How to Clean Your Mattress No Matter How Gross It Gets

WIRED

3 days ago

From barf to blood, your stained mattress isn't necessarily beyond repair. Here's how to salvage your investment from every worst-case scenario. Courtesy of Amazon; Getty Images
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It's important to know how to clean your mattress. Not just for day-to-day cleanliness and hygiene, but let's say you're dealing with an emergency—a 'my mattress is ruined" situation where you have the frantic energy of an emergency clean-up crew. Is a trip to the dump inevitable? Not necessarily.
Before you think, 'I'm so clean, this would never happen to me!' I'm telling you, it can. I've seen a lot over the course of my career as a professional mattress tester and certified sleep coach. If you plan to have your mattress for its full eight- to 10-year lifespan, you'll want to keep it as pristine as possible. I chatted with cleaning influencer and third-generation janitor Brandon Pleshek of Clean That Up to see how he would approach the common situations below. Scenario 1: Someone Peed the Bed
Life happens, sleep happens, and sometimes bladder control is an issue. This can be common at any age, from little kids to seniors. Or, maybe your pet had an accident. I've been there. Time is of the essence with this situation, to avoid a stain and—more urgently—smells from taking root. According to Pleshek, the quicker you address a fresh urine stain, the better. 'Speed is gonna help,' he says. 'The longer you let the urine sit, the more it'll soak in, and the harder it'll be to get it completely out.'
According to Pleshek, urine contains a lot of salt. It will require more heavy-duty cleaning agents to adequately get it out. The solution of choice: enzyme cleaners, like Nature's Miracle ($13). 'Enzymes are your best approach right away, because those can attack the urine stain instantly,' says Pleshek.
Extracting via a Shop-Vac or portable carpet cleaner is also a great first step. 'Suck as much of that out as possible so that it can't go deeper. Enzymes help with odor.' When it comes to using enzymes, Pleshek cautions, 'You have to make sure to let them sit for as long as they say on the label. Enzymes need time to work. The label's the law, so do your best to follow it and that'll help things clean up better.'
Now, let's say that you don't have an enzyme cleaner handy. For fresh urine, using a clean towel or paper towels, blot at the stain to pick up as much moisture as you can. Grab a spray bottle (Pleshek says in a pinch, you can just grab a spray nozzle off a bottle you have and stick it on the bottle you're using) and put together a cup of white vinegar, two cups of cold water, and a few drops of either dish soap or laundry detergent. Mix well, and then spray down the affected area. After 10 to 15 minutes, grab a fresh towel or paper towels to blot up the solution. Then sprinkle baking soda over the stain like there's no tomorrow. Once the spot is fully covered, leave it alone for eight to 10 hours—again, use your judgement based on how bad the stain is. Once Mount Baking Soda has dried up, and enough time has passed, you can vacuum it all up using a hose attachment.
One note: Be wary of over-saturating your mattress. Leaving liquid behind can cause mold and mildew within your mattress.
'Anytime you're getting your mattress wet: vacuum, vacuum, and then when you think you're done at vacuuming and extracting that out with a little spotter machine, do it two more times,' Pleshek says. 'Always put a fan on it and get good airflow through the room.' Scenario 2: Your Period Arrived Early
Looks like you have a crime scene on your hands: the crime being the mattress mess. Blood stains are a pain when it comes to removing them from any fabric, and mattresses are not exempt. Periods aren't the only situations where blood could mysteriously appear; healing cuts, scabs, and nosebleeds are also common. The miracle cleanup go-to for bloody situations, according to Pleshek, is hydrogen peroxide.
Pleshek's cleanup process is this: 'Grab a brown bottle, get a basic spray bottle, and mist the area where the blood is. Let it sit.' It'll have a small reaction akin to a middle school science experiment, but that's good. Leave it alone for a good 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and severity of your stain. 'What's kind of cool and fun about cleaning up blood with hydrogen peroxide is that you will see it bubble and it vanishes really fast,' adds Pleshek. 'Follow up with a damp towel and blot a bit to remove the stain.' Scenario 3: 'Mom, I Threw Up' Courtesy of Nature's Miracle
Time is, once again, of the essence here. 'Vomit is extremely acidic,' says Pleshek. Depending on what was eaten, whether that be food or medication, it can make bile even more acidic than is typical. You need to act quickly to address the stain—and the smell. If any vomit made its way onto the mattress itself, remove any residual solids off the surface—you may want to wear gloves for this one.
Enzyme cleaner is once again going to be your go-to. However, removing the excess vomit is a crucial step—you can't just spray it on top of the mess as is and hope for the best. According to Pleshek, the enzyme cleaner isn't going to be able to efficiently do its thing if all the excess hasn't been adequately removed first. Scenario 4: Food Stains
I don't think you're going to be spilling chili all over your bed like Kevin in that scene from The Office , but I won't discount any possibilities. First, Pleshek says to grab a spray bottle, a tablespoon of dish soap, and warm water. From there, 'lightly agitate it with a toothbrush or soft material to suspend the soil.' Follow with a spotter machine.
If something has the tenacity to stick around even after that, time to bring back our friend hydrogen peroxide. 'Mist [the stain] with hydrogen peroxide, and let it sit. The hydrogen peroxide should be able to pull out the color,' Pleshek says. He suggests doing this as a multistep process, because hydrogen peroxide and a degreaser don't work well simultaneously. While this two-prong approach may take more time and evaluation as you go, it's the recommended way to tackle the stain. Save the Day, Your Mattress, and Your Sanity
This is one of my nonnegotiables, and it's backed by Pleshek: Get a waterproof mattress protector or encasement. It may save you a lot of heartache from big messes. These cleanup tips hopefully prove to be helpful. But from experience, you may breathe one big sigh of relief when you just have to handle bedding and not the bed itself by using one of these as a fail-safe.