How to Clean a Mattress
Refresh, deodorize, and deep-clean your mattress using baking soda, targeted stain removal, and thorough vacuuming to eliminate allergens and stubborn odors.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Vacuum cleaner with clean upholstery attachment and crevice tool
- ✓ Fine-mesh sifter or shaker jar
- ✓ Microfiber cloths (3-4 clean cloths)
- ✓ Small mixing bowl
- ✓ Soft-bristle scrub brush
- ✓ Spray bottle
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Baking soda (1-2 cups)
- ✓ Lavender or tea tree essential oil (10-15 drops, optional)
- ✓ 3% Hydrogen peroxide (1/2 cup)
- ✓ Liquid dish soap (1 teaspoon)
- ✓ Cold water
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Never saturate mattress foam or padding with liquid; excess moisture trapped inside causes mold and mildew.
- • Patch-test hydrogen peroxide mixtures on an inconspicuous bottom seam to ensure fabric dyes do not bleach.
- • Ensure the bedroom is well-ventilated with open windows or a running ceiling fan during treatment and drying.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Strip and Launder All Bedding
Remove all sheets, pillowcases, mattress protectors, and duvet covers from the bed. Wash all bedding in the hottest water setting permitted by the care labels to eliminate dust mites and body oils. Set pillows aside in a well-ventilated spot to air out while you clean the mattress surface.
- • Mattress is completely bare down to its fabric ticking
- • Bedding is running in the wash cycle
- • Leaving the mattress pad on during the deep clean
- • Washing delicate linens on high heat without checking care labels
Initial Vacuuming of Surface and Crevices
Attach a clean, sanitized upholstery brush to your vacuum cleaner. Work across the mattress top in overlapping strokes to pull up dead skin cells, hair, and dust. Switch to the crevice tool to thoroughly vacuum the piping, tufts, seams, and mattress edges where debris settles.
- • No visible hair, lint, or loose debris in seams or quilting depressions
- • Piping grooves are clear of dust accumulation
- • Using a dirty vacuum head that transfers floor grime onto the clean mattress fabric
- • Rushing over tufts and seams where dust mites concentrate
Spot-Treat Surface Stains
Mix 1/2 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap, and 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a small bowl or spray bottle. Lightly dab or mist the solution directly onto yellowing, sweat, or biological stains. Gently work the mixture in with a soft-bristle brush or microfiber cloth, then immediately blot dry with a clean, damp towel using only cold water.
- • Stained areas show noticeable lifting of discoloration
- • Fabric is barely damp to the touch, not soaked through
- • Pouring liquid directly onto the mattress, which saturates inner foam layers
- • Rubbing aggressively, which pushes stains deeper into the fibers and causes fabric pilling
Apply Sifted Baking Soda Deodorizer
Combine 1 to 2 cups of baking soda with 10-15 drops of essential oil in a bowl, whisking thoroughly to break up any oil clumps. Pour the mixture into a fine-mesh sifter or shaker jar. Dust an even, uniform layer of the scented powder across the entire top surface of the mattress.
- • Mattress surface is uniformly covered in a fine white powder
- • No large clumps of baking soda remain concentrated in single spots
- • Dumping baking soda directly from the box, causing uneven clumping that is hard to vacuum
- • Adding too much essential oil, which can leave oily residues on fabrics
Allow Deodorizer to Dwell and Vacuum Clean
Leave the baking soda on the mattress for at least 1 to 2 hours (longer if possible) to absorb moisture and neutralize odors. Open bedroom windows or turn on a fan to maximize airflow and speed up stain drying. Once the dwell time is complete, thoroughly vacuum the entire mattress with the upholstery attachment until all powder is removed.
- • No white residue transfers to a clean hand rubbed across the mattress
- • Mattress fabric smells fresh and neutral
- • Vacuuming too quickly before the baking soda has had time to absorb odors and oils
- • Skipping the second seam vacuuming, leaving baking soda trapped in crevices
Rotate Mattress and Reapply Protection
Rotate the mattress 180 degrees (head to foot) to ensure even wear and prevent premature sagging. Check that the fabric is 100% dry to the touch before covering. Install a breathable, waterproof mattress protector to shield the clean mattress from future sweat, spills, and dust mites before remaking the bed.
- • Mattress is rotated 180 degrees from its original position
- • Fitted waterproof protector is securely installed over the dry mattress
- • Putting linens back on while the mattress is slightly damp, promoting internal mold growth
- • Skipping the mattress protector, leaving the freshly cleaned fabric vulnerable to new stains
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Clean My Space — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Fine-mesh sifter? Clean spice shaker jar or a mason jar with holes punched in the lid
- No 3% Hydrogen peroxide? Distilled white vinegar diluted 1:1 with water
- No Upholstery attachment? Clean stiff-bristled utility brush to loosen debris, followed by standard vacuum hose