How to clean your mattress and rid if from smells, dust mites and urine.
I am guessing you are reading this blog because you are concerned about the state of your mattress.
Maybe your mattress looks pristine but you are wondering what is lurking on the surface? Perhaps your mattress is full of spillage stains (urine?) and you are concerned about the microorganisms that came with it? How long have you been sleeping on your mattress? Other than regularly changing your sheets, have you every had your mattress professionally sanitised and cleaned?
“Recent lab tests from swabs taken from 7-year-old mattresses found more than 100 million colony-forming units of bacteria per square centimeter”
What is lurking on your mattress?
The importance of a clean mattress
Mattress cleaning is one of the most overlooked home cleaning services provided today. Over the years spills, bed wetting, the presence of family pets and other factors slowly reduce the hygiene of a mattress. Most people do not realise that having their mattresses cleaned regularly helps improve air quality, remove allergens, and remove contaminants.
Unfortunately, mattresses cannot be machine cleaned like bedding or clothes. A hygienic mattress requires some specialist treatment.
What is the best way to clean a mattress?
It all depends on the cleaning objective. Below are some common objective and mattress cleaning tips for each.
Objective 1: Want to remove sweat stains and smells?
We all lose sweat during the night. This gets absorbed in the linen. If not treated properly, bacteria and mites can spread. In addition to sweat, you also shed flakes of skin. These are broken down by bacteria and the unpleasant smell is created. Futhermore, the moisture will increase your dust mite populations.
Make a paste of baking soda, a LITTLE bit of water, and salt.
Spread on the stain and let it sit for an hour or so
Wipe the paste with a wet cloth.
Do not use too much water – just blot.
Wait a few hours to ensure the mattress is dry before you make the bed with freshly washed linen.
Or Book a SafeSnooze treatment to sanitise and disinfect the mattress to ensure all bacteria and other microorganisms causing the smells are destroyed. You can make your bed immediately after the treatment.
Objective 2: Want to remove urine stains?
Urine stains on a mattress
Whether your pet peed on your mattress or you kids had a bed-wetting incident on their (or your) mattress, it is important to act fast!
Both pet and animal urine is made up of crystals of uric acid, so to permanently remove the acid, odour, and bacteria and properly clean urine from mattress fabric and bedding, it is best to use an enzyme-based cleaning solution.
Treat only the stained area and DO NOT use too much liquid.
Wait a few hours to ensure the mattress is dry before you make the bed with freshly washed linen.
Or Book a SafeSnooze treatment to sanitise and disinfect the mattress to ensure all bacteria and other microorganisms causing the smells are destroyed. You can use your bed immediately after the service.
Objective 3: Want to remove allergens, dust mites, bacteria and other possible disease-causing micro-organisms?
Micro-organism and dust mites on a mattress
These creepy crawlers on your mattress can in some circumstances affect your body and your respiratory system. Blotchy red skin, blocked nose, and itchy skin can cause a large amount of discomfort during your 8 hours of beauty sleep.
People with allergies are more inclined to be affected. According toe ASCIA “House dust mites are common allergens in Australia and New Zealand House dust mites are the most common allergen source in humid areas such as coastal cities and towns”.
People inclined to allergies should take the necessary action to clean the mattress to ensure all contaminated and foreign matter are removed to promote good health and a peaceful sleep.
Regularly wash your sheets in hot water.
Regularly dust and vacuum.
If possible, remove carpets from bedrooms.
Declutter the bedroom.
Invest in an air purifier.
Keep humidity in the bedroom to under 50%.
Regularly book a SafeSnooze treatment to sanitise and disinfect the mattress to ensure all dust mite eggs, bacteria, microorganisms and allergy triggers are removed from the mattress and pillows. Now available on Sydney's North Shore.
“Regular cleaning of mattresses will remove allergens ensuring you, your family and your guests have a restful night’s sleep. ”
Why do we recommend NOT steam cleaning your mattress?
Some mattress materials degrade upon getting exposed to the high amount of heat present in the steam.
Manufacturers of some mattresses warn that steaming can void your warranty
Tempur, one of the leading mattress manufactures states – “Never wash the TEMPUR® material”. TEMPUR® material should never become wet. Do NOT wash or Dry Clean the TEMPUR-Topper Supreme
Excess moisture can stay in the mattress and simply give the dust mites a drink (dust mites cannot drink with their mouths, they absorb moisture through their bodies, So by steam cleaning to get “rid” of them, you just giving them a nice drink that will make them active and increase the colony.
Furthermore, excess moisture can get trapped in the fibres and cause mould and rust in the mattress.
I would rather live with a small stain on my mattress, if I know my mattress was sanitised and disinfected, than adding moisture (read mould and dust mites) to my mattress.
So whatever your objective to clean your mattress, treat the area as quickly as you can, ensure you do not use excessive moisture and follow our mattress cleaning tips.
If you are lucky enough to live on Sydney’s North Shore, book a SafeSnooze treatment to give you mattress a deep clean.
Sleep better, breathe better, live better. SafeSnooze
E: hello@safesnooze.com.au
M: 0415428035