bed and stained your mattress, then youll know the smell is far more distinctive than human pee, especially if its cat pee.
Thankfully, the process for pet urine is the same as for human urine. Always try to catch the accident as soon as possible and blot as much moisture as possible.
But for any pet urine stain, simply use the same steps above for urine and sweat stains. And if you arent already, use a mattress protector, which will not only protect against liquids but will also help protect your mattress from claws.
How To Disinfect A Mattress Using Sunlight
Sunlight is the best disinfectant available to us. Many people around the world use sunlight to dry their clothes or laundry. The heat and UV rays of the sun help to kill off dust mites.
- If you have a backyard or an open terrace space, all you will need to do is to place the mattress on a bed sheet or a plastic sheet. Then, let the mattress soak in all the sun for an hour.
- Vacuum the mattress on all sides. Finally, let the mattress soak in the sun for a few more hours before taking it inside.
- It is common in Japan to air their futons in sunlight to limit the growth of mold. They also believe that this can energize their bedding and give them a better sleep. Try soaking your mattress in sunlight next time you want to disinfect it.
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How To Disinfect A Mattress From Vomit
Vomit is the most common secretion found in mattresses. Although it might not be as dangerous as other germs or bacteria, it can still make you and your family members sick and eventually give you a headache. It is usually the result of a stomach upset caused by food poisoning or food allergies.
Heres how to quickly get rid of vomit on your mattress: Mix one cup of household bleach with two cups of water and mix well. Use this mixture to soak the infected piece of furniture, in this case, your mattress.
How To Clean A Mattress
Tackling this five-step chore a couple times a year can help keep things fresh in the bedroom
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You spend about a third of your life on your mattress. When was the last time you gave it a good, deep clean? The living room sofa probably feels the bristle of a vacuum brush more often than your trusty mattress. Its time to change that.
Besides promoting a more pleasant and productive nights sleep, a clean, cared-for mattress can last longerand it might even help prevent nasty, not to mention costly, pest infestations.
Back when most mattresses could be flipped over, the conventional wisdom was that you should turn it twice a year, and take that opportunity to clean it as well. These days, a lot of mattresses, including the pillow-top variety, cant be flipped because they have a proper top and bottom. But cleaning your mattress two times a year remains a solid rule of thumb.
Heres a step-by-step guide on how to give your mattress a deep cleaning. Below it, youll find a couple of products we recommend to get a better nights sleep.
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How To Sanitize A Mattress: Full Disinfectant Guide
Considering the amount of sleeping and laying around we all do, especially in the current COVID-19 world, it might be time to start thinking about sanitizing and disinfecting that old mattress of yours.
Even if you wash your sheets once a week, sanitizing your mattress takes it all one step further to make sure your sleeping spot is nice and clean. Ideally, you should do this at least a couple of times each year.
It is best to clean your mattress outside if the weather permits. Doing this will help air things out, and the sunlight can also help disinfect the mattress because of the suns UV rays.
If you cant go outside, try opening up some windows before you get started. Having fresh air around you while you clean a mattress will significantly reduce the time it takes for the mattress to dry, meaning you get to sleep on your nice clean mattress much sooner than you would otherwise.
Four: Disinfecting The Mattress
The final step to having a nice, clean mattress is to give it an overall surface disinfecting.
Choose any antibacterial spray you like best, but make sure it does not contain bleach or chlorine, as these can damage the fabric of your mattress. If you opt for a liquid cleaner rather than a spray, use it with a rag and run it over the surface of the mattress, making sure to only clean the surface without actually saturating the mattress with liquid so as to avoid mold and mildew.
If you do use a spray, spritz it lightly all over the mattress, making sure to get both sides. Wipe it with a clean, damp rag, and then give your mattress time to dry out. It is best to let the mattress dry for several hours on each side to make sure that everything is fresh and dry before you make up the bed again and snuggle in for a good nights sleep.
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Bonus Mattress Cleaning Tips
1. Check out foam shaving cream
Foaming shaving cream contains denatured alcohol.
Thats got a pretty thick consistency and behaves exactly like a stain remover. If you apply it to a mattress, shaving foam can sit on the surface of a mattress and get to work on a stain.
Apply it, wait for around 15 minutes and then wipe it off with a damp cloth. Finish the job by rinsing the stain with a solution thats 50% vinegar and 50% water.
2. Try an enzyme cleaner
It might also be worth considering an enzyme cleaner such as Natures Miracle .
The other methods Ive mentioned usually work, but if you want to try something different, be sure to use an enzyme cleaner first.
3. Use cornstarch for odors
Also, for natural odors, use a mixture of cornstarch and baking soda. As youve seen, baking soda is a common ingredient in cleaning solutions, but cornstarch will actually absorb body oils.
4. Place fan/s to reduce drying time
This piece of advice comes straightly from a professional in the field. Dean Davies specialises in mattress and upholstery professional at Fantastic Services and heres what advice he shares:
A smart move is to locate a fan near your mattress to reduce its drying time. Of course, you can use more than one. Alternatively, if you have a wet dry vac, you can use it to extract the trapped moisture. Sleeping on a still wet mattresses is not advised.
