How to clean my mattress?

You’re fastidious about cleaning your bedding and vacuuming your bedroom but how often do you clean your mattress, and does it really make a difference? Given that the average time a person keeps their mattress is between 7 and 10 years, it makes sense to introduce a regular cleaning routine – that will not only prolong the life of your mattress, it will provide you with a cleaner environment to sleep in each night. Here’s our guide on how to clean your mattress, with tips and tricks to make it easy and efficient.

Why do I need to clean my mattress?

We spend a third of our lives sleeping and aside from holidays and other occasions, the majority of your sleep will be had on the mattress in your bedroom. Over time, if not cleaned, that mattress can become a haven for dust mites, bacteria and allergens, which can impact your overall health and well-being as well as the quality of your sleep each night. Dust mites love to feed on dead skin cells, which are most commonly shed when you’re lying down and sleeping, and as they feed, they release allergens into the air. While this doesn’t affect everyone, a lot of people will find their sleep isn’t as restful as it could be and it can impact on those prone to allergies.

How often should we clean our mattress?

It’s recommended to clean your mattress once every six months – this will remove any build up of dust mites and bacteria and provide you with optimum conditions for a good night’s sleep.

How should we clean our mattress?

Before implementing a cleaning routine, make sure to check the care instructions on your mattress and whether it is single or double-sided.

The good news is you don’t need a wealth of cleaning materials, it’s a relatively simple process and will only require a vacuum, a mild detergent or dish soap, some clean lukewarm water and some clean cloths or sponges.

To start with, remove and wash all of your bedding – this will help to kill any germs and bacteria.

Before starting to clean your mattress, open your windows to ventilate the room and enable your mattress to breathe (it will also help to eliminate any odours).

If possible, attach an upholstery attachment to your vacuum and start to move the vacuum in circular motions across the mattress to ensure you’re removing all the dust mites, dead skin and bacteria. A small amount of baking soda sprinkled onto your mattress will help to remove any unwanted odours.

How to deal with stains on your mattress

If there are some stains on your mattress, you need to take the next step in terms of cleaning it. You don’t want to use any strong chemicals as this can damage the mattress, it’s a simple case of some gentle detergent or washing up liquid. Mix this with some lukewarm water and dab at the stain with either your cloth or sponge. It’s important not to rub the stain, it’s all about the dab!

Once the stain has been removed, use a dry cloth to dab at the area and absorb as much excess water as possible. You then need to leave the mattress to air out for a few hours.

When your mattress feels dry to the touch, sprinkle with baking soda and leave it for a few hours before vacuuming. This will help to eliminate any remaining odours and provide you with a fresh, clean mattress.

Before replacing your clean bedding, take the time to clean your bed frame and headboard as well. Depending on the material, this may be a quick vacuum or a wipe down with a cloth.

Mattress maintenance – extra tips

Following the steps above every six months will give your mattress that extra longevity and ensure the best possible sleep conditions for you. There are a few other things you can do to stretch out the lifetime of your mattress:

• Consider introducing a mattress topper or protector. These can usually be cleaned and provide that extra barrier between you and the mattress.
• Maintain a regular washing schedule for your bedding – for more details on the best routine, see this blog.
• When possible, open your windows to allow some fresh air to circulate in your room – particularly when you’re washing your bedding and the mattress is bare.
• Avoid eating and drinking in bed – this will prevent any additional stains or odours and make cleaning a lot easier.

While the thought of adding another household chore to your list may feel overwhelming, cleaning your mattress every six months really will make a difference to the overall cleanliness and hygiene of your bed and create the best possible environment for a good night’s sleep. And with so little cleaning supplies required, once you’ve done it a few times, it will take you no time at all to tick this all-important job off your list.

And when the time comes to invest in a new mattress, take a look at our range of high quality, super comfortable mattresses.