It’s time you looked into cleaning and disinfecting your mattress. This is especially relevant now in current times where people are paying more attention to cleaning and sanitising their homes – and this should include the bed you lie in every night. This enables you to achieve good hygiene, remove contaminants in the process, and protect your health.

Dirty beds can make you sick instead – with dust mites, bacteria and other allergens that may put you at risk of breathing difficulties, chest tightness and other symptoms that will lead to restless nights.

Get started with these 4 ways on how you can clean and disinfect your mattress.

1. Clean bedding and sheets

Before you move on to the mattress, start with cleaning your bed linens. As they are the first contact point before touching the mattress, you should look to wash any bedding or sheets thoroughly using hot water and detergent weekly. This includes your pillows and mattress toppers if you have any. Once done, hang them out to dry under direct sunlight as the sun acts as a natural disinfectant to kill bacteria.

2. Vacuuming and spot cleaning

Use a regular vacuum cleaner for cleaning the mattress. Attach the upholstery tool to it and go over the surface of your mattress, including the sides. This way, you can remove out-of-reach dirt or dust that may have gathered in the sides or in tiny crevices of the bed.

It is in these crevices and seams where switching over to the crevice attachment for your vacuum can ensure you don’t miss out on any leftover dirt, dust, pet hair and more. Spot any stains on your mattress? Use a liquid cleaner that’s diluted with warm water. Dip a clean rag into the solution and wring it out – the aim is to get it barely damp. This ensures that you can avoid building moisture under the mattress. Memory foam mattresses, for example, do not usually soak up liquid. But if it gets too wet, moisture seeps down which can attract mould and dust mites to thrive and breed more rapidly.

3. Deodorize mattress

If it has been months since you last cleaned your mattress, chances are there is a bad smell wafting around your bed. Over time, the upholstered surface of your mattress soaks in odours and can emit an unpleasant smell. Deodorising and freshening your mattress can ensure its cleanliness and give you a good night’s sleep.

Combine equal amounts of distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Lightly spray on the mattress surface to dampen the upholstery and let it air dry. Then, use baking soda and sprinkle it all over your mattress before leaving it aside for several hours. The baking soda will absorb the remaining moisture or odour. To ensure the best results, you should let it sit overnight and vacuum it off the next day.

4. Disinfecting & sanitising the mattress

For the best comfort and sleep, there are two ways you can go about sanitising or disinfecting your mattress. One way is by using an antibacterial spray, which is great at killing germs and harmful bacteria. The spray is best used when it is sprayed lightly across the mattress surface. Dip a rag in warm water and wring it out to wipe down the sprayed surfaces. Allow time for the mattress to dry completely before using it for sleeping again.

Another way is through steam cleaning – run a garment steamer or any hand-held steam cleaner to remove dust mites and allergens on your mattress. Avoid using constant bursts of streams as this can lead the mattress to be saturated with moisture, causing mildew or mould. Steam cleaning is effective in sanitising your mattress and ensuring you can sleep well without allergens and dust that can result in itchy eyes and runny noses.

Conclusion

Maintaining good health, hygiene and sleep is essential. By cleaning and disinfecting your mattress regularly, you can ensure a more comfortable and safe rest every night. Removing bacteria, germs and dust mites will eliminate the risk health issues they might cause. Placing the mattress on a platform or frame with foundation, such as a storage bed, can also keep the germs and dirt from accumulating under the mattress surface.