In the last few months, we have realized the importance of maintaining good hygiene in our daily life and avoiding harmful viruses. This principle not only applies when you are outside, but also at our homes. Among them, the bed is the furniture on which we sleep and spend most of our hours every day. So this post will be focusing on how to clean a mattress, the best way to clean a mattress, how to disinfect a mattress and make it insect-free.
It is important to regularly take good care of your beddings because Dirt, Dead skin, Dust mites, and other debris are common to be found on Mattresses. Hence, their regular clean and upkeep are necessary. It is also necessary if you are having pets at home, you have a habit to eat snacks in bed, or you are suffering from any allergies. The cleaning procedure looks difficult but in practicality, it isn’t a tough or much time taking work to make your mattress fresh as new!
Mattresses made with Memory foam (petroleum-based) can adversely react to some cleaning solutions. So avoid chemical cleaners in this case! Similarly do not use a steam cleaner on it, instead use a hairdryer set at low temperature to dry a spill. Hence, the best way is to create your DIY cleaning solution at home using some materials!
How to Clean your Mattress?
Here is the stepwise procedure to generally take care of your bed hygiene and cleanliness:
Step-1:
First of all, you need to prepare certain cleaning supplies nearby before you start your job to ease your cleaning routine.
The main materials are:-
- -- Cleaning Cloths
- -- Baking Soda
- -- Laundry Detergent
- -- Dish Soap or Enzyme Cleaner to remove the Stains
- -- Vacuum Cleaner having an Upholstery attachment
- Blot up the wetness or dirt.
- The stains can be lifted out by using an enzyme cleaner but you need to take much care so to avoid soaking the mattress.
- You can blot-up the most amount of the liquid by using a microfiber cloth, and paper towels. Apply pressure to extract water from the mattress forcefully.
- Use one layer of unscented cat litter to cover the mattress and leave it overnight or for some hours. In this way, it can absorb odors and the remaining dampness can also be dried.
- Remove the litter from the mattress using the vacuum. Flip and repeat the whole process!
- - Tiny black spots that occur due to the bed bug excrement.
- - Brown, dark red, or rust-colored spots on a pillow or mattress.
- - Lines or Clusters on your skin due to their intensely itchy bites.
Step-2:
Take out the mattress covers, pillowcases, sheets and give a nice wash to them in the washing machine. Prefer to use hot water for cleaning the bedding to remove the dust mites from them. Most important, check the care labels if any are present on them so to avoid any damage to them.
Step-3:
Start the mattress cleaning with a vacuum cleaner everywhere. Use upholstery attachment so that it will reach every corner, and side of the mattress. Vacuum on the furniture of the bed as well especially cracks and seams where dust, dirt, or bugs can easily stay hidden.
Step-4:
Use a stain remover to spot-clean your mattress. Avoid applying a cleaning solution, or water directly to the mattress and not even think about soaking it. You can refer to its cleaning and maintenance instructions if available otherwise make sure to do not wet the memory foam for any reason.
Use an enzyme cleaner to remove the biological stains. Take a clean white cloth and spray the cleaner onto it to blot the stained portion. Use a separate clean cloth and apply cold water to it to blot the same area till the stain lifts. A stain can happen due to urine, vomit, sweat, and blood. Try to use less product possible that will result in moisture!
In the absence of an enzyme-based cleaner, you can also prepare a DIY solution. Just mix the dish soap with water and use its resulting foam only to be applied on the stains. An alternative solution is to mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and cold water to prepare the cleaning material.
Step-5:
It is the time to take out your mattress is fresh air or under sun light if possible. Otherwise, sprinkle the baking soda on top of your mattress and leave it in the same state for some hours preferably overnight. The baking soda is responsible to break down acid, remove the odor, or absorb the remaining moisture.
Try to keep the baking soda on the mattress as much as possible till this time try to open the windows of the room. So that the sunshine or light will also come in and might reach the mattress. By the way, the UV rays from the sun work best to kill any bacteria, mold or help one to get rid of bugs present on the mattress.
Step-6:
Vacuum again everything once baking soda has done its job well for a long time. Flip the mattress and repeat the same process from the start to make sure all sides are clean and fresh. You need to flip the mattresses after certain intervals without matter whether you are deep cleaning them or not.
It is advised that the spring mattress should be flipped after every three months since it compresses over time. So check with the manufacturer’s instructions regarding when to flip or turn the mattress such that it will wear evenly and lasts for a long time.
Step-7:
After cleaning the mattress you need to use some measures to protect it. Let the mattress dry completely and cover it using a mattress protector to further protect it from bed bugs, dirt, and spills. A water-resistant mattress cover can protect it from accidental spills or leaks. You can wash the mattress protectors in a washing machine as per the care instructions.
Try to use lukewarm or cold water while washing to protect the water-resistant coating. Prefer the top of the mattress and protectors to air dry as compared to tumble drying. You can also use fitted sheets that can be washed regularly to retain the mattress clean. People especially those who are suffering from asthma or allergies also use encasements or wrap the mattresses.
How to Deep Clean a Mattress?
Sometimes normal cleaning routine is not satisfactory, in this case, you need to follow the below steps:-
a) How to Clean your Mattress to Remove Dry Stains?
You need to first rehydrate the stain again, do not worry about the bad smell if comes out of it especially in case of a pee. Use the same cleaning solution of water, detergent, and vinegar. In this way, the stained area will be soaked, and then use plastic like a clean garbage bag or Saran Wrap and leave it for 24 hours.
Remove the plastic covering when the stain is soaked in the solution and let the mattress air dry. It will take some time to dry completely about 12 hours. In case of un-satisfaction, repeat the complete process.
b) How to Clean a Mattress to Treat the Dry Urine Stain?
Add some more moisture to the stain by using a half cup solution of 3 tbsps. of baking soda and 3% hydrogen peroxide. Swirl the solution but do not shake it in a spray bottle and apply it to the stained area till it will damp. Leave it to soak for about an hour or two and blot up the extra liquid. Let it air dry and repeat the process if the stain is not properly cleaned.
c) How to Clean your Mattress to Deal with a Vomit Stain?
Use a microfiber cloth or paper towel to blot-up as much liquid as possible. Apply a cleaning solution of 2 cups of warm water and laundry detergent on a vomit stain. The surface of the mattress should be spot clean. Do not scrub otherwise the stain will spread and will reach deeper inside the mattress.
Dampen the clean cloth on the solution and apply it to the stained area. Take one part of water and three-parts of vinegar on a spray bottle and apply it in a way so that matter does not soak the solution, just dampen it.
Air-dry the mattress and apply the spray of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol to eradicate any germs. Again let it air dry, and check for the odors. If unsatisfied, sprinkle baking soda on the area and let it rest overnight. Vacuum it in the morning to clean the surface!
d) How to Clean a Mattress to Remove Blood Stains?
Use cold water instead of hot water so that the liquid will not lock the stain inside the fabric. A clean microfiber cloth is enough to apply cold water on the stain and blot most amount of the blood. Apply some hydrogen peroxide onto it and leave it for some hours. Use a dry and clean cloth once it has stopped fizzing.
Repeat the process if the stain is still present. Make a paste of baking soda or hydrogen peroxide and cold water, apply it to the stained area. After half an hour use a damp cloth to clean it! You can also use a meat tenderizer in place of baking soda with cold water to remove the bloodstains.
e) How to Deep Clean a Mattress to Eliminate Sweat Stain that looks Yellowish?
Use hydrogen peroxide and lightly spray it on the stained area till it is damp but do not soak it to become wet. Air-dry the area and leave the peroxide to dry for some hour and the stain will be faded. If needed you can repeat the process! To treat any other kind of stubborn mattress stains like that of wine prepare a cleaning foam.
It can be made by mixing 1 tbsp. of water with 2 tbsps. of white laundry detergent in powder form (no oxygenated bleach, no blue crystals). Apply it on the stain and leave it there for 10 minutes and further scrap away the foam. Remove all the residue foam by wiping it using the damp rag and let it air dry.
How to Disinfect a Mattress?
Following are the two main categories to remove the infections from your bed:-
1) To Remove Infection from Stains
You can create a disinfectant spray to clean your mattress by preparing a mix of 2 cups of cold water, 1 cup of white vinegar, and 2 tbsps. of laundry detergent inside a spray bottle and apply it liberally on the mattress.
Use this only if the mattress has already soaked any liquid like pee. Let the stain soak in the cleaning solution for 15-20 minutes. The vinegar is responsible to neutralize the odor and detergent remove the main liquid like urine from the mattress.
Cover the stained area using a thick layer of baking soda. In the absence of baking soda, you can use talcum powder, baby powder, unscented cat litter (unless there is a cat), or a pinch of regular table salt. Leave it for several hours and vacuum it when the powder becomes dry.
Otherwise, for wet powder use a dustpan or brush to sweet it up and further apply some more baking soda/litter to dry out the remains. Repeat the cleaning and drying process till the smell will be gone completely.
Remember that Mattresses can soak water too deep that can’t be dried properly using any option and this will result in the growth of bacteria or mold!
2) To Remove Infection from Insects
Bed bugs should not be overlooked since they can cause diseases to humans. No one likes their itchy bites as well. People who have been bitten by a bed bug might have small, raised, red welts that would blister or generally face a mild allergic reaction.
The bed is the best place for such bugs since they found humans on it for long hours in a defenseless state during asleep that too usually in darkness. They can hide in many difficult-to-see spots like crevices and cracks during daytime or in light especially when no human is there in the bed. Newborn bed bugs are more difficult to spot particularly on pale or white-colored mattresses.
So regularly check for the signs of bed bugs in your furniture, clothing, and beddings. It’s no late! If you have still got their evidence or got irritated from the bed bugs then you need to stop further infestation right now with the help of experts.
Bed Bugs can live or survive for long with little or no food or air for months in the right setting. They feed only the human blood. Bed bugs breed quickly, and it is not so easy to kill them since it is mostly hard for one to locate them. Hence, clearing up their infestation is a big struggle for anyone.
How Bed Bugs can occur in your Bed?
Bed Bug Infestations can happen in luggage during a journey or even in armchairs. You do not need to worry only about your home since even luxurious lodgings and hotels can be infested with bed bugs.
There are certain indications that your bed is infested with bed bugs like;
You have bought a new home, or transferring to a new rented dwelling, or coming back from a hotel whose bed was infected by bugs. In all cases, there are higher chances that you will need to face hungry and hosting bed bugs sooner.
So travelers need to inspect well (prefer to use a small flashlight) in the hotel room before check-in and check-out, or new apartment or home beds for bugs. One can also take the help via pest control specialists for a throughout inspection of home for the existence of bed bugs.
How to Clean a Mattress to Remove Bed Bugs?
It is extremely difficult to manage and get rid of bed bug manifestation on your own. It may result in your fruitless frustration or loss of much time. If the humidity conditions and temperature are right for them then they can even live for a year without food in an empty house.
Some prefer heating the infected bedding to higher temperatures using dryers or applying chemicals to treat it. People generally follow many DIYs like keeping the bedding under hot sunlight for few hours.
Vacuum cleaning having bags also works well to trap the bugs and their eggs from the mattress or carpet. A crevice tool should be used to vacuum under folds and at the corners. Once it is done you need to empty the vacuum bag in outside trash immediately.
Temperature above 113 Fahrenheit (90 minutes) or 118 degrees (20 minutes) can kill the bed bugs like using Steam cleaners. For best effect, first do the vacuum cleaning, then steam clean and repeat the vacuum to pick up as many eggs, or dead or debris bed bugs.
Extreme cold temperature can also treat a potentially infested bed, but. It is not practical, since we do not have that much space in our freezer to keep bedding inside it, but. Also, by this way, furniture will be left untreated where these tiny creatures can hide and survive. So whole house treatment is the only solution!
Plastic bags that can be sealed well work best for the necessary preparations before professional treatment of bed bugs. These bags are also helpful for one to prevent Bugs relocation inside a home, and are a great option for storage even after the treatment process.
Overall, it is very difficult to tackle Beg Bugs eliminations efforts by yourself. So either you need to use the Effective procedures to remove the bed bugs or simply call professionals for help!
Final Thoughts
A clean Bed is required by us every day to make sure we get better sleep. You do not need to spend on expensive equipment or solutions to clean your beddings plus cleaning can also extend their life. You can create a cleaning solution at your home itself and do not need to use harmful chemicals for the same purpose.
Deep cleaning should be performed at least twice a year but normal cleaning has to be done every month. Whenever you feel that the mattress seems saggy, then it’s time to rotate or flip it.
The most difficult part to clean a bed is to treat the bed bugs. After all, no one likes to have the Irritating rashes by these nasty little nuisances also they infect our beddings. Whole house heat remediation treatment can kill off the whole existence of the bed bugs either they are adults or only eggs. Try to wash if possible and Dry it by keeping the Dryer at the hottest setting.
Some people also keep their suitcases or clothing inside a plastic bag and keep that out in the sun or inside a hot car for few days to remove the insects. An expert can better give you Tips to prevent the reoccurrence of bed buds. A quick solution on how to disinfect a mattress is to use a good quality Antibacterial fabric sanitizing spray.
So, there is no so-called best way to clean a mattress, since it depends on many factors like the kind of material it is made of and the purpose of cleaning the bed! You need to figure out the things and use the proper way to treat your bed and ensure its cleanliness every time!