How to Clean a Mattress

When a mattress is used every night, stains are bound to happen. Fortunately, in most cases, it's fairly simple to clean a mattress. It's important to find out how to clean a mattress as soon as the stain occurs, though. Some stains, if left to set, can not only cause odors, but also give bacteria a place to grow. If your mattress could use a cleaning, follow these tips on how to clean a mattress and get your bed back in shape.

How to remove dust and dirt
It's next to impossible to prevent dust (and dust mites) from building up on a mattress. Fortunately, this kind of dirt is easy to get out. Just vacuum your mattress using your vacuum's upholstery attachment. The upholstery attachment is the one with the brush at the end.

How to remove mystery stains
There are a variety of techniques for how to clean a mattress that's been stained, but they all follow the same basic pattern: apply a cleaning product, let it soak into the stain, and remove the cleaner along with the stain.

Some effective products for cleaning a mattress are:

• Any upholstery shampoo
• Dawn or other mild dishwashing liquid
• A citrus-based cleaner like Citra Solv
• Nature's Miracle by Pets N People
• Pro-Klean products

If you're using an upholstery shampoo or specialized cleaner, follow the directions exactly. To use dishwashing liquid, dilute the soap in warm water and use a sponge to apply just the dry suds to the stain. Let the suds sit for about five minutes, then use a cloth to blot up the stain. Avoid scrubbing as it could just grind the stain into the fabric. To clean a mattress with cleaners that come in their own spray bottles, just spray the cleaner directly on the stain. Again, let it sit for a few minutes then blot it up.

When you apply the cleaner, try to keep the mattress as dry as possible. The goal is to clean off the surface without soaking the padding inside the mattress.