How to clean a dirty or worse moldy mattress? Having a nice, comfortable, clean mattress is important. Nobody wants a dirty mattress, with stains or worse, mold!
I therefore offer you some good tips and tricks for cleaning and disinfecting a dirty mattress. Happy cleaning!
1. Quickly clean a liquid stain on a mattress
If the stain is of food origin and liquid, the very first thing to do is to absorb as much liquid as possible using a paper towel, and this, as quickly as possible!
Absorb as much liquid as possible!
There’s no point rubbing a wine, juice or coffee stain if you don’t take the time to remove and absorb as much of the liquid as possible from the fabric first.
Sprinkle the stain of liquid on the mattress with the earth of sommières!
- Once the bulk of the liquid has been absorbed with the paper towel, generously sprinkle Terre de Sommières on the liquid or greasy stain and leave to act for a few hours.
- Once the powder is completely dry, rub with a dry cloth or a brush to clean the remaining stain from the mattress.
- Finish by vacuuming the mattress to remove all powder and stain.
Terre de sommières is particularly effective in removing greasy stains such as make-up, oil or butter stains.
2. Dust your mattress before cleaning it
Before starting to clean or disinfect your mattress, all solid debris must be removed: dust, hair, dead skin, etc.
If you can carry your mattress outside, do so. This is the best place to perform this task to prevent debris from falling onto your mattress. Once outside, beat your mattress with a mattress beater or any other object resembling a racket.
If you have to clean a mattress inside the house, use a vacuum cleaner instead so as not to spread the dirt all over the bedroom. Thoroughly vacuum all surfaces, top and bottom, paying particular attention to the seams of the mattress.
3. Clean a mattress with 70° alcohol
How about a simple recipe to clean a dirty mattress? Indeed, I offer you below a simple recipe to clean different stubborn stains on a mattress.
- Simply mix a little water and 70° alcohol.
- Soak a cloth in this solution and rub the stains.
- Rinse quickly and then dry the mattress to finish.
This trick is particularly effective for removing liquid and food stains (coffee, juice, wine, etc.) on a white mattress.
4. Hydrogen peroxide and a cigarette burn on a mattress
Before moving on to the trick, it is important to warn you that you MUST NEVER SMOKE cigarettes in bed. It is extremely dangerous!
Whether it’s your fault or not, a cigarette stain on a mattress is nothing pleasant! Here is how to remove it or at least fade it:
- Take some hydrogen peroxide and rub the burn with a dry cloth.
- Then rinse with a little water mixed with bleach and rinse once more with clear water.
Of course there may still be a small burn mark but the black or yellowish cigarette stain will have disappeared.
No matter what trick you use to clean a mattress, I recommend using a hair dryer on cold air to dry the fabric thoroughly.
5. Clean a urine stain on a mattress
Sometimes children escape at night and urinate in bed. Here is a little trick that will help you get rid of those urine stains on your mattress more easily.
- If possible, clean the stain immediately with a little lukewarm water.
- Then you have the choice of taking a little dish soap, ammonia (28%) or hydrogen peroxide.
- Rub the stain with the chosen product, rinse and dry your mattress.
Oh yes, finish your cleaning operation by sending the bed sheets in the washing machine to be sure to eliminate the smell of urine.
6. Get rid of a damp stain on a mattress
Whether it is a stain of liquid or humidity, you must act quickly and clean thoroughly to avoid the appearance of mold on the mattress.
Here is a trick to remove a damp stain on a mattress:
- Mix white soap, starch, table salt and lemon juice.
- Then rub the damp spots with this mixture.
- Leave on for a few minutes and rinse with a clean, damp cloth.
- Allow the mattress to dry thoroughly before replacing the mattress cover.
This stuff is ideal for yellowish and moldy stains caused by humidity on a mattress, but also on bed sheets and pillowcases.
7. Remove mildew from a mattress with ammonia
Over time, it is possible to see mold stains appear on a mattress. Unfortunately, a moldy stain on a mattress does not bode well for the future.
So if you notice many moldy spots on all the surfaces of the mattress, unfortunately, it is better to change the mattress to avoid health problems.
To clean a small mold stain on a mattress:
- Mix ammonia with a little cold water.
- Soak a rag in the solution and vigorously rub the mold stain.
- Rinse with clear water and dry the mattress well to avoid further damp and moldy stains.
8. Alcohol vinegar and blood stain on mattress
Seeing your mattress stained with bloodstains is not fun because a bloodstain is VERY hard to get out.
To successfully remove them, here is a trick that can be effective:
- Soak a cloth with alcohol vinegar and vigorously rub the blood stain.
- Rinse with cold water and dry the surface of the mattress well.
If you don’t have alcohol vinegar, you can also use ammonia or even add baking soda for even more effectiveness against blood stains on mattresses.
9. Clean a makeup stain on a mattress
Did you just notice a makeup stain on your mattress? A stain of lipstick, mascara, foundation, whatever type of makeup it is possible to detach your mattress.
Here is how to clean your mattress but also your sheets and pillows:
- Soak a cloth in 90 degree alcohol and rub the dry makeup stain.
- Take a new damp cloth and rinse the surface of the mattress.
- Repeat as needed and dry the mattress with a hair dryer.
Still to clean a makeup stain on a mattress, you can also use a mixture of water and alcohol vinegar.
A powder laundry detergent to wash the mattress
10. Powdered laundry detergent
Whether it is to remove brownish or yellowish stains or even moldy stains, washing powder is an excellent solution on a white mattress.
Here’s how to use this washing powder:
- Spray a little cold water on the stain (to thoroughly soak the stain to be cleaned).
- Then sprinkle some powdered laundry detergent on the stain and spray water again.
- Leave to act for about thirty minutes, spraying water on 2 or 3 occasions during the waiting period.
- Rub the stain with a damp cloth and add washing powder if necessary.
- Rinse with a new damp cloth and dry well before putting the fitted sheet back on the mattress.
11. Disinfect a mattress with white vinegar
Now that you know how to clean all possible stains on a mattress, here are some tips for properly disinfecting it. We start with white vinegar!
Pure white vinegar is effective in disinfecting a mattress, even more so if combined with baking soda which will freshen your mattress at the same time. Here’s how to do this trick:
- Combine in a bowl 1 liter of white vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda.
- Let it foam, then using a sponge, rub well all the surface of your mattress.
- If possible, let the mattress dry in the sun, if not, open the windows and the fan wide.
12. The tea tree to disinfect a mattress
Tea tree essential oil is known for its disinfectant properties and it is also a very good mattress deodorizer. So why not use Tea Tree as a natural disinfectant for a mattress, among other things?
Once you’ve dusted your mattress and cleaned the stains, spray a mixture of:
- 2 cups cold water
- 3 tablespoons of baking soda.
- 10 drops of tea tree essential oil.
Spray all surfaces of the mattress and allow to dry thoroughly before replacing sheets and bed covers.
13. Clean and disinfect a mattress with steam
Steam is an excellent natural disinfectant and cleaner. You can get a steamer designed for deep cleaning various surfaces, including mattresses.
This steam method eliminates dust mites and bacteria that live on the surface of your mattress, as well as in the folds of its seams, without the use of chemicals.
For a really badly soiled mattress, it may be necessary to combine steam and cleaning products designed for mattresses or one of our tips to perfectly sanitize your mattress.
14. Disinfect a mattress and eliminate bedbugs
Is your mattress infested with fleas or bedbugs? Use borax to disinfect your mattress. In addition, borax is an excellent natural deodorant, ideal for urine odors. So in a bucket:
- Mix 2 cups hot water and ½ cup borax
- Protect your hands with gloves, and use a sponge to scrub all surfaces of your mattress.
- Rinse, and let dry in the sun if possible
It is important to protect your hands and eyes well and above all to rinse and dry the mattress well to complete the complete disinfection of the mattress.
If you are looking for tips and tricks to naturally disinfect a mattress then we have some ideas for you. Find below 3 tips for eliminating bad odors from a mattress.
Deodorizing a mattress with baking soda:
It’s no secret that baking soda is one of the best natural home and car odor removers. So why not use it as a mattress deodorizer?
In fact, the easiest way to deodorize a mattress is to sprinkle it generously with baking soda. Then, the bicarbonate is left to act for a few hours, a whole day if possible, before vacuuming.
Deodorizing a mattress with washing powder:
To remove bad odors from a mattress and make it smell clean and good, sprinkle it with washing powder. Leave on for a whole day, then vacuum.
Talc to deodorize a mattress:
Does your mattress smell bad? Sprinkle it with baking soda to which you have added a little talc. Rub with your hands to make the mixture penetrate well into the mattress, and leave to act for a whole day. Then vacuum thoroughly.