If you are a mom, chances are you have a mattress in desperate need of cleaning. Bedwetting, spitting up, blowouts, stomach flu – the list of mattress offenders is endless when you have kids. What you probably don’t know is that there is a cleaning solution for those dirty mattresses that you can make with products you already have in your home. Moreover, it is non-toxic, and it works!
Remember when mattresses simply needed to be flipped over twice a year and that’s when you cleaned them? These days, many mattresses, including the pillow-top variety, can’t be turned because they have a proper top and bottom. However, cleaning your mattress two times a year remains a good rule of thumb. Still, check the mattress label because the manufacturer might recommend rotating the mattress head to foot to ensure even wear.
When was the last time you gave your mattress a good, deep clean? Cleaning a mattress is a very simple process requiring only a few supplies. Follow these step-by-step directions below to get started.
Materials
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda
- Dawn dish soap
- Spray bottle
- Lavender essential oil
Procedure
- First, make your cleaning solution. Mix two parts hydrogen peroxide to one part baking soda inside your spray bottle.
- Add a couple of drops of dish soap.
- Add five drops of lavender essential oil (not necessary for the cleaning part but makes the mattress smell nice, and lavender is a great natural sleep aid).
- Shake the bottle’s contents up and you’ve got your mattress cleaning solution.
- Vacuum the entire mattress surface with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Pay attention to seams and crevices.
- Spray stained areas until well saturated.
- Using a clean rag, rub the solution in.
- Let the mattress air dry for a couple of hours.
- If any dry solution remains on top of the mattress, vacuum it up.
- Deodorize the mattress by sprinkling baking soda over the entire surface and leave it on for 24 hours. This means you’ll be camping out in a different room for the night!
- After the baking soda has had a chance to tackle odors, go back over the mattress with your vacuum’s upholstery attachment.
- Purchase a fabric waterproof mattress cover and put it over the mattress under your regular bed sheet.
If your mattress is calling for some TLC, you can give it a deep clean any time of the day with this easy tutorial. However, before you start with the mattress cleaning, have something ready for the night because that mattress will be unusable for about 24 hours.
