How to Clean a Used Mattress?

Published by Phyllis Smith on February 8, 2021February 8, 2021

Mattresses are the first things that accumulate dirt on them. Dirt gets accumulated very easily on the matters. Even if no one uses a mattress, it still attracts dirt very quickly. Therefore, you should always keep your mattress clean and once a while deep clean it so that there is no dust particle left on it.

A used mattress may be cost-efficient and saves a lot of your money, but if it is not cleaned properly then it may harm your health and you will have to spend extra on your health.

If you are a hygiene freak and always want to keep your things clean or even if not, you should still deep clean your mattress once every 6 months or so. Doing so will result in a healthier respiratory system of yours and your family’s. Despite having enough bedding, bedsheets, quilts, and even after spraying sanitizers there is enough dust, sweat, and dirt that effortlessly seeps into the bedding which is very bad for your health. These tiny dirt particles can even cross through your mattress topper and make home deep inside the mattress which requires timely cleaning. Let’s look at how to clean a used mattress easily at home for better health.

How to clean a used mattress for bed bugs?

Bedbugs are a real pain. These small and tiny looking insects are a real pain to life. They feed on the blood of animals and humans. These bugs cannot fly and lay in the same place. They however can still crawl on plane surfaces.

A single female bedbug lays around 100 eggs at a time and can fill your bed with all of its offspring. Therefore, you must get rid of bedbugs if any from your best bed as soon as possible.

Here is How To Clean A Used Mattress for bed bugs

1. Bedbugs can live without food for almost a year so make sure you completely keep aside your mattress or you might give them food for another year or so.
2. Vacuum your mattress properly and throw the dust in a sealed plastic bag only.
3. Dry heat or launder your mattress properly to kill away any left particles.
4. Never apply pesticides on your mattress. Applying pesticides on the mattress may kill the bedbugs for once but the residues will last on the mattress and that will do more harm to you when you sleep on it.

How to clean a used mattress with vinegar?

Vinegar is a natural cleaning ingredient. It is a very safe and effective way of cleaning your mattress. A lot of people worry when they hear about cleaning their mattresses with vinegar. People worry about how to clean a used mattress with vinegar, but it is not as dangerous as it sounds.

Add very little vinegar to baking soda and apply it anywhere on the stained area on your mattress and within minutes you will find the stain to have vanished. Vacuum the leftover properly and your mattress will be brand new once again.

The reason why vinegar and baking soda are considered to clean mattresses is that they are both natural cleaning ingredients and provide the best results most organically.

How to deep clean a used mattress at home?

A used mattress may help you cut costs but if not clean it will do much more damage than good. A mattress has a very important role in how your morning goes by. If you do not have a good night’s sleep then you will be cranky all day. Having an itchy, smelly bed can cause a lack of sleep and in the long run, it can even cause a lot of health benefits.

Simple ways to deep clean your mattress are by using a nice high powered vacuum cleaner. It will suck in all the dirt and unnecessary particles from your mattress and will provide you the best sleep. A vacuum cleaner will extensively clean your mattress. It will remove all the dust particles from deep within.

How to clean a used baby mattress?

Though cleaning a baby mattress is much easier than cleaning an elder’s mattress, however, cleaning a child’s mattress is much more delicate and needs more attention than cleaning an adult mattress. When it comes to kids, you need to maintain a lot more precaution and make sure you have cleaned the mattress properly.

Here is how to clean a used baby mattress properly and safely:

If you have a normal mattress you can clean it normally by just using a hose pope and then keep it outside to sunbathe for a few days so that any existing germ can be taken care of in the sunlight.

But if it is an innerspring mattress then you can vacuum it and then clean using a wet cloth in some warm water. And then leave it to dry out.

A few parents try to give their children the best within their range. For such parents what you can do is mix some baby-safe detergent with warm water. And sprinkle this on the infected area. Let the mattress dry under the sun for a few days and you are good to go.

How to clean a used crib mattress?

The easiest type to clean your crib by doing it naturally and using kitchen articles so that it is organic too.

To start with, you can sprinkle some baking soda on the crib walls and let it sit for 20-30 mins and then rinse it with warm water. If you are extra cautious and need a little extra precaution when it comes to keeping the crib clean, you can add a few tbsp of vinegar while washing the walls of the crib. This will keep your crib sanitized for a long time.

How to disinfect an old mattress?

If the mattress you have been using or the one that you have recently got is too old to use then the wisest thing to do is to not use them and buy a better one. However, if you still love to use them and want to continue using one, then here is a tip on how to clean and disinfect a used mattress.

Vinegar is the key. It is the special ingredient that is going to increase longevity for a long time. Add a few spoons of vinegar to warm water and dap on your mattress. Scrub it a little gently and to lock the dirt away, use a vacuum and suck as much extra waste as you can. Let the mattress have some natural light so that it can get rid of all the germs in the natural sunlight.

How to clean a used foam mattress?

Cleaning a foam mattress is very easy with the use of natural kitchen ingredients. You do not need to waste a lot of money in buying cleaning acids or unhealthy bleaching powders.

You can clean a used foam mattress with the help of vinegar, baking soda, and a bit of water. Mix vinegar and baking soda equally, now mix it with water. Pour it into a container and spray this solution onto your mattress. Let it sit there for a while and then vacuum clean it for the best results. A lot of people also have questions on how to clean a used memory foam mattress. And the answer to that is by the same method.

There are two ways to clean a memory foam mattress. You can either clean it the regular way by applying baking soda and vacuuming it or if you are too paranoid to not harm the mattress you can keep it in a nice ventilated area so that your mattress is clean and dry and then you can steam it. You can either hot steam it or dry steam your foam mattress depending on your choice.

Lastly to remove the odor you can use any bleaching components such as baking soda or vinegar and sprinkle the solution at necessary places on your mattress. Let it rest there for a few hours. Use a damp cloth and wipe off the solution from your mattress to get clean and a brand new used mattress within very little time and money as well.

How to clean old urine off the mattress?

The sinking feeling that kicks in knowing there has been an occurrence on the mattress is not good. And happening to sleep with it is more troublesome. If something like this happens, there is no need to panic. It is a very common occurrence and happens due to a lot of reasons.

Here is how to clean old urine off mattress easily and quickly

You can clean pee off your mattress without much to do. All you are going to need is some fresh towels, cold water, vinegar, baking soda, and a vacuum.

Do not try and scrub the liquid of the matter as it will result in the spread of it and not reducing it. In a spray bottle add vinegar, baking soda, regular detergent, and cold water. Mix it properly and spray it on the stained area. Let it sit for a few hours and then wipe it off with clean water. Dab the towel in cold water and dab it on the affected area. Lastly, run a vacuum cleaner through it to take away dirt that might have penetrated deep inside the mattress, and Voila! your mattress is going to be clean with no strains of pee whatsoever.

Why is a deep cleaning mattress important?

A good mattress helps a lot in keeping your mind cool and your body fresh. A good night’s sleep is very important for the next day’s schedule to go smoothly without any mental breakdown. Our body slows down all internal activity at night while we enjoy our slumber sleep. During this time inhaling proper and good air is very important otherwise it may lead to many illnesses and dysfunction of the body.

This is the reason why having a nice clean bed becomes very important.

Let us look at ways you can deep clean your mattress

1. Use a vacuum

One of the easiest and most efficient ways to remove dirt and dust particles from a mattress is by vacuuming the upper part. It will not remove the strains but will efficiently remove the majority of the dust particles from it.

Vacuuming your mattress will also suck away dandruff, food particles, and any other small minute particles that have been underlying on your mattress for a long time now.

When you vacuum your mattress, make sure you move the head in a circular motion. You will be able to collect more dirt and clean deeply in that way.

2. Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the best natural cleaning mediators. It is very helpful in removing stains from your mattress. Anything that you have spilled on your mattress, be it from coffee, juice, tea, to even some hard strains such as beetroot, baking soda can manage them all and make your mattress shine like brand new.

Let the vacuum be on your mattress for an hour or two and leave it unattended. It will do its work on its own. After a few hours vacuum it up and your bed is cleaning like never before.

3. Vinegar

Another natural cleaning agent is vinegar. Add a little vinegar to baking soda and sprinkle it on the areas where you have stained your mattress and you will see the miracle happen.

Let the paste sit on the mattress for a few hours before you vacuum it for fine results.

You should use these tricks at least once every 6 months so that your bed is clean and you do not have to face any bad odor or inhale hidden dust particles.

These few hacks are very useful on used mattresses. If you want to be double sure, you can use a vacuum first to remove the dirt particles and then use baking soda to remove the stains, and then for the final closing round use the vacuum over the mattress again and at the price of a used mattress enjoy the feeling of using a new mattress.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it OK to use a used mattress?

A lot of people choose to cut costs than spend a lot of money on many things. For such people, using a used mattress seems like the most feasible option but you should know that using a used mattress invites a lot of other problems too.

You can, however, use a used mattress if it is not too ruined and if it is in a good and manageable condition. Or else to save a few dollars you might end up spending more on your health.

2. What can I spray on my mattress to disinfect it?

If you want to disinfect that mattress of yours that you have been using and tend to use it in the future too, then do not spray any kind of pesticides. They will only harm your skin in the future and inhaling the scent of pesticides is not a good thing.

You can spray some natural bleaching ingredients like vinegar and baking soda. Mix baking soda and vinegar in cold water and spray it on the areas you wish to disinfect to get a cleaner mattress.

3. Why you should never buy a used mattress?

Used mattresses invite the risk of bedbugs and diseases. Bedbugs are the most common reason to worry while buying a used mattress. If a mattress has bedbugs then removing them is going to cost you a lot of time and patience. So, to avoid any new problem, it is better if you invest a little more and buy a new mattress.

4. How do hotels sanitize mattresses?

Quite usually hotel staff change the sheets and covers of the mattress and do not sanitize it. They do sanitize their mattress but not as often they should and not according to what they promise.

5. Can I spray bleach on my mattress?

You should not use bleach on your mattress. It will spread any stains on your mattress instead of reducing it. Bleach also tend to have a foul smell that will irritate you when you are about to sleep.