We spend about seven to eight hours a day in bed, which is about a third of our lives. The sheets are quite thin, so the mattress cover inevitably comes into contact with the body – it absorbs sweat, cosmetics, if we are talking about a children’s model, then troubles of a delicate nature are possible. Some people like to eat in bed, so food or drink stains may appear on the cover.
In general, in the process of using any mattress, sooner or later stains will appear on it, which will become a hotbed of bacterial growth, will smell unpleasant and will have a bad effect on the quality of your night’s rest.
Give It To The Dry Cleaners?
Many people wonder – is it possible to wash an orthopedic mattress if it gets dirty? Manufacturers only allow cleaning of cases. And only in dry cleaning! If you wash it in an ordinary home machine, then it will “sit down” and will no longer fit back on the mattress.
In addition, there are other restrictions that will prevent you from washing the cover in a regular machine:
- Expensive models have quilted covers with a lot of filler under the fabric. Such a cover will not fit into the drum of the machine, no matter how much you want. Especially when it comes to a double model.
- Not every mattress can be removed from the cover. Some manufacturers limit themselves to a viewing zipper so that the buyer can see the fillers. An impressive number of models do not have a removable case even for an additional fee.
Dry cleaning remains the easiest and most effective method to clean a removable mattress cover. Among the disadvantages of this method are the high cost (especially if regular cleaning is needed) and the inability to clean the non-removable cover.
Despite the fact that manufacturers do not recommend washing mattress covers, you can locally clean small stains without removing the cover. You can effectively wash it without serious expenses at home.
How to Wash an Orthopedic Mattress at Home
Depending on the nature of the dirt that has appeared, it is recommended to use different cleaning methods. In some cases, improvised means or mild detergent or powder will do, and in some cases, you will have to use “heavy artillery” in the form of detergents for cleaning furniture.
The faster you remove fresh dirt, the better, because the old dirt stain will become a breeding ground for harmful microorganisms and smell bad. Below you will find out whether it is possible to wash the mattress with laundry soap, vinegar and other products.
What to Wash
- Steam cleaning: with a steam cleaner will help remove stubborn dirt even from hard-to-reach places. For example, seams. Fabrics do not tolerate steam cleaning, but if you follow some rules, you will remove dirt and keep the cover in its original form. Rules: use a steam cleaner with a special fabric nozzle, do not bring the nozzle too close to the surface of the case, do not pass over the same place more than four times.
- The vacuum cleaner: perfectly removes dust from the surface of the mattress, but for this it is better to use a separate nozzle. Such dry cleaning will not damage the mattress in any way, so the procedure can be made regular.
- A solution of citric acid and water: in a ratio of 1 to 20 will cope with fresh ink. It is necessary to apply it to the contaminated area with a napkin. But only detergents can cope with old stains.
- Ammonia: will help get rid of grease stains, cosmetics, drinks (effective against coffee stains), blood and urine. It is enough to make a solution of 0.5 liters of pure water and a teaspoon of ammonia to get an effective remedy.
- Salt: will help to cope with fresh red wine stains. It is necessary to cover the stain with salt, and then use detergents, for example, soap solution.
- Vinegar: is better for eliminating unpleasant odors. It is necessary to mix it in a ratio of 1 to 3 to water, pour it into a container with a spray bottle and spray it on the surface of the mattress. A spray bottle is needed in order not to wet the mattress too much. You can place napkins on the surface, they will absorb excess moisture. Vinegar is effective against traces of urine and drinks.
- Ordinary baking soda: is suitable for dry cleaning of the mattress. Soda will remove unpleasant odors, help get rid of humidity. You can use it as a first resort when you need to absorb excess moisture. And for cleaning, use something else from the list. It is enough to sprinkle it through a fine sieve on the contaminated area and leave it like this for several hours. Then carefully remove it. For example, with a vacuum cleaner.
- A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and soda: removes dirt well. Pour soda on the stain, mix peroxide and water in a ratio of 1 to 2 and shake the resulting solution. Apply it on top of baking soda. A chemical reaction will begin with the formation of foam. Effective against traces of blood, urine, drinks (juice, coffee, tea, etc.).
- A paste of potato starch, hydrogen peroxide and salt: effectively removes traces of blood. The paste must be made from 2 parts of starch and one part of peroxide and salt. The resulting composition is applied to the surface of the cover and left to dry completely.
- Ethyl alcohol: removes greasy stains and traces of cosmetics – lipstick, lip gloss. Apply it to a cotton pad and lightly rub the mattress.
- Detergents are effective against a wide range of contaminants. Use upholstered furniture cleaners, soap and water or liquid powder. It is better to make a weak solution and use not the product itself, but the foam from it. If the stain cannot be removed in this case, apply the product with a cotton pad directly to the surface of the cover. Give preference to environmentally friendly products that do not cause allergies.
- For light surface dirt, choose detergents in the form of cleansing foam or wet wipes.
Basic Washing Rules
There are a number of general rules that need to be taken into account when washing a mattress.
- The treatment of the stain should be started from the edges, moving towards the center, so that it does not increase in size.
- Mattresses do not like humidity. The less moisture is used in cleaning, the better. The covers absorb water well, it easily penetrates into the inner layers and causes the reproduction of bacteria and mites. After cleaning, let the mattress air properly (the longer, the better), do not lay linen on top of it. Collect excess moisture with wipes and sponges during and after cleaning.
- If possible, use only liquid powder. It dissolves better in water, so it is easier to mix it in the right proportion.
- Use only environmentally friendly cleaning products or improvised household chemicals, such as soda. Such products do not cause allergies. This is especially true for children’s mattresses.
- Cleaning agents can be applied using sponges, cotton pads, microfiber.
- Ventilate the room after cleaning. The smell of household chemicals should completely disappear from the bedroom.
- The cloth absorbs detergent well, it will not work to completely remove it by simply patting it with a napkin. Wait for it to dry and vacuum the mattress properly, it will help remove detergent residue.
- Mattress covers are usually made of jacquard or knitwear. Jacquard is more durable and dense, so more aggressive substances can be used to clean it. Knitwear is softer, you need to be careful with it and, if possible, do not use products containing aggressive chemicals.
