How to clean a mattress.
Practical advice on how to clean a mattress .
Yellow stained mattress
Unless you have a mattress protector, it is going to be a good idea to learn how to clean a mattress. Otherwise you may end up buying a new mattress Your mattress can develop those unsightly yellow stains which can be caused by three main culprits. Sweat, urine and body oils, These particular stains, if treated in time, can fortunately be removed. If left too long though they will permanently stain the mattress. This is not to say that you cannot remove them through chemical bleaching. Or that you cant get the mattress in a hygienic condition with deep cleaning. Deep cleaning can remove the ugly components but the stain could remain.
Organic uglies in your mattress
Dust mites and bed bugs are a big problem when it comes to your health. Apart from the health issues just knowing that your mattress is infested is a disgusting thought. Dust mites feed off of your dead skin cells that you shed during sleep and it is indeed the mite feces and not the mites themselves that cause your allergies. Bed bugs are an easily transferred bug that can come from many different places. Places that can harbor these critters include other infected areas, luggage, purses or any furniture item. They are quite capable of travelling around buildings which makes them especially concerning in apartment buildings.
The cleaning processes
There are 2 avenues you can take which will be determined by the actual condition of the mattress. In the second scenario above if there is no staining on the fabric, it would be advisable to do a proper hi temperature steam clean followed by a water extraction deep clean. The steam clean will kill any of the dust mite and bed bugs that may be present in your mattress, The steam clean however does not extract the dead insects from the mattress so a water extraction process will finish the job by removing all the traces of the insects. The water extraction will also remove dust and any other tiny irritants that will be in your mattress fabric.
Now we get to the notorious yellow stain. This is caused primarily by sweat, urine and body oil. There are several methods that people use. The one that seems to be the most popular is as follows
You will need the following
Equipment / Tools
- Vacuum
- Bowl
- Small strainer
- Clean cloths and/or towels
- Spray bottle(s)
- Fan or blow dryer (optional)
Materials
- Baking soda
- Lavender essential oil
- Salt
- 3-percent hydrogen peroxide
- A few drops liquid dish soap
- White vinegar
- Water
The method is as follows
- Strip the bed and wash the bedding in a hot cycle to kill any bugs that might be present
- Vacuum your mattress on all sides and edges. Make sure to get into all the stitched areas
- Sprinkle baking soda onto the mattress and leave for an hour or two then vacuum the mattress again
- Mix salt, baking soda, dish wash liquid and peroxide with a bit of water to mix a paste, rub the paste into the stained areas and leave for 30min then wipe away with a damp cloth
Let the mattress dry completely and the remake the bed