How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important

Keeping your mattress clean and fresh will not only help you rest better at night but also eliminate your exposure to harmful allergens.
By
Romeo Vitelli
Romeo Vitelli
Expert Writer
Received his doctorate in Psychology in 1987, spent fifteen years as a staff psychologist in Millbrook Correctional Centre. In 2003 went into full-time private practice. read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Medical Advisory Team
Medical Advisory Team
Includes well-known professionals, who together provide decades of sleep medicine experience that enables Talk About Sleep to fulfill its mission of creating access to high- read more
Last updated: August 22, 2023
TalkAboutSleep is reader-supported. We may earn a commission through products purchased using links on this page. Learn more about our process here

Keeping your mattress clean and fresh is not only hygienic, but it’s also a great way to ensure a good night’s sleep and prolong the life of the mattress. Although you may wash your bedding once a week, your mattress requires some additional maintenance to ensure it’s fresh and deodorized. This is not only a good practice to ensure your mattress will last for several years, but it is also essential for your overall health and well-being.

We all sweat and shed off dead skin cells while we sleep. That dirt, sweat, body oil, and cells become absorbed by our bedsheets and then sink down into our mattress. That provides the ideal environment for dust mites and other allergens Trusted Source Meet the critters inside your mattress - CNN.com It’s a wild, nasty world under the sheets. www.cnn.com that can be harmful to your health. Therefore, making sure your bed, especially your mattress, is as clean as possible is especially important.

All types of mattresses are available, from those made for side sleepers or stomach sleepers to memory foam mattresses. And since mattresses can be expensive, you must take good care of yours after you purchase one. That is why we put together this helpful guide on how to care for your mattress, make sure it smells clean and fresh and protect it so it will last for years to come.

Freshening and Deodorizing a Mattress: Step-by-step

Freshening and deodorizing your mattress can help keep dust mites and allergens away. Just be cautious if you plan to use any form of liquid cleaner on your mattress. That can leave moisture behind, which can promote allergen growth. Here are a few ways you can quickly freshen and deodorize your mattress.

Vacuuming

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
It’s a good idea also to vacuum the mattress at least once a month. Dust, dander, and dust mites build up in your mattress.

You can use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum to eliminate dust and germs that have accumulated on your mattress. Before you start to use your vacuum, you should wash your upholstery attachment using warm water. It will get rid of any dust and germs that are present on the attachment. You should vacuum your mattress surface, sides, and the areas beneath the seams. After that, prop up your mattress to vacuum the other side.

Deodorizing

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
Applying it to the surface of your mattress using a spray bottle and allowing it to air-dry fully help to get the smell out.

When you deodorize your mattress, you eliminate any odors left behind by allergens, germs, and bacteria. You can use a few items you already have in your pantry to deodorize your mattress. So, if you are ready to clean and protect your bed, here are some tips on how to deodorize your mattress.

Baking Soda

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
The baking soda will eliminate odors by drawing out dirt and moisture.

Here’s how to freshen a mattress with baking soda. Baking soda naturally neutralizes odors. You can use it on mattresses and pillows to eliminate foul smells. Sprinkle some baking soda over the surface of your mattress and allow it to rest for thirty minutes. The longer you allow the baking soda on the mattress, the better your results will be. You can leave it on your mattress for as long as 24 hours.

Water and Vinegar

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
Use a 50/50 mixture of cold water and distilled white vinegar not to spoil the surface.

If you are wondering how to freshen a musty mattress, vinegar is another product that neutralizes odors. You can mix it with water to create your own organic mattress deodorizer—Mix equal portions of water and distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle. Then lightly spray your mattress with the solution. Try not to make it too wet and allow the mattress to air dry completely. Then you should prop up your mattress and spray the other side. Allow the mattress to dry completely before laying it down and adding the bedding.

Cornstarch

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
Dust some cornstarch in and then brush it out, allowing this lightweight powder to lift away grease and dirt.

If you’ve wondered how to freshen up a smelly mattress, you should use cornstarch. Cornstarch is good for absorbing oil from our bodies which can cause your bed to have foul odors. You can mix cornstarch with baking soda and scatter it over your mattress. Allow this mixture to rest on the bed for a day and then vacuum it up before going to bed that night.

Oils

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
Lavender, chamomile, sandalwood, and ylang ylang are all soothing scents that would be wonderfully calming.

Essential oils are great for freshening up your mattress. You can mix 15 to 20 drops of your favorite essential oils with baking soda and sprinkle it on your mattress surface. If you are unsure about what oil to use, eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, and lemon oils are excellent options that provide a soothing effect.

Promoting Air Circulation

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
Mattresses should be able to breathe, through a slatted platform or a box spring.

A damp mattress is sure to invite harmful bacteria, mold, mildew, mold spores, dust mites, and more to accumulate on the surface. Even the slightest amount of body sweat can cause these issues to occur. You can help prevent a lot of problems with your mattress by promoting good air circulation. If you have a ceiling fan over your bed, you should keep it on for several hours after you wake up. Doing so will help eliminate traces of moisture from the surface of your mattress.

If you don’t have a ceiling fan, you can open your windows and allow the air and natural light to prolong the freshness of your mattress.

Drying Process

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
Use a dry, soft towel for a better result.

To dry a wet mattress, you should start by removing the bedding. You can use a wet-dry vacuum to suck up the water from the mattress. Soak up as much of the water as you can by using clean towels and pressing them firmly into the mattress. When doing this, you should work in sections and move from left to right, top to bottom, until you cannot pull any more water from it.

How to Remove Stains

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
To treat stains, mix 2 parts water with 1 part mild detergent in a spray bottle. Spray the stain, then use a cloth to gently scrub.

You can remove stubborn stains from your mattress using hydrogen peroxide and dish soap. Because drying out a mattress can cause stains to set in, it’s best to remove stains whenever the mattress is still damp. You can use an old toothbrush to scrub the stain using a mixture of one part dish soap and two parts hydrogen peroxide. Be sure to spread the mixture entirely over the stain and allow it to sit for at least five minutes.

Tips on How to Keep a Mattress Clean

There are a few things you can do to help protect your mattress and keep it clean. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.

Get a Mattress Protector

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
It increases the lifespan of your mattress. Toppers can take some pressure off your mattress, meaning that it won’t get worn down as quickly.

Investing in a good-quality mattress protector or a mattress topper will provide your mattress with a barrier of protection from oil, sweat, stains, dust mites, and allergens. They are easy to use and offer a great way to prolong the life of your mattress.

Rotate Your Mattress Regularly

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
Rotating helps to spread out the wear-and-tear that comes with sleeping in the same position on your mattress every night.

Rotating your mattress regularly will help to keep the fillings inside distributed evenly. It allows you to provide better support and consistent comfort while reducing the risk of dips or sagging in the mattress.

When you rotate your mattress, you are ensuring that you use each side equally. It is an excellent way to improve the lifespan and is a general part of your mattress care. To keep your mattress in the best possible condition, you should rotate it once every three months. To do this, you should move your mattress from the head of your bed to the foot, from top to bottom.

Change Your Bedding Every Week

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
Failure to change bed sheets even once a month can cause asthma, eczema and rhinitis.

Changing your bedding every week can be very beneficial. Every week we spend between 49 to 60 hours sleeping, and that is a lot of time for dirt, sweat, and oil to build upon our bedsheets. Proper hygiene is essential in all areas of our life, including our bedding. Without regular cleaning, unwashed sheets can lead to skin breakouts, asthma, and allergies. To improve your health and your sleep quality, it’s best to keep your bedding clean.

Consider the Health of Your Mattress

Mattresses are not cheap Trusted Source Mattresses are expensive. Here’s how to protect your investment. - The Washington Post Cover it, rotate it and replace it when you can’t sleep well anymore. www.washingtonpost.com , and therefore the overall health of your mattress is essential. If you want your mattress to last as long as possible, you need to consider keeping up its health. From cleaning to prevention, taking the time to care for your mattress and perform a little maintenance can help you prolong its lifespan.

You can do a few things to improve your mattress’s health: ensure it is adequately supported, use a mattress protector, wash your bedding regularly, and rotate your mattress often.

When buying a new mattress, you may not always need to purchase the matching box spring or foundation, but you still need to ensure it is appropriately supported. All beds that use a frame should support the weight of the sleepers and the mattress itself. King and Queen mattresses should have central support bars, while platform beds with wide slats may also need extra support depending on the weight of the mattress.

While we have already discussed the benefits of washing your bedding regularly, buying a mattress protector, and turning your mattress often, there are a few more things you can do to protect your mattress.

If you have pets indoors, you should consider getting them their own beds to sleep in. Even a well-groomed pet will shed hair and cells the same as people. And all that will remain in your bed. Pets can also have accidents occasionally, which can ruin a good mattress.

You shouldn’t allow any jumping on your bed if you want to prolong the life of your mattress. That can damage the foundation, frame, and even the foam inside.

Refresh a Room

How to Freshen a Mattress and Why It Is Important
Changing up your space’s layout can have positive impacts on your overall health.

There are several things you can do to refresh your bedroom. You can start by making sure you put away all your clothes and laundry. Ensure all dirty clothes are in the hamper instead of the floor, and all clean clothes are put away in the closet or drawers. Refreshing your entire bedroom can help to keep your mattress clean as well.

Adding some houseplants or flowers to your bedroom can add a burst of color and life to the room and increase the level of oxygen. If your bedroom gets enough light during the day, you should consider keeping a houseplant in there all the time.

Changing up your lighting is another way to refresh your room. You may want to switch from lamps to overhead lights. Or install more oversized windows to allow more natural light inside.

Keeping an excellent quality linen spray on hand or adding a scented candle or two to your bedroom will make the room seem calmer and more tranquil.

Final Thoughts

You should always follow your mattress manufacturer’s cleaning directions for stain removal and general cleaning. However, most mattresses can be cleaned using our recommendations, such as using a vacuum’s upholstery attachment to clean away dirt and a natural vinegar and water mixture to remove stains.

Mattresses can be very costly, and if you want to protect your investment, it’s essential to keep your mattress clean and protected as much as possible. Not only will it help your budget, but it will also benefit your health and enhance your quality of life.

References

1.
Meet the critters inside your mattress - CNN.com
It’s a wild, nasty world under the sheets.
2.
Mattresses are expensive. Here’s how to protect your investment. - The Washington Post
Cover it, rotate it and replace it when you can’t sleep well anymore.
Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

X