How to clean and deodorize a sleeping mattress?

Though we spend almost one-third of our lives lying on the mattress, we never think about cleaning or deodorizing it. The problem is once you remove the sheets, the bare mattress is exposed and it does not have a zipper so that you can remove it and put into the washing machine. What we do is just turn a blind eye to whatever nastiness is there on the mattress.

There can be variety of things spoiling the mattresses like stains, dirt, spills, dust, dust mites and worse- so it is very important to maintain a clean mattress for the very reason that our half naked bodies are exposed to it. It is only a thin layer of sheet which is separating our bodies from the mattress.

So, now figuring out the ways of mattress cleaning, first and foremost is to use the cleaning products like using a vacuum to clean the mattresses. This is important as it removes dust, dead skin cells, and other debris which is accumulated on the mattress over time. One should vacuum the mattress while rotating it season wise. It is to be taken into consideration here to use a clean upholstery attachment as they are made for the surfaces that touch your skin. It also has the advantage of removing dust mites and their refuse.

You can add four stars to your vacuuming by taking on another step and that is deodorizing. After a while with all the dust, sweat and other fun stuff, the mattress starts developing its own unique aroma. To combat this, simply put baking soda over your mattress, leaving for thirty minutes and subsequently vacuuming it along with the upholstery attachment. Baking soda is considered as a natural deodorizer and so it will help neutralize any odours. You can also put essential oil to the baking soda to get the nice odour which you can enjoy for several nights.

Now there are various kinds of stains like blood stains, sweat, vomit, cigarette stains, urine etc. on the mattress which one always wonders as how to clean stains from the mattresses. It is the best thing to avoid the setting in the stain as soon as it occurs. Liquid stains need to be blotted up first with a cool, wet cloth and followed by the use of dry cloth to quench excess moisture. It is advisable to use a pressing motion rather than circular motion to lift the stain. Also it is to be noted that heat sets the protein stains, so it is better to use cold water instead while handling such stains.

Few cleaning tips for fresh protein stains are: protein stains can be removed by using a mixture of salt, baking soda and water. Other way is using two parts hydrogen peroxide to one part dish soap. Some people also use enzyme cleaners to remove protein stains. These are also highly effective but care should be taken to use as little liquid as possible. Also the mattress should be dried completely before using it again to avoid growing your very own mold spores.