How To Clean Your Mattress: Remove Odors And Oils
The kitchen staple baking soda will be your friend when it comes to removing odors from your mattress. Corn starch is another tool that will absorb body oil, which could be another reason why your mattress smells.
Essential oils
1. Deodorize with baking sodaThe simplest way to deodorize a mattress is to sprinkle baking soda over it and let the powder sit for at least 30 minutes – preferably for a few hours – before vacuuming the mattress with a upholstery attachment.
2. Remove body oils with corn starchAttack body oils by mixing a few tablespoons of corn starch, such as Clabber Girl, with one cup of baking soda before sprinkling it on the mattress. You could also add five to 10 drops of a favorite essential oil, such as Artizen Essential Oils, to the mixture before shaking it on your bed for a pleasing scent that should last a few days.
Do Air Fresheners Get Rid Of Urine Smell
Air fresheners may mask the smell but cannot remove urine. Therefore, they will not permanently rid your bed from the urine odor. To eliminate the smell for good, you will need to lift and remove the stain. This will require a cleaning agent like vinegar, baking soda, a protease enzyme, or hydrogen peroxide. Depending on the cause and age of your urine stain, we suggest following one of the above methods.
Unbelievably Simple Tips On How To Remove Urine From A Mattress
If you are new to motherhood, you might be wondering how to remove urine from the mattress. With simple cleaning tips, you can succeed in removing urine stains as well as odor from your mattress.
If you are new to motherhood, you might be wondering how to remove urine from the mattress. With simple cleaning tips, you can succeed in removing urine stains as well as odor from your mattress.
Urine stains on mattresses are quite common when there are babies and pets in the house. In case you are a mother, you probably know how common bed-wetting is when your child is in his/her growing years. Even though your baby wears a diaper all the time or you use plastic sheets or an oilcloth in bed, you may still face the problem of cleaning urine off the mattress. Apart from stains, the worst part is to get rid of the pungent odor of urine. Cleaning urine from a crib mattress is not a big thing you can carry it easily, clean it in a convenient place and dry it in the sun. But, what if your baby manages to pee in a king-sized mattress that you cannot even lift on your own. Do not be under the impression that the mattress is soiled and you cannot reuse it. Rather, you can follow simple ways for removing urine marks from bed mattresses.
You May Like: How Much Does The Dump Charge For A Mattress
Can I Use Other Types Of Vinegar
I recommend Distilled White Vinegar. I keep it on hand in the gallon bottles because it is amazing with so many different household cleaning tasks like this mattress cleaner, and its super cheap. Other vinegars are for cooking and are more expensive, and really just wont work as well. However I did have a reader mention that she used apple cider vinegar and it worked great. The vinegar is just a strong acid that breaks down the odor causing proteins.
Why dont you just use a waterproof mattress cover?
We do I actually have 3 of THIS ONE. It works really well, except for that time you are so tired that you forget to put it on, or it rips and you didnt know, or your son makes his own bed and forgets to put it on, or it slips off the corner because he thrashes around too much at night, or he just doesnt like the sound/feel of it so he takes it off without telling you, or he wets more than once in a night and you dont have a back-up, or sometimes, they just fail. Its not for lack of trying, believe me. Sometimes these accidents just happen and are totally random and its always good to have a great mattress cleaner method ready to go.
How To Freshen A Mattress

A quick and easy way to keep a mattress fresh is by using everyday household items that most people have in their cupboards. Misting the surface of your mattress with vinegar followed by a sprinkling of baking soda should expel odors and smells. Allow it to air dry, then vacuum the remnants for a fresh scented, stain-free bed.
You May Like: Can You Sleep On Just A Box Spring And Mattress
Create A Comfortable Sleep Space For Pets That Is Not Your Bed
Two: Deodorise With Baking Soda
Although direct sunlight is one of the best ways to kill bacteria and air out your mattress, its not always the most viable option for homeowners. Nevertheless, if this is something you can do, we definitely recommend it .
To deodorise your mattress with baking soda, cover the top with a layer of the powder and allow it to absorb musty or bad odours for at least 2 hours. It helps to work the powder into the mattress with your bare hands or a soft-bristled brush. Baking soda is very effective in absorbing moisture which may be trapped in the material therefore, the longer you leave the powder on your mattress, the more effective the results will be.
Don’t Miss: Is Puffy Mattress Worth It
How To Remove Stubborn Bodily Fluid Stains
NOTE: When working with household ammonia, keep your windows open and use protective gear such as gloves and goggles as the product can cause skin and eye irritation.
When you encounter a nasty, stubborn stain caused by ones body, fear not for this can be removed and all cleaned up with the following cleaning process:
Tips To Prevent Mattress Stains + Maintenance Measures
- Use a washable mattress cover to prevent stains
- Avoid eating and drinking on your bed
- Act quickly to prevent a stain from setting
- Wash or clean your mattress cover after liquid spills
- Flip your mattress every few months
- Vacuum and spot clean your mattress every other month
- Always keep a fitted sheet over the mattress to prevent dust mites and bed bugs
- Replace your mattress when you feel like it is not providing adequate support anymore
In conclusion, the out of sight, out of mind attitude can come back to haunt you in the form of ugly stains, pesky bed bugs, and nasty germs that all come with their own set of health risks!
You May Like: How Much Should A Full Size Mattress Cost
Treat The Urine Stains
To remove the urine stains on the pillow top mattress, prepare a hydrogen peroxide solution with baking soda and a few drops of dish soap. Every cup of hydrogen peroxide should be mixed with three tablespoons of baking soda and a teaspoon of liquid dish soap. Pour the solution onto a spray bottle and target the urine-soaked areas without oversaturating them with liquid.
Allow the solution to sit on the mattress for about 20 minutes before blotting it off in a circular motion. You will then scrub off the excess liquid to remove the soapy residue on the bed. Finally, spray vinegar on the treated area without soaking the pillow top too much.
Do note to always test any cleaning solution in an inconspicuous spot of your pillow top mattress. This will prevent staining and other potential issues. For more tips, here is a complete guide on how to clean a pillow top mattress.
How To Remove Urine Stains
When you have young children and/or pets, it pays to know how to remove urine stains from a mattress since the odds of putting that knowledge to use are pretty good! Before you can tackle the stain, however, there are some pre-treatment steps you need to take to help get rid of pee smell first. Heres what you need to do to clean urine stains from a mattress, and do away with the odour:
Also Check: Where To Buy Serta Icomfort Mattress
Cleaning Pee Out Of A Mattress
I was very satisfied after using this method to remove urine from the mattress the first time.
There was still a faint circle, especially around the edges where I did not get baking soda, but I was happy that it was mostly unnoticeable.
As irony would have it, another one of our children wet in our bed two nights before I wrote this post!
Lucky me: I had the opportunity to try out this method of getting pee out of a mattress again.
I used the exact same method to remove the urine from my memory foam mattress, and this time I saw it work even bettereven removing more of the original stain!
This confirmed to me that repeating the process really does yield the best results, if you have the patience for that. In the years since this has happened, Ive used this method again and again.
While, ideally, just use a good mattress cover and avoid this predicament all together, this method for getting pee out of mattresses is a lifesaver .
How To Remove Stains From A Mattress

Deodorant, antiperspirants, and water-soluble waste like sweat respond well to water and laundry detergent solutions. Begin by mixing equal amounts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
Spray the stained area and blot with a clean cloth. Repeat until you remove the stain. Sprinkle baking soda over the location and vacuum it after an hour, before air drying a mattress. It can help to aim a small fan on the wet area of the mattress to help it dry more quickly.
Don’t Miss: What Are The Top 10 Mattresses
Rug Doctor Spot & Stain Remover Pack 2
If you are looking for a stain remover for some common food staining issues, this one can be the right one to pick without spending much. Rug Doctor comes in 2 packs that seem cost-efficient for commercial and household uses where surfaces take a lot of food stains.
Coffee, chocolate syrup, permanent marker stains are pretty hard to remove, and these stains require specially formulated remover to remove them effectively. Once you have this one in hand, these hard to remove stains will no longer be an issue for you.
Some homeowners have to deal with oil, mud, grass, and other similar types of marks or stains that are not that easy to remove. You can rely on this cleaner regarding these matters as well. Its effective formula will keep cleaning a lot convenient and easy for you.
Whether the stains and marks are on your mattress, sofa, carpet, rugs, upholstery, and other similar surfaces, stains can no longer ruin the beauty of these materials from now on.
Why Do Some Adults Pee The Bed
Its not just people who spent too much time at the bar and pass out who have nocturnal accidents. A variety of health issues can also cause adults to pee the bed. People with diabetes, for example, have higher levels of urine production, which can cause bedwetting.
Another condition that can cause accidents is a hormonal balance, specifically ADH . Not having enough of this hormone means your body doesnt properly signal to slow down urine production at night.
Other circumstances that can cause the occasional misstep are stress, constipation, sleep apnea, an enlarged prostate, or a urinary tract infection .
Don’t Miss: How Does Purple Mattress Return Work
Sprinkle With Baking Soda
Baking soda is excellent for odor removal, so if the stain carries a stubborn smell, baking soda may be precisely what you need to neutralize it. Baking soda is also adept in absorbing moisture.
To apply the baking soda, sprinkle liberally on the surface of the mattress, making sure that it covers both the stains and outside the edges of it. If your bed is the victim of frequent accidents, you may want to also regularly apply a thin layer underneath the sheets to keep things fresh.
How To Remove Pets Urine Stains
You might love your pet, but pet urine can sometimes stink more than human urine. Animal urine is composed of different chemicals and is more concentrated. Hence, it is important to remove pet urine.
What youll need:
- Enzyme cleaner
- White vinegar
Removing pet urine stains from a mattress is similar to the process listed above, with just a few simple alterations.
Step 1: Apply Baking Soda to Stain
Instead of bottling the stain with a towel, immediately apply the baking powder directly to the stained surface. Baking soda soaks moisture and gets a darker color as it draws the urine out of the mattress.
Step 2: Clean Powder and Repeat
Clean the powder from the soiled spot and renew it with fresh baking soda. Allow the powder to continue absorbing up the urine.
Repeat the process until the baking soda remains white.
Step 3: Clean the Mattress
Once you remove a considerable amount of your pets urine out of the mattress, clean the mattress, assuming it is human urine. Repeat the process till the stain remains.
Step 4: Try Enzyme Cleaner
As discussed above, animal urine is much more concentrated than human urine. It also contains extra components like carbohydrates and fatty acids and ammonia . You can use enzyme cleaners, which are biological catalysts and accelerate chemical reactions, which can help break down these headstrong elements.
Step 5: Avoid Chemical Products
Step 6: Avoid Using Pet Repellents
You May Like: How To Measure Mattress For Deep Pocket Sheets
What Causes Yellow Stains On Mattress
Yellow stains are the toughest thing to clean from mattresses. Leaving those uncleaned for days makes them more stubborn and too difficult to remove. In most cases, such stains occur due to body sweat, hair oil, urine, food stains, food preservatives, bodily fluids, etc.
So, once you detect a yellow stain on the mattress, be sure to remove it as soon as possible. It will be easier if you clean it early. Otherwise, you have to get commercial stain removers to bring back the new look on your mattress.
Blot Up Urine Immediately Or Soak With Vinegar If Dried
If you happen to catch the accident shortly after occuring, your first step is to blot it up right away with a dry cotton towel or paper towel. Keep blotting until the towels come away dry, and then soak the area with Vinegar. Allow that to sit for a few minutes and begin the blotting process over again until it again comes away dry.
If the accident has already dried, then you want to soak the area with vinegar and allow it to soak in for a few minutes. This allows the dried urine to rehydrate, making it easier to draw out of the material through your blotting. Note that this will not often remove any staining you see, but will soften it for the following steps.
What to Remember: Urine soaks both down, and out into mattress fabric, so be sure to apply vinegar to areas surrounding the stain as well to make sure you are getting all of it.
Recommended Reading: What The Difference Between A King And California King Mattress