Mattresses can, over time, accumulate odors and stains. If you have pets, or a child that wets his/her bed, then too, you need to clean the mattress out in order to prevent those odors. Always use mattress protectors or encasements in such cases. These help your mattresses last long and they also prevent bed bugs, dust mites, and allergens. So allergy sufferers should definitely use mattress encasements. Mattress encasements are washable and you can easily toss them in the washer and dryer from time to time to keep odors out.
Here are some easy ways to deep clean a mattress.
1. Baking soda
The best way to clean mattress urine odors and stains is with baking soda. Remove the sheet from your mattress and air out the room. Open the windows to allow fresh air inside. Next, sprinkle baking soda all over the mattress. You can pour the soda in a sieve and then gently tap the sides of the sieve to distribute the soda all over. Let the soda work its magic for about an hour. Baking soda absorbs odors and it freshens up the mattress. Next, vacuum the bed thoroughly. You can use a vacuum with the special upholstery-cleaning attachment. Once vacuumed, let the mattress air out for a while before placing the sheets.
2. Mixture of club soda and baking soda
In order to deep clean a mattress with urine, blot up as much urine as possible and then add club soda over it. Club soda has an effervescent action that brings the urine to the surface. Blot up the liquid and then sprinkle baking soda powder as described in the step above. Let stand for an hour before vacuuming.
3. White vinegar
To clean a used mattress or a mattress with urine, blot up all the liquid mess with some old rags or newspapers. Now sprinkle warm water and blot immediately. Finally, sprinkle a mixture of white vinegar and warm water. Blot up the solution with rags and then air-dry. Vinegar deodorizes and removes stains without any damage to the mattress.
4. Mattress cleaner (with hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap)
Mix together 16 ounces of hydrogen peroxide with a cup of baking soda and a few drops of dishwashing soap. Shake well and spray all over the stains and odors. Make sure you saturate the spots and stains with this mattress cleaner DIY. Next, blot up as much liquid as possible with old newspapers or rags. You can also run a fan near the mattress to speed up the drying and prevent mildew. This is a great way to clean a mattress without a vacuum. Note that this method leaves a white residue on the mattress which you can get off by dusting the mattress with rags or newspapers.
5. Listerine
You can easily clean a used mattress with Listerine antiseptic mouthwash. This will deodorize and neutralize pet urine odors and even eliminate human urine stains and smells. Saturate the spots with Listerine mouthwash. Let the mattress air-dry completely. This is an easy way to clean a mattress without a vacuum. However, you will need to run a fan or air out the room in order to speed up the drying.
6. Medicated disposable douches
In order to clean mattress urine, blot up the excess urine with rags. Then rub the spot with medicated disposable douches. This will help break down the urine stains and odors and freshen up the used mattress. Air- dry the mattress or run a fan nearby to speed up drying.
7. To clean a mattress with blood stains
The best way to clean a mattress with blood stains is by using a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide followed by treatment with vinegar and bleach. Mix 2-3 tbsp of baking soda with a bit of hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Rub the paste on the stain. Let it sit until it is dry. Use a rag dipped in hydrogen peroxide to rub the paste and stain out of the mattress. Finally mix together water, bleach, and vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the mixture on the stain. Let it sit for a few minutes. Rub the stain out with a rag dipped in hydrogen peroxide to eliminate the stain completely.
8. To clean a mattress with coffee stains
The best way to clean a mattress with coffee stains is by using white vinegar. Blot up the excess coffee right away and then spray white vinegar on the stain liberally. Let the vinegar sit on the stain for at least 3-5 minutes. This will allow the vinegar to break up the coffee stains. Next, dip a rag in warm water and rub the treated area. Continue scrubbing until the stain comes off. For old or set-in stains, re-treat the stain with some more vinegar. Let it sit for 5 more minutes and then rub the spot with a rag dipped in water.
9. With baking soda and fabric softener
Sprinkle a mixture of baking soda and fabric softener all over your mattress. This will not just remove odors from the mattress; it will also freshen up the room. Every once a month, use this method to deodorize the mattress.
10. To clean a mattress or memory foam having dog or cat urine
To remove dog or cat urine from memory foam mattress, simply use the following mattress cleaner DIY recipe:
- 1 tsp dishwashing liquid like Dawn
- A handful of baking soda (extra strength)
- Half a cup of white vinegar
- ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide
Add all the ingredients to a spraying bottle. Swirl and shake to mix well. Spray the solution on the memory foam mattress. Leave it on for a few minutes. Air dry the mattress using a fan. The mattress will be squeaky clean and there will be no more dog or cat pee odor!
11. Inject an enzyme mattress cleaner in the stain
Cat urine and even human urine can go deep into the mattresses and pillows. So you need to inject an enzyme cleaner deep inside in order to remove the stain and odor. Only through injecting can you get the enzymes to break down all of the proteins from the urine. Use a turkey-baster-like-tool which is readily available in home improvement stores to inject the enzymatic cleaner into the mattress. Allow the product plenty of time to work and the area to dry thoroughly.
12. Mattress cleaner machine
If all else fails, you can always invest in a mattress cleaner machine. A mattress cleaner machine comprises of a steam cleaner and you can use it to clean upholstery and curtains as well. The steam blasts away odors, bed bugs, dust mites, and other allergens that can get in your way of having a good night’s sleep. Use it regularly to keep your mattresses clean and germ-free. Mattress cleaner machine is indeed a worthwhile investment for people with allergies or those having pets, elderly patients or bed-wetting children.