Cleaning a Mattress

Did you know that your unclean mattress could be causing serious health issues such as asthma, rhinitis or dermatitis? If it has been a while since you cleaned your mattress, you might start noticing what appears to be an increase in allergies. Those allergic reactions could be coming from dust mites that live on your mattress. Dust mites feed on the dead skin cells that we all leave behind each night.

Most mattresses actually receive very little attention or cleaning. We regularly put clean sheets on and forget about cleaning the mattress itself. Cleaning a mattress takes a little time but is well worth the added years you will get out of the use of the mattress.

Cleaning a mattress is a relatively easy job and can take as little as thirty minutes, plus the actual laundry time for the bedding. Strip the bedding off the mattress, even the protective mattress cover. If the mattress cover is made out of cloth, put it into the washer. (Make sure you read the tag on the mattress cover to see if there are any special cleaning instructions.) Add some bleach and laundry soap to the machine and wash in hot water. When finished, place the articles into the dryer.

If the weather is nice outside and you have help, now would be a good time to take the mattress outside and let it air out. If this isn't the right time to air out the mattress, just go on to the next step.

With nothing on the mattress take out your vacuum and put the hose on it. Vacuum the mattress and make sure you get into the little crevices and seams. If there are a few stains on the mattress, take time to try and remove them. Using a good disinfectant like Lysol, spray the mattress. This will help get rid of all those little dust mites.

Turn your mattress over and repeat the cleaning process. When you are finished vacuuming, keep this side up. Rotating the mattress every season prolongs the life of the mattress.

When the cleaning process is finished put the protective mattress cover back on. Not only does the cover protect the mattress, it also gives some protection from the dust mites. Place the clean bedding back onto the bed. Now you have a really clean bed from the mattress up.

It has been recommended to do this process at least two times a year, but four times a year (every season) would keep those dust mites away and reduce your chances of related allergies.