Keeping your mattress clean is fundamental to promoting good sleep hygiene. Spot cleaning a mattress when required will greatly reduce the chances of any nasty critters growing in your bed. 

Spot cleaning a mattress is no rocket science, but there are a few tricks that can make the task easier. If you want to unlock our top secrets on how to spot treat your mattress then keep reading!

How to Spot Clean a Mattress - Our Top Tricks

Ready to learn how to spot clean a mattress? 

Here are our top five tips for when you need to spot clean a mattress: 

1. Don’t Get Memory Foam Wet! 

Memory foam is a dense material that absorbs moisture, so when cleaning a memory foam mattress, like the SleepSoul Space Mattress for example, it’s important to not get it too wet. 

To get stains out of a memory foam mattress, it’s best to use a mix of water and detergent and gently spray it over the stain. An alternative is to use a lightly dampened cloth to dab the stain. 

If you wish to know everything about cleaning a memory foam mattress, we have a whole guide just for you. 

2. Use Baking Soda and Cornstarch for Grease and Makeup Stains

If you’ve just spilled foundation or dropped a creasy chip on your Sleepeezee mattress - don’t panic! Greasy oil stains and makeup stand no chance against some baking soda and cornstarch. 

Run into the kitchen and mix equal parts starch with baking soda and sprinkle it all over the stain. The cornstarch will absorb any grease while the baking soda will neutralise any remaining smell. 

Let the mix sit on your mattress for eight to ten hours then simply clean it with your vacuum cleaner. If there are any stubborn stains remaining, spot treat it with some detergent. 

3. Pour Salt on Freshly Spilled Wine

Enjoying a glass of wine in bed and you accidentally spilled it? The best thing to do is pour salt over the fresh stain to soak up the spilled wine. If the wine is red you might need to further treat the stain with diluted hydrogen peroxide or detergent. 

Dabbing sparkling water on the stain is also an option, if you happen to have any in the house. 

4. Hydrogen Peroxide is Best for Getting Out Blood Stains

Blood stains are notoriously stubborn, especially if you let them dry. The best way to get blood out of your mattress is using 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. 

Spray the solution on the stain and dry it with a clean towel or cloth until the stain disappears. If you don’t have hydrogen peroxide, you could use lemon juice. 

When cleaning your mattress this way it’s important to refer to the manufacturer instructions as harsh chemicals aren’t suitable for certain mattresses and can damage their integrity. 

5. White Vinegar Gets Rid of Nasty Smells

From bedwetting accidents and other bodily fluids to mildew, white vinegar is the best solution for getting nasty smelling stains out of a mattress. 

Dilute your white vinegar with water to make a 50/50 concentrated solution then spray it over the stained area. Let it work its magic for five to ten minutes before lightly dabbing it with a cloth.

If you don’t like the idea of your mattress smelling of vinegar, you can put a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus oil in the solution. As an alternative you can also use baking soda to neutralise the smell of vinegar. 

Why Do You Have to Clean Your Mattress? 

Even if you change your bedding the recommended once every two weeks, you need to also keep your mattress clean to stop the growth of bacteria and mildew. 

Your mattress might not look particularly dirty, however, there are a lot of critters hiding under the surface. In fact, the average bed contains as much as 10,000 dust mites which can produce over 2 million droppings. Combined with all of the dead skin you shed while you sleep and bodily fluids absorbed by your mattress, it’s easy to see why you should be keeping your mattress clean. 

How Often Should You Clean a Mattress? 

There is no precise rule for how often your mattress should be cleaned. When we’re talking about spot cleaning a mattress, it should be done whenever you notice stains on your mattress. 

To increase the longevity of your mattress, it’s advisable to give it a deep clean every six months. Most mattresses will need to be flipped and rotated every three to six months, so you can easily add some extra time into your care routine for cleaning your mattress. 

Is it Time to Replace Your Old Mattress?

Even if you're doing everything recommended for maximising the lifespan of your mattress, there comes a time when you’ll inevitably need to replace it. When you’re not getting a comfortable rest and wake up with an achy back, it might be time to consider a new mattress. 

If you think your old mattress needs to be upgraded, then you’re at the right place. Here at My Next Mattress, we have a large selection of mattresses to suit all your needs. Place your order today and we’ll provide swift two-man delivery straight to your bedroom. We can even take your old mattress to save you a trip to the tip.