Homemade Mattress Cleaners

The Mattress Warehouse stocks a wide variety of bedroom furniture, beds and mattresses for sale. We also know how to take care of these items. Find out how you can clean a mattress using some homemade recipes. 

Cleaning is a regular habit that takes place in most homes. However, some items tend to fall on the back burner when it comes to regular cleaning and disinfecting. In most cases, a mattress falls under one of these objects that are left behind in the cleaning department. You can have some of the best mattresses in South Africa in your home, but without proper clean and care, these sleepers will quickly make your rest times go sour.

Choosing the right cleaning agent for your mattress cleaning feat may turn out to be just as hard as keeping up the habit itself. Harsh chemicals used in cleaning products may aggravate allergies, cause skin discomfort and even compromise the lifespan of your mattress!

Therefore, The Mattress Warehouse sought out to find you the best DIY cleaning products that are safe for both you and your mattress. These DIY cleaning agents do not contain any common allergens and are safe to use on your mattress.

The best mattress cleaning tips you need to know about

When you tackle a mattress stain, it’s important to remember these three principles below. This will ensure an easier stain removal process and prevent you from making a disastrous mistake in attempting to clean the mess.

1. Act quickly

As soon as you notice a stain, be swift to get it cleaned up. The sooner blood, urine and vomit stains are treated, the better. Luckily, these stains are usually discovered when they’re still fresh; so, keep this in mind the next time you’re dealing with a mattress stain.

2. Blot, never wipe

Next, when dealing with a stain, only blot with a damp towel to slowly let the stain transfer from the mattress to the towel. While blotting, keep spraying the stain with a cleaning solution and/or water to aid in the process of stain transfer. If you wipe, you’ll risk increasing the size of the stain.

3. Avoid thick, concentrated cleaning agents

Lastly, avoid cleaning products that require a lot of water to get it out. Products like thick bleach, laundry detergent and glycerine are all great examples of what not to use on your mattress. However, some of these thicker cleaning agents can be diluted with water to be sprayed onto the mattress; but, more on that later.

4 mattress stain removal solutions: saving you money

Your mattress collects the worst of you and your surroundings. After a couple of years; oils, fluids, dead skin, dust mites and other critters may have found a home there if you’ve neglected to take proper cleaning care of your sleeper. Down below are our 4 DIY cleaning solutions to common mattress problems.

These DIY’s are simple, easy and cost-effective because when it comes to mattress stain removal you want to have the necessary ingredients on hand in your home. The only ingredient you may want to buy is some hydrogen peroxide. This substance is called for in almost every DIY cleaning recipe and serves as a great all-purpose cleaner all around the house.

1. Get rid of mattress odours

After a while, built up moisture, excess body oil and dead skin all accumulate in a mattress to create a rather unpleasant odour. This can happen due to improper mattress maintenance or going to bed dirty. Another reason for mattress odours may be due to a slight chemical smell coming from a new mattress. All these reasons for mattress odour can be solved by following these instructions:

Simple mattress odour remover

You’ll need:

• Baking soda (1 cup)
• Essential oil of your choice (lavender works great for a calming sleep environment)

Method:

1. Mix the baking soda and drops of essential oil together.
2. Sprinkle the baking soda mixture on your mattress (stripped of all bedding and sheets).
3. Let the baking soda mixture sit for a couple of hours on the bed.
4. Vacuum the baking soda off. Make sure to vacuum between the mattress and bed base as well as on the sides.

2. Urine and sweat

You’ll need:

• Hydrogen peroxide (1 cup)
• Dish soap (1ml)
• Baking soda
• Spray bottle
• Dry sponge
• Damp towel

Method:

1. Get rid of any excess moisture by blotting the stain with a dry towel until the mattress is almost dry.
2. Mix hydrogen peroxide and dish soap in a spray bottle. Be sure to wear gloves and old clothes when working with hydrogen peroxide, as this is a bleaching agent.
3. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda onto the stain. Make sure that the whole stain is covered.
4. Spray the hydrogen peroxide mixture onto the baking soda, making sure all the soda is moistened with the mixture.
5. Let the baking soda dry completely before gently scrubbing it off with a dry sponge.
6. Wipe any remaining baking soda off with a damp towel and let the mattress dry completely.
7. Follow with the deodorising method mentioned above.

3. Vomit

Probably the trickiest to remove of all, unfortunately, vomit sometimes ends up on a mattress. Depending on the degree of stain, you’ll be able to remove this unfortunate mishap.

Simple vomit stain remover

You’ll need:

• Damp towel(s)
• Dry towel(s)
• Spray bottle
• Water
• Vinegar

Method:

1. Start by wiping the vomit off the bed with damp towels.
2. Then, just as you would with urine and sweat stains, blot the stain with a dry towel until no moisture is transferred anymore.
3. Next, mix equal parts of water and vinegar in the spray bottle.
4. Spray the solution onto the stain, let it soak in and blot with a dry towel until no moisture is transferred onto the towel.
5. Repeat steps 4 & 5 quite a few times, until the colour from the stain and smell has subsided.
6. Let the mattress dry out in the sun.
7. Follow with the odour treatment mentioned earlier.

Unfortunately, even with the best cleaning and care, a mattress that has been vomited on may still have a foul smell for quite some time. If you find that your cleaning efforts were deemed useless by an unpleasant smell, it’s probably best to replace the mattress altogether.

Spending a third of your day on a foul-smelling sleeper may result in serious health and sleep problems. Besides, who doesn’t like an upgrade? For the best mattresses in South Africa, head on over to The Mattress Warehouse. We have the widest selection of mattresses and beds available for you to choose from! So, check-out our mattress for sale specials to get a good deal. 

4. Bloodstains

You’ll need:

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Spray bottle
• Damp towel

Method:

1. Strip the mattress completely of all sheets. Immediately spot-treat bedding and wash all sheets.
2. Be careful when using Hydrogen peroxide, as this is a weak bleach that may damage your clothes.
3. Spray hydrogen peroxide onto the stain and blot with a damp towel.
4. Repeat until the stain is no longer visible.

Get this – Some additional mattress care tips

In addition to treating stains and cleaning your mattress every few months, we’ve got some extra tips for you when it comes to keeping your mattress clean and fresh.

1. Expose your mattress to the sun

In addition to cleaning your mattress at least every 6 months, be sure to also sun your mattress half-yearly. UV rays from the sun have incredible antibacterial properties that’ll disinfect your mattress naturally and chemical-free.

Simply place your mattress out in the sun for 2-4 hours. Flip it halfway to ensure that both sides are properly exposed to sunlight. When you’re sunning your mattress, do keep a close eye on the weather. The last thing you need on your fresh and clean mattress is a soaking rainshower!

2. Do flip your mattress

To ensure that your mattress doesn’t sag over time, be sure to rotate and flip it as needed. If you’d like to know more about how to do this, then click here.

3. Buy a waterproof mattress protector

The Mattress Warehouse has a 100-day comfort trial period on all our mattresses. However, this trial period will only be deemed valid if you’ve purchased a waterproof mattress protector for your new bed. This barrier will ensure that no moisture, body fluids, drinks, dirt or other stain-causing elements come in contact with the pristine surface of the mattress.

You’ll be saving yourself the trouble of cleaning your mattress and any of the above-mentioned stains, as well as keeping your trial period valid!

4. Keep your bedding clean

To keep your mattress nice and fresh, your bedding has to be so too! Therefore, make sure to wash your sheets every 1-2 weeks to ensure a clean and fresh sleeping surface for you to enjoy night after night!

Mattress stain removal made easy

There you have it! That was four simple ways (and some extra tips) to remove common stains from your mattress with things you already have at home.

If you’ve tried the above methods and found your mattress to be in no better state, it may be best to consider a total replacement. But, fear not! The Mattress Warehouse has a wide range of the best mattresses for sale in South Africa for you to choose from. Moreover, if you want some more expert advice and tips, feel free to contact one of our friendly sales consultants and they’ll assist. Happy mattress cleaning!