Before going into detail about the procedure to clean your mattress, we have to talk about frequency and intensity.
We at DAM Carpet Wash will help you distinguish between a weekly emergency or deep cleaning of mattresses:
- Under normal conditions, the recommendation is that you have your mattress checked once a week. This routine covers steps 1, 2, and 6 that we are going to see next.
- Emergency cleaning: if something is spilled, you have suffered a fever with its corresponding sweats or it is stained with any other biological fluid, you must clean it thoroughly every time it happens. This means applying all the steps of the process.
- Semi-annual cleaning: it is a deep cleaning that you must start for the correct maintenance of the mattress, even if it does not have stains. Once again, it consists of applying all the steps that we are going to detail below.
Now yes: let’s go with the procedure that should be followed for deep cleaning of your mattresses.
Wash bedding
The very first thing to do to have a mattress in hygienic conditions worthy of the rest of a king is to wash the bedding with hot water at least once a week.
If you are one of those who sweat profusely, or if your baby gives you a pee or a nosebleed, it goes without saying that you should wash everything every time this happens.
The sheet change operation includes the mattress protector if you have it, as well as the pillowcase, bedspread, and various decorative cushions, which are a nest of dust.
Well okay, you can leave the bedspread and cushions for a deeper cleaning, maybe once a month; That already depends on the racking that your bed has.
And one little thing: look at the labels of EVERYTHING you wash, in case they don’t admit hot water and any of the pieces shrink or discolour.
Vacuum
Once you have the bare mattress, vacuum the entire surface vigorously, paying attention to the folds, seams, and sides so that it is completely free of dust.
The ideal would be to have a vacuum cleaner accessory that you only use for cleaning mattresses as we said before, but if you don’t want to buy one exclusively for this, you should first leave the one you use for the house as gold jets.
There is no point in vacuuming the mattress deeply with a head that has first gone through the floor, right?
Wash
Since you cannot wash a mattress because it would be soaked and you could spoil it, you will have to attack the stains one by one if it has them.
Identify them, gather the necessary products and utensils to get rid of them, and get to work with patience, this takes time: each solution has to act, and then you have to remove it and let it dry before putting the sheets back on.
In short, with each stain you must follow this procedure:
- Put a small amount of the cleaning solution – later we will see different options depending on the origin of the stain – with the help of a clean cloth
- Allow it to work for at least a few minutes.
- Remove the remaining product with another clean cloth dipped in water
- Leave the mattress in the air so that what is left can dry
- Repeat if necessary
If it does not have stains and you are not in the semi-annual deep cleaning, you can skip this step.
Disinfect
It may be excessive to disinfect the mattress every time you change the sheets unless it has suffered a leak of urine or other fluid of biological fluid, such as blood or sweat, for example. In that case, yes you should disinfect when this happens.
If not, this step can be done every six months.
How to disinfect a mattress?
As we said, there are enzymatic cleaners that work very well for disinfection, but the truth is that vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are just as useful home remedies, cheaper, and more ecological; you just have to mix them with a little water and spray the mattress.
The ratio can be one part water to three parts vinegar or hydrogen peroxide.
Very important: Let it dry completely before using the mattress again, especially if it’s latex.
Therefore, if you have the option, let it do it in the sun or at least planted it in front of a window.
Deodorize
As the last step, we have to eliminate the smell of the mattress, an operation that is especially recommended if it has been stained with vomit, urine, or sweat at some point.
Once again we turn to an ingredient for domestic use, cheap and easy to get: bicarbonate. The procedure is long but very simple:
- Sprinkle the surface of the mattress with special attention to the area of the head and feet
- Allow at least one hour for acting.
- Vacuum the mattress to remove dust
Simple as that. Neither products to clean mattresses for sale in specialized stores, nor anything baking soda only.
If you are a lover of aromas, you can also buy an essential oil that you like and apply a few drops to the mattress and also to the pillow. For example, lavender smells very good and promotes relaxation to sleep.
Flip it over and repeat
The other side of the mattress is often forgotten about when cleaning, and that cannot be. Dust mites and odours love both sides of your bed equally. So remember to also include it in your mattress cleaning routine.