July 24, 2014

How to Clean and Care for Your Mattress

Mattresses and pillows require a little maintenance that you can easily do – just add it into your cleaning routine and your mattress will stay comfy and clean.

Rotate Your Mattress

Rotate your mattress every six months to keep the distribution of padding and foam consistent throughout the mattress. If you have a pillow top mattress you can only rotate your mattress 180 degrees. If you have a standard mattress, you can rotate as well as flip the mattress over.

Use a Mattress Pad

To cut down on the potential for stains, use a waterproof mattress pad and launder it regularly with your sheets. Look for a mattress pad that is waterproof and inhibits dust and dust mites on and in your mattress. Just this little add-on to your bedding repertoire will keep your mattress cleaner longer and make it much easier to maintain.

Vacuum Your Mattress

Remove dust and dust mites from the surface of the mattress when you rotate your mattress by vacuuming the top of your mattress. Make sure that the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner is clean and slowly vacuum all of the crevices and the surface to eliminate any dust mites and dust. Sounds gross but this is a necessary step in cleaning your mattress. If you use a waterproof, sealed mattress pad this is a quick and easy step.

Stain Removal

If you get a stain on your mattress you can carefully blot it up with a clean, dry towel and then use warm water and a little dish soap or laundry detergent to clean the surface stain. Be careful not to get the foam part of the mattress wet as this will not dry quickly. If your stain is large or stubborn you can use an upholstery cleaning attachment on a carpet cleaner to clean the area. Blot up any extra water with a clean towel and place a fan near the mattress to quickly dry it. If it’s convenient and the weather is nice you can also bring your mattress outside if possible to dry it as well.

Freshen Your Mattress

If your mattress needs a little freshening up you can sprinkle about a 1/4 cup of baking soda that has been mixed with 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oils (lavender is a great choice) all over the surface of your mattress. Let this sit for about 30 minutes and vacuum it up with a clean hose attachment or nozzle on your vacuum cleaner.

Knowing how to clean your mattress and protect it with some easy maintenance, this investment will last longer and you’ll sleep better too.

One of the most popular questions I receive is, “how do you wash bed pillows?” If you’ve ever asked this question or wondered if you can wash your bed pillows, this post is for you. Not only can you wash your bed pillows, it’s pretty simple! Two simple steps and a little time and you’ll be sleeping on clean, fresh pillows in no time! If you have feather or synthetic pillows, you can wash them. Foam pillows are the only kind of pillow that you don’t want to launder – feel free to try washing them in the washing machine but do not dry them – they’ll melt and disintegrate.

Now that you have a clean and fresh mattress you need to know how to wash your pillows!