For most of us, the bed is a sacred space. This is perhaps especially true on a night of clean sheets—there’s nothing like the first sleep in a set of freshly laundered bed linen. But even though our duvet covers and pillow cases are cleaned regularly, figuring out how to clean your mattress can be a head-scratcher. Even though it’s the place where we spend nearly a third of our lives (if you get eight hours a night, that is), we probably don’t give enough thought to the mattress. Cleanliness. They are a bit troublesome as they are vehicles for sweat, skin cells, body oil, general dirt, spills and stains. Allergens can also penetrate the mattress, which can provide additional discomfort for people suffering from allergies or asthma.
Fortunately, there are some relatively easy and inexpensive ways to take care of yourself mattress. We’ve put together a guide with expert advice on how to prevent and get rid of stains and odors and keep them in tip-top condition.
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How to clean a mattress
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When it comes to how to clean a mattress, prevention is definitely better than cure. According to Grand Doyenne of Housekeeping Martha StewartEvery mattress, regardless of how often you use it, should have a fitted mattress protector to protect it from spills and stains (waterproof ones are also available). These (along with the rest of your bed linen) should be washed regularly so that dirt and liquids do not transfer to the mattress. Another simple exercise is to air your mattress daily by leaving the cover pulled back for a while after waking up each morning to allow sweat and odors to escape.
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If you want to do a deep clean, that is totally possible. All you need to do is grab a bucket of warm soapy water. In her book How to clean everythingTikTok cleaning influencer Ann Russell recommends turning your mattress vertically as you shampoo and rinse the surface of the mattress: ‘This is just so no water can penetrate deep enough to get funky within a week.’ To avoid mold and dampness, Russell also suggests waiting for a warmer month before you move in. Big clean: ‘If you can do this early and keep the thing in the sun all day it is possible to use the thing quickly.’ She also suggests ‘blotting the surface as dry as possible to avoid watermarks’ and returning it to a flat position when drying, to increase the surface area of the mattress and speed up evaporation.
