How To Deep Clean a Mattress

Abbie M
by Abbie M
7 Materials
$10
1 Day
Easy

When was the last time you cleaned your mattress?icon


My mattress was discolored from my dark sheets & a few spills so I decided it was time for a deep clean!

Begin by stripping your bed of all comforters, pillows, &sheets & throw them in the washing machine.

After that, vacuum the mattress, after I vacuumed I grabbed a scrub brush & went over the mattress one more time before proceeding to get into all of the grooves of the mattress - but this is an optional step.


Next, grab a box of baking soda & sprinkle it onto the mattress. Use a scrub brush to set in the baking soda & cover the whole mattress. You may use 1-2 boxes depending on how big your mattress is. Let the baking soda sit for at least 10 minutes. This will deodorize as well as soak up any oils that collect in the mattress over time.

After that, vacuum or use a scrub brush to remove the baking soda.


Grab a spray bottle & fill it with water. Add 1 tbsp of CLEAR dish soap. You will want to use clear instead of colored dish soap to ensure that you won't stain the mattress further. Shake the spray bottle to mix the mixture.

Next, spray an even coat of the mixture on the mattress. Check for dry spots to make sure it's all covered. You're wanting to make sure the mattress is covered as evenly as possible for an even deep clean & to avoid discoloration.

After that, fill a spray bottle with half water, half hydrogen peroxide. Then, spray an even coat of that on the mattress as well.

Following that, sprinkle some more baking soda on the mattress & rub it into the two mixtures lightly with a white towel.

Again, make sure the towel you use is white so that no color will bleed onto the mattress.

I then sprayed one more coat of the hydrogen peroxide mixture & one more sprinkle of baking soda to make sure it was all coated. But this is optional.



Let the mixture dry. This will take a few hours or overnight depending on how damp the mattress is.

After drying, vacuum or scrub brush the mattress until there's no more residue.


Flip the mattress & repeat if necessary.


This mixture did the trick for my mattress - but if you have any tricky spots you can mix 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide with 1 tbsp of dish soap & 1 tbsp of table salt. Spread on stain & let sit. Scrape off excess with WHITE rag dipped in hydrogen peroxide.


Finally, add your washed bedding back onto your bed! You can also add a mattress cover for extra protection.

I was amazed at how well these 4 simple ingredients cleaned my mattress! It looks good as new! icon icon


I hope this inspires you to give your mattress the deep clean it deserves!


Check out the video for the completely how-to's! icon icon

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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 16 questions
  • Tish Tish on Nov 24, 2019

    would this work for a 4” memory foam topper?

  • Donna Donna on Nov 25, 2019

    Will this work on a memory foam mattress

  • Lyn Lyn on Dec 07, 2019

    Does this work on memory foam? My m f mattress has a fabric cover that's stained. (I eat in bed while watching tv.) No way can I pick up the mattress to get the cover off.

Comments
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4 of 68 comments
  • Quinn Quinn on Nov 24, 2019

    Not a question, but it looks like a mattress pad wasn't being used, which would keep the sheet dye from rubbing off onto the mattress. After all the cleaning, one should really be used. Keeps a better layer between your sweat and the mattress, helping it to stay cleaner.

    • See 1 previous
    • Diane Diane on Jul 24, 2020

      But mattress pad do not keep odors out completely! I appreciate a way to clean the mattresses in my house! Yes its a lot of work, but worth it if it helps keep the mattresses longer!

  • KAREN KAREN on Jan 30, 2022

    A good mattress pad will eliminate this project entirely. There are even waterproof mattress pads. Throwing the mattress pad into a big front loader machine will clean up sweat/stains easily.

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