Did your friend spill coffee on your new mattress? Now, are you wondering how to clean gross stains off a mattress? Don’t worry because we’ve got you covered!
Mattress stains or spills are a nightmare nobody wants to live with! But, with the right action at the right time, you can revert your mattress to looking and smelling clean. This article will cover everything about removing stains off mattresses and cover topics like:
- General knowledge of mattress cleaning
- Things you need before cleaning a mattress
- How to remove fresh stains?
- How to remove stubborn stains?
- How to keep your mattress clean and fresh?
Cleaning gross stains off a mattress is easy if you quickly act and use the right items. Begin by dabbing the liquid dry as soon as you’ve spilled it on the mattress. You can then use other ingredients to wipe off the stains completely.
General knowledge of mattress cleaning
Mattress cleaning is essential since you spend 8-9 hours a day in bed. The mattress accumulates dust mites that feed on your dead skin cells, dirt, and other particulate matter. It is important to vacuum your mattress at least once in six months to avoid the collection of grime or to simply sleep clean and healthy.
However, before you start cleaning your mattress, you must take care of a few dos and don’ts. For example, using essential oils to clean your mattress is bad. Yes, essential oils smell good, but they are oils in the end and are likely to attract dust or other particulate matter. It may even leave a yellow stain over time.
Also, care must be taken to check out the kind of mattress before you start cleaning. Mattresses are made up of different layers of materials that differ among brands or manufacturers. The good idea is to check out the manufacturer’s instructions/ manual for cleaning before diving into your own thing.
For example, you must never pour water to clean a memory foam mattress. Likewise, you cannot use a steam cleaner to clean your mattress. The water would seep deep into the mattress and ruin your mattress.
Things you need before cleaning a mattress
As mentioned above, cleaning a mattress is easy because you simply need to use a few of your kitchen supplies. Here is a list of the things you’ll need to clean any stain on the mattress:
- A kitchen towel
- Baking soda
- Paper napkins
- White vinegar
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Empty spray bottle
- Vacuum
- Liquid dishwashing soap
- Powdered laundry detergent
- Water
- Hand gloves
How to remove fresh stains?
A wild party at home can easily gift you with alcohol stains on your bed. From cocktail spills and beer to wine, you can have them all! Also, let’s not forget the time you may have had too much and vomited on your mattress!
Let us look at some of the easiest and quickest ways to clean fresh stains off your mattress!
Omit the vomit
Cleaning vomit off a mattress can be disgusting, but things may get worse if you wait! The first step after spotting vomit is to open wide the windows and doors of the room and let the stench go away!
Secondly, take off the sheets or the mattress cover if you have one, and dump it directly into the washing machine.
Method 1:
- Vacuum the spilled area so that you suck out any liquid that has penetrated inside the mattress. Don’t rub the spill, as you risk spreading the vomit.
- Make a solution of 50/50 water and vinegar and use a spray bottle to spritz on the stained area; make sure you cover the full area. Let it sit for about 10-25 minutes.
- Use a paper towel to blot out the area and make sure the area is almost dry.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the area and let it sit for as long as possible. Keeping it overnight is also a good idea. But, if you can’t wait for that long, then 2-3 hours is fine too.
- Vacuum the area thoroughly and ensure it doesn’t have any odour or stains. If it does, then repeat the step until the time it’s all gone.
- Air-dry your mattress for some time.
Method 2:
- Make a solution of 2 tablespoons of powdered laundry detergent and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Apply the foam to the vomit stain. Let it sit for 10 minutes, and ensure the foam doesn’t dry out.
- Remove all the foam and spray hydrogen peroxide on the area; let it rest for a few minutes. Use a damp cloth to rub the stain and towel dry the area. Air dry the mattress.
A bloody affair
Tackling blood stains on the mattress needs perseverance. If you’ve noticed a dry blood stain or just stained your mattress with blood, don’t worry because we’ve got you covered.
A special ingredient needed for removing blood stains is a meat tenderizer! Yes, and that’s because blood contains proteins and fats, which need to be broken down if you want the blood to go away. Meat tenderizers have enzymes that break proteins!
Method 1:
- Make a paste of water, baking soda, white vinegar, meat tenderizer, salt, and hydrogen peroxide( add this more than the other ingredients). If it’s a dry blood stain, wet the area with water and apply the mixture on the stain using a soft brush. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Remove the mixture and blot out any liquid on the area using a paper towel. Air dry the mattress.
- If the stain persists, then repeat the step but increase the quantity of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar in the mixture. The light stains left behind can be dealt with by brushing the area using a soft brush and hydrogen peroxide.
Method 2:
- Make a solution of 50/50 cold water and white vinegar.
- Blot out any fresh blood from the mattress using a paper towel.
- Spray the solution on the stained area and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Blot dry the area and air dry the mattress.
Method 3:
- Make a paste of only 1 tablespoon of meat tenderizer and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Spread the paste on the stain and leave for at least 15 minutes.
- Use a soft brush to work on the stain and then blot dry.
Milk it out
If you have children at home, then let’s say there’s a 99% chance of your mattress getting milk stains or spills. Here’s how you can deal with it!
Method 1:
- For fresh milk spills, blot-dry the area using a paper towel.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the spilled area and let it sit for about 2-3 hours.
- Vacuum the baking soda and blot dry if the area still feels wet. Air dry the mattress.
Method 2:
- If you have dry milk stains, make a baking soda paste with water and apply the paste to the area.
- You can use a soft brush to brush the area if you think the stain is very old or looks stubborn.
- Let it sit overnight or for a few depending on how stubborn the stain looks.
- Vacuum the baking soda and air dry the mattress.
Stop pissing
Now, moving on to a very common problem that’s smelly and very much visible is a urine stain! Urine stains are a nightmare if you don’t handle them the right way! Here’s how you can fix them!
Method 1:
- Make a mixture of baking soda, a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap, and 3% hydrogen peroxide. Make sure that all the powder has dissolved in the mixture
- Spray the mixture on the urine stain and let it sit for an hour at least. Before doing this, make sure that you have dabbed all the fresh urine out using a paper towel.
- After an hour or so, sprinkle baking soda on the mattress and let it sit for at least 8 hours or even overnight if possible.
- Vacuum the area after and then air dry the mattress.
Method 2:
- Make a mixture of 50/50 water and white vinegar, and use a spray bottle to spritz on the area. Let it sit for 2 hours or more.
- Sprinkle baking soda and leave for at least 8 hours or more. Vacuum the baking soda water and air dry.
Method 3:
- Use this method if your urine stain is old and has left stained marks on the mattress.
- Make a solution of 3 tablespoons baking soda, 8 oz 3% hydrogen peroxide, and 2-3 drops of liquid dishwashing soap.
- Spray the solution all over the stain and wait for it to dry. You can even use a soft brush to brush the area if the stain seems very dark.
- Vacuum the area later, and air dry the mattress.
Sweat it out
Sweat stains can become tricky if you wait for too long. Hence, take care of it ASAP!
Just add baking soda, leave for 15 minutes and then vacuum the area.
If the above doesn’t work, then add hydrogen peroxide and liquid dishwashing soap mixture and spray on the area. Leave for a few minutes and then blot dry.
How to remove stubborn stains?
Stubborn stains are a pain to remove. They are called stubborn stains because they are way too old or whatever has spilled has a strong colour. Nevertheless, it is always best to try it rather than live with it.
For stubborn stains, follows these steps:
- Make a cleaning solution of powder detergent, hydrogen peroxide, liquid dishwashing soap, and warm water.
- Spray the solution on the area and let it sit for some time. Thereafter, use a brush to thoroughly scrub the mattress. You can add more solution if the mixture has dried out.
- Leave for some time and sprinkle baking soda; leave for 8 hours.
- Vacuum the area and air-dry the mattress.
How to keep your mattress clean and fresh?
Keeping your mattress clean and smelling fresh is easy if you are not a lazy person! Regular vacuuming of your mattress will help in reducing dirt accumulation and keep the dust mites away.
One of the easiest ways to keep your mattress clean is by sprinkling baking soda over it regularly. Baking soda is a gentle desiccant that absorbs any kind of built-up moisture inside your mattress. It helps in preventing any foul odour from coming out of your mattress.
Start by sprinkling baking soda all over the mattress and leave for a minimum of 8 hours. You can even cover the mattress with a sheet and leave it that way for a week. Vacuum all baking soda on the surface and air out the mattress for a few hours.
If you want to remove body oils from the mattress, then use a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch. Sprinkle the mixture and leave for 30 minutes at least. Thereafter, vacuum-dry the mattress.
One of the best ways to keep your mattress clean is by using a mattress protector. Mattress protectors help keep all kinds of spills and stains away from your mattress. It increases the lifespan of the mattress too!
Final Thoughts
A stained mattress is a pain since it emanates a foul odour after some time. To keep a mattress clean, you must vacuum the mattress regularly, and it’s best if you use a cover to protect it.
Most mattress stains can be taken care of if you follow the abovementioned methods. They are easy to follow and do not need complex ingredients to complete the process.
But the main factor is to act quickly. Don’t wait for the stain to dry out unless it is inevitable. When any kind of spill is taken care of at that moment, you have a higher chance of removing them!