Keeping your mattress clean helps it last longer and makes your sleep healthier. Dirt, dead skin and tiny bugs can build up inside a bedmollymaid.com. Regular cleaning takes away the germs and dust that can bother your nose and skinwebmd.com. This guide shows you easy steps to make your mattress fresh again.
Why a clean mattress matters
Your mattress collects millions of dead skin cells and dust miteswebmd.com. Over time this can lead to odors and even breathing problemswebmd.com. Cleaning it at least every six months keeps allergens away and protects your healthwebmd.com.
Gather simple tools
Before you start, grab a few things:
- A vacuum with an upholstery or crevice toolmetromattress.com.
- Baking soda to absorb smellsmollymaid.com.
- Clean towels or cloths and cold watermetromattress.com.
- Gentle detergent or an enzyme cleaner for spotsmetromattress.com.
- A sunny place for drying, if you canmollymaid.com.
Step‑by‑step cleaning
1. Strip the bed
Take off all sheets, blankets and covers. Wash these pieces while you clean the mattresswebmd.com.
2. Vacuum away dust
Use the vacuum’s upholstery tool to lift dust from the surface and edgeswebmd.com. Press firmly and work around seams to loosen hidden dirtmetromattress.com.
3. Spot clean stains
Look for stains. For urine, sweat or other spills, use an enzyme cleaner on a cloth and gently dab the spotmetromattress.com. Do not soak the mattress or rub hard—too much liquid can push the stain deepermetromattress.com. For stubborn spots, a mild mix of hydrogen peroxide and dish soap can helpmollymaid.com. Blot with water to lift away cleaning residue and moisturemetromattress.com.
For more help with accidents, see our guides on cleaning pee out of a mattress and getting urine out of a memory foam mattress. If your bed is a Tempur‑Pedic®, follow our Tempur‑Pedic cleaning tips.
4. Deodorize with baking soda
Sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda over the surfacemollymaid.com. Let it sit for a few hours to absorb moisture and odorsmetromattress.com. For tough smells, leave it on longerwebmd.com. Then vacuum again to remove the baking sodamollymaid.com.
5. Use sunlight or steam (optional)
Sunshine helps kill bacteria and remove smellsmollymaid.com. If you can, move the mattress outside and let each side sit in the sun for an hourmollymaid.com. You can also use a clothes steamer or iron’s steam burst to treat the surface, but check the mattress tag first and avoid dripping waterwebmd.com.
6. Dry fully and flip
Let the mattress dry completely before making the bedmollymaid.com. Flip or rotate it and repeat the steps on the other sidemetromattress.com. Regularly turning the mattress helps it wear evenly and air outwebmd.com. Learn more about when and how to rotate or flip your Tempur‑Pedic.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I clean my mattress?
Clean your mattress every three to six monthswebmd.commetromattress.com. Vacuum it more often if you have allergies or petswebmd.com.
Can I use a steam cleaner on my mattress?
Yes, but check the manufacturer’s instructions first. Steam can help kill mites, but you must let the mattress dry completelywebmd.com. Too much moisture can lead to moldwebmd.com.
Does baking soda really remove odors?
Baking soda absorbs moisture and neutralizes smelly acidswebmd.com. Leave it on the mattress for several hours or overnight before vacuumingmetromattress.com.
What should I do for urine or blood stains?
Blot liquids immediately with paper towels and use an enzyme cleaner or mild soap solutionmollymaid.com. Vacuum up wet spots with a wet/dry vacuummollymaid.com. For detailed steps, see our guides on cleaning pee from a mattress and removing blood stains. Always let the area dry completely before covering itmollymaid.com.
Keep it fresh
- Use a waterproof mattress protector to keep spills and sweat from reaching the mattresswebmd.com. See our review of the best mattress cover for Tempur‑Pedic beds and learn how to wash a Tempur‑Pedic protector.
- Vacuum your mattress when you change sheets to remove dust miteswebmd.com.
- Wash bed sheets weekly to reduce dead skin build‑upwebmd.com.
- Don’t eat or drink in bed. If spills happen, clean them right away to prevent stainswebmd.com.
A gentle reminder from Ex‑Mattress
A clean bed is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. These simple steps help keep your mattress fresh, but deep stains or odors may need expert help. Book professional mattress cleaning or check our mattress pickup and recycling service to make freshening up your sleep even easier.
