It is all the more complicated that a mattress is difficult to clean. Its size and weight prevent it from being easily handled and it is impossible to launder or wash it as is done with duvets and sheets.
Fortunately, there are many easy-to-implement and very effective tips for simply cleaning a mattress. Here are our 4 best tips to easily clean your mattress and thus extend its life.
ammonia
Ammonia has been known for centuries for its cleaning power. It is now sold in most supermarkets and DIY stores.
To clean your mattress, prepare a solution by mixing in two liters of water a cup of ammonia and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. During the preparation of the solution and its use, remember that ammonia is an irritant that can be dangerous. So protect your hands with thick rubber gloves, your eyes with goggles and your nose with a mask.
Mix well and rub the entire mattress with a soaked sponge of the solution and insist well on the stains. Then rinse using a thick cloth, a clean bath towel or a washcloth well soaked in tap water. Change the cloth each time it stains.
Finish the cleaning by drying your mattress. To do this, you can use a hair dryer and then expose the mattress to the sun for a whole day.
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda
Hydrogen peroxide or oxygen peroxide is a disinfectant and oxidant widely used in medicine, cosmetics and industry. It is also effective for household cleaning and can help save your best mattress making it like new.
Prepare a solution by mixing in a bottle one liter of 3% hydrogen peroxide with 8 tablespoons of baking soda. Mix vigorously and transfer to a spray bottle. Spray the solution all over the mattress, then sprinkle with baking soda. It must then be left to act for a whole day, preferably in the sun and in the open air.
The hydrogen peroxide evaporates on its own, leaving only baking soda crystals that you can suck up with a fairly powerful vacuum cleaner.
white vinegar
White vinegar is another widely used household product well known for its effectiveness against all types of stains. To clean your mattress, mix one liter of 8° white vinegar with 400 milliliters of lukewarm water and a few drops of dish soap.
Soak a sponge or thick towel in the solution, wring it out to remove excess liquid, and rub the mattress, paying particular attention to the stains.
Then rinse the mattress with another clean sponge or towel that you soak in clean water and wring out before using it. Once the mattress has been rinsed, let it dry for at least a day, preferably in the open air and exposed to the sun.
In this trick, you can replace the white vinegar with household alcohol, which is just as effective and just as easy to find in stores.
Steam cleaning
If you have a steam cleaner at home, you can use it to deep clean your mattress.
To do this, start by vacuuming all the dust from the mattress with a sufficiently powerful vacuum cleaner. Then place the mattress in a well-ventilated area and apply small amounts ofa mixture of water and turpentine. Then pass the steam cleaner, lingering sufficiently on each stain. Remember to protect your nose and mouth with a suitable mask throughout the operation to protect you from turpentine vapours.
Leave the mattress out in the air after cleaning, it usually takes 12 hours to dry in hot weather, longer if it’s cold and damp.