To clean a mattress, remove the bedding and wash it. Vacuum the mattress to remove dust, then spot clean any stains with mild soap. Sprinkle baking soda to absorb odors, let it sit, and vacuum again. If your mattress can be flipped, clean the other side too. Regular cleaning keeps it fresh and allergen-free.
From washing your bed sheets regularly to ensuring your nightstand remains debris-free, you do plenty to keep your bedroom in tip-top shape.
But there’s one cleaning standard that you may overlook: sanitizing and disinfecting your mattress.
And who could blame you? Mattresses spend most of their lives covered with sheets, blankets, bed pillows, or a mattress topper. Even if you know what might lurk underneath — dead skin cells, dust mites, and dirt, to name three1 — the very idea of cleaning your mattress can seem huge and overwhelmingly complex. Casper is here to fix that.
Keep reading to learn how to clean a mattress in six simple, achievable steps. The returns you’ll gain on your invested time and energy? Extended mattress longevity and a better night’s rest.
Cleaning your mattress isn’t as simple as tossing your sheets in the washer and letting the machine do the rest. But it’s not as difficult as you might think, either. In fact, with the right tools and mindset, you can clean your mattress in a few hours. Just be sure to allow your mattress to dry after using the cleaning solutions described below.
Prepare yourself by gathering the supplies you’ll need to perform a deep clean. These include1,2:
Your mattress sees a lot, in large part because you spend roughly a third of your life in bed.3
In fact, some mattresses may accumulate weight after time, and not because their materials expand.4 Instead, it’s due to the fact that many mattresses naturally absorb3,5:
Cleaning your mattress can help ward off these substances — or at least lower them to healthy, manageable levels.
With this in mind, here’s the lowdown on how to clean a mattress:
First things first: remove all of the bedding from your mattress, including your bed sheets, bed pillows, mattress protector (if you have one), mattress pad, and anything else that may be on your bed.3 Wash your bedding according to the manufacturer’s instructions while you work on making your mattress squeaky clean.
Ideally, you should begin the cleaning process in the morning to give your mattress enough time to air out and dry before you hop back into bed for the night.5
If possible, you may also want to move your mattress to a sunny spot within your home. Why? The UV light can help banish the bacteria that has built up on your bed.2 If it’s out of the question, consider opening the windows in your bedroom to promote better ventilation.5
You can also use this time to unwrap the new pair of sheets you just bought — or browse for an upgrade. A fresh set acts as the perfect reward for your cleaning efforts. For cool and comfortable sleep all night long, try the Casper Hyperlite Sheet Set.
Vacuuming will bring you one step closer to a clean, cozy mattress. Using either an upholstery attachment or a handheld device, vacuum up any noticeable debris2 — whether it’s your Pomeranian’s fur or strands of your hair.
Happen to have a pillow top mattress? You can use the crevice tool in upholstery attachments to clean in between the layers.3 For best results, press firmly to loosen up particles.
Stains are a messy fact of life — luckily, most are reversible.
Bleach may seem like a cure-all when it comes to removing stubborn mattress stains. However, you should avoid using bleach to protect your mattress’s fibers from damage.3 (This also applies to cleaning formulas that feature bleach.) Opt for gentle dish soap or an enzyme cleaner instead. Place your preferred cleaner on a sponge or cleaning cloth to dab at each stain.
A word of caution: Make sure you don’t soak your mattress with your cleaning solution.3 Again, you’ll want your mattress dry by the time you’re ready to bed down for the night.
Moreover, you’ll want to ensure your mattress is dry before proceeding to the next step. If not, you might create the ideal breeding ground for mold and mildew.5
Surface stains — from, say, a bit of rogue toothpaste or crumbs from a late-night snack — generally require little more than a mixture of mild soap and cold water.2 Dampen a cleaning cloth with your solution and put in just enough elbow grease to wipe down the mattress surface.
Deep or biological mattress stains typically fall into one of two categories6:
Not having any luck? You may want to try vinegar or bring in an upholstery cleaner.2These devices work wonders by propelling cleanser into the mattress’s fibers before removing it. (Think of it as a professional carpet cleaning for your mattress.) In the process, it may be able to remove more stubborn stains, as well as:
A host of odors may accumulate on our mattresses, from the pleasant (like a vanilla-lavender hand cream) to the not-so-pleasant (like cat pee).
Luckily, baking soda can eliminate them all. How? It has a basic pH, which gives it the power to neutralize acidic smells and other odors.3
Sprinkle a layer of this refrigerator staple on top of your dry mattress, and let it sit for anywhere between 20 minutes and an hour.5 And if some spots on your mattress are particularly potent? Consider leaving the baking soda on for up to five hours (if, of course, time permits).3 For a more in-depth guide on how to deodorize a mattress, check out our blog.
Sound repetitive?
Remember, this is a deep clean, and, according to a global dust study, the average mattress houses anywhere between 100,000 to one million dust mites.6 Besides, running your handheld vacuum or upholstery attachment over your mattress a second time will help pick up the baking soda you used in the previous step.
If you have an innerspring mattress, you may want to deep clean both sides — especially if you’ve adopted the habit of flipping your mattress (a practice that may prolong your mattress’s lifespan and encourage it to wear evenly on both sides).7 Simply repeat the steps explained above, minus the first.
If you have a foam mattress — such as our ultra-cooling and sumptuous Snow Max mattress — you might actually harm your mattress by flipping (and cleaning) it.7 Rotate it instead, and give yourself a round of applause for tackling one of your bedroom’s biggest to-dos. Learn how often you should rotate your mattress in our blog.
Experts say that you should clean your mattress once every six months,5 preferably during spring cleaning and again after “dust mite season” has ended in October.6
That said, you may want to clean your mattress more often based on any of these factors5:
You may have noticed that most mattress manufacturers suggest using a mattress protector to shield your bedroom investment from sweat, stains, bacteria, and more. Covering your bed with a mattress protector will help you accomplish this while also minimizing how often you need to clean your mattress.
Solve all your cleaning problems with the Casper Waterproof Mattress Protector. Created with active stretch material, it envelops mattresses up to 16 inches deep and safeguards your mattress from:
No matter which mattress protector you choose, consider washing it once a month in hot water.5
Cleaning your mattress may not be on your average weekend’s to-do list. But when your next bedtime rolls around, the benefits of investing your time and energy into mattress cleaning will pay off.
Not only will sanitizing your mattress regularly ward off mold, fungal growth, allergens, and general ick, but it may also promote a sounder, more restorative night’s sleep. This arrives with immediate and long-term perks ranging from sharper recall to increased energy.3
Casper helps make this twice-yearly chore easier and more manageable than ever. We’ve crafted our suite of state-of-the-art mattresses with super-cozy, innovative materials that keep the usual culprits of an unclean mattress away. Plus, with a 10-year limited warranty and optional white glove delivery, you can rest assured that you’re investing in the best rest possible.
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