How to Buy the Best Mattress

The ultimate guide to the best mattress types and brands.

cleaning mattress

Disinfecting Mattresses

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CC Flickr photo courtesy of sarahbaker. Does your mattress need disinfecting like this one?

Is disinfecting mattresses even possible? Let’s see.

It’s important to keep your mattress clean. Just like you would not live with dirty sheets and comforters, you should not put up with an unsanitary mattress. Mattresses gather germs and foreign microorganisms quite rapidly, so it is recommended to give it a good cleaning at least once each month.

You might be thinking, “But, I don’t know how to clean a mattress!” Actually, keeping your mattress clean is quite simple, and there a number of natural methods that can be employed without having to use any strong chemicals that would force you to have to sleep on the sofa until the smell wears off.

Useful Mattress Disinfecting Tips

One of the first things you should do each month besides giving it a thorough vacuuming is to check your mattress for stains. Stains may be removed using a mixture of one part vinegar to one part water. Apply the solution to the stain, being careful not to soak the fabric (otherwise you could cause other problems, such as mildew). Let it sit for a few minutes, and then rub the area with a clean, damp cloth. If any part of the stain remains, repeat the process.

Secondly, utilize a dry steam cleaner to kill any germs, bacteria and dust mites that may be lurking in the fibers. If you’re thinking how to clean a mattress, steam cleaners are great tools, because they do not require the use of any chemicals or solvents, and are effective disinfectants. They also can be used in other locations around the house, so they are a great investment if you don’t already own one.

Don’t forget that there are also UV cleaners designed specifically for cleaning mattresses.

If you plan a thorough mattress cleaning but don’t have time to steam clean, you can use rubbing alcohol as a disinfectant as an alternative. Simply spritz the rubbing alcohol on the mattress and allow it to go to work. It dries quickly and helps to reduce any odors and bacteria.

Lastly, to keep your mattress smelling fresh, sprinkle some baking soda over it and rub it in. You may wish to vacuum off any extra residue as well. Baking soda has long been known as a natural freshener and is very useful if you have a bed-wetter in the house.

Additionally, if your household has been ransacked by cold or flu bugs, be sure to give your mattress a thorough cleaning at the same time that you clean your sheets and comforter. It’s better to “leave no stone unturned” rather than to risk reinfection.

A Clean Mattress is Important for Your Health

Keeping your mattress clean is quite simple and is certainly not time consuming. Just taking approximately 30 minutes once a month to remove stains, kill bacteria, and freshen the fibers is helpful to keep your mattress sanitary. Sure, there are professionals that offer mattress cleaning services, but why spend a lot of money when you can do it yourself with products that you already have around the house? Just a little vinegar, steam, rubbing alcohol and baking soda can make a big difference in the cleanliness of your sleeping environment, and you might even find yourself getting better rest at night as a result!

Advanced Planning Allows for a Truly Disinfected Mattress

There’s a brand of mattress cover called Crypton that is actually EPA registered as a fabric that can be completely disinfected. They make both mattress covers and pillow covers. The mattress covers are both spot cleanable and washable, and also have a proven allergen and moisture barrier. You can buy them in case quantities from the manufacturer, or you can buy them individually at Amazon. Crypton Aloba Full Mattress Pad. Or the Crypton Aloba King Pillow Cover.

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How to Fix Rips and Tears in Your Mattress

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It almost seems inevitable that anything that gets used eight hours a day, every day for decades, will develop rips, tears and other assorted signs of wear. Your mattress fits this bill exactly. Most people spend so much time on their mattresses and even spend quite a bit of money to have nice mattresses. But what many people lack is the foresight to properly protect their mattresses.

Protecting your mattress should be just like protecting any investment that you have. However, protecting a mattress from some of the normal wear and tear of day to day life might be a little easier than most other investments.

How to Prevent Rips and Tears on Your Mattress

The first step you can do is to prevent rips and tears from happening in the first place. This is usually accomplished with a mattress cover. Mattress covers are very handy devices that can create a barrier to stop dust and water from getting into your mattress and provide much protection and support from forces that can cause rips and tears in a mattress.

However, if you find yourself in a situation where a rip or tear has already developed, following are a few pointers on how to fix them.

How to Fix a Memory Foam Mattress Tear

For many of us with a memory foam mattress, they may seem invincible when we first get them. But over time and with heavy use, some people find out that a tear or rip in a memory foam mattress can easily happen. The best and easiest way to fix this is to head down to your local furniture or upholstery shop and ask for a special kind of glue made for memory foam mattresses. This glue will help repair your mattress and stop any tears from getting bigger.

How to Fix an Air Mattress or Waterbed Mattress Tear or Leak

Usually trying to fix a tear or leak in an air mattress or waterbed poses a few different challenges to the person trying to fix it. For an air mattress, the first thing you want to do is try to find the hole by mixing up some soap and water, applying it to parts of the bed and looking for bubbles. If you see bubbles somewhere, chances are you have a hole.

Hopefully, a small hole in a waterbed is a little more obvious. Once the hole has been identified, if it is small enough just apply a little bit of glue over the hole and let it dry. If the hole is a little too big for that, you will need to find a small square of plastic or vinyl and glue it over the hole as a patch.

While fixing a tear or rip in a mattress is not necessarily a very difficult process, it can still be mostly avoided by using a protective mattress cover. Not only that a mattress cover will protect your mattress from rips and tears but it will also protect your mattress against dust and bacteria.

Mattresses and Urine – What to Do?

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Urine stains on a mattress can come from accidents by young children, pets or the sick and elderly. For health reasons it is important to know how to get urine out of a mattress. In addition to leaving a foul odor, urine carries bacteria that lead to fungus and mold if left untreated. There are chemical commercial products available that help remove urine. Home treatments will often effectively do the job with just a little knowledge about cleaning a mattress that has been soiled with urine.

Steam Clean Your Mattress

Most homeowners already own a steam carpet cleaner. When a urine accident happens they may wonder how to clean a mattress using the machine. A steam cleaner can be used along with a cleaning agent to take out not only the stain, but also the bacteria. Lay the mattress on the floor to use the cleaner using the recommended heat settings. The cleaner will suck up most of the liquid cleanser and urine. The mattress should then be left to air dry. Some people put the mattress in the room with a fan in order to speed up the drying time. The stain and odor from the urine should be gone when the mattress is completely dry.

Rubbing Alcohol to Clean A Mattress

Another suggestion for people who would like to know how to get urine out of a mattress is to try rubbing alcohol. Alcohol is a natural disinfectant and antiseptic. Although it probably will not remove the stain, it will kill the bacteria that are present. Applying the alcohol with a spray bottle allows it to dry even more quickly. Be sure to use alcohol with no coloring to avoid further staining.

Liquid Detergent or Shampoo and Mattresses

Cleaning products found right in the home can help to get urine out of a mattress. If the stain is new it can usually be removed with liquid detergent or even shampoo diluted with a small amount of water. These products clean the mattress and also leave a fresh scent. One good tip for how to clean a mattress is to take the mattress to the garage or basement and stand it against the wall. Applying the cleanser is less back breaking and the liquid has less chance of soaking in.

Distilled Vinegar to Clean a Mattress

Clear vinegar has been an answer to prayer for how to get urine out of a mattress for decades. Vinegar also has antiseptic properties that will kill bacteria and neutralize odor. Like alcohol, it does not remove stains. Those have successfully used vinegar as the solution to how to clean a mattress suggest applying a small amount, making sure the edges of the stain are covered.

Here are some tips on how to clean a mattress utilizing any of the above methods. If the urine is still wet, soak up as much of the liquid as possible with a dry towel before cleaning. After cleaning make sure the mattress is completely dry before using. Taking it outdoors in the sun is one of the best ways to do this. Sprinkling baking soda or odor remover will eliminate any odor left after applying these suggestions.