Your mattress is where you spend roughly a third of your life — yet it’s one of the most neglected items in the home when it comes to cleaning. Dust mites, sweat, dead skin cells, and the occasional accident all accumulate over time, affecting both the lifespan of your mattress and the quality of your sleep. Here’s how to keep it clean, fresh, and lasting as long as possible.
How Often Should You Clean Your Mattress?
A light clean — vacuuming the surface — should happen at least once a month, ideally whenever you change your bedding. A deeper clean, including spot-treating stains and deodorizing, is recommended every three to six months. The more regularly you maintain it, the easier each clean becomes.
Routine Mattress Cleaning: Vacuuming
The simplest and most effective regular maintenance is vacuuming. Strip the bed completely, then use the upholstery attachment on a high-powered vacuum to go over the entire surface — top, sides, and any seams or crevices where dust and debris collect. Use slow, overlapping passes and avoid pressing down too hard, which can compress the mattress material.
If your mattress has a removable cover, take it off and wash it separately according to the manufacturer’s instructions before vacuuming the mattress itself.
How to Clean a Mattress With Urine
Act fast — the longer urine sits, the deeper it penetrates and the harder it becomes to remove the stain and odor.
Start by blotting (never rubbing) as much liquid as possible with a clean, dry towel. Press firmly and work from the outside of the stain inward to avoid spreading it. Once you’ve absorbed as much as you can, sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda over the entire affected area and leave it for several hours or overnight. The baking soda will draw out remaining moisture and neutralize odor. Vacuum it up thoroughly when done.
For the odor, a spray of white vinegar diluted with water applied lightly before the baking soda step can help break down the uric acid. Allow it to dry completely — do not soak the mattress.
How to Clean a Mattress With Blood
Cold water only — never use hot water on blood stains, as heat sets the stain permanently. Blot fresh blood immediately with a cold, damp cloth, working from the edges inward. For dried blood, make a paste of baking soda and cold water, apply it to the stain, leave for 30 minutes, then blot away with a clean damp cloth.
Hydrogen peroxide (3%) can also help lift blood stains — apply a small amount, let it fizz, then blot. Always test on an inconspicuous area first, as it can lighten some fabrics.
How to Clean a Mattress With Feces
Remove any solid matter carefully using gloves and dispose of it. Blot the area with a clean dry cloth to absorb as much moisture as possible. Then treat the stain with an enzymatic cleaner, which breaks down organic matter effectively. If you don’t have one, a diluted solution of dish soap and cold water applied sparingly can help. Blot — never scrub — and allow the mattress to dry completely before making the bed again.
General Stain Removal Tips
Whatever the stain, the golden rules are the same: act quickly, blot don’t rub, use cold water, and never saturate the mattress. A wet mattress takes a very long time to dry and can develop mold or mildew inside, which is far worse than the original stain. If you need to speed up drying, use a fan or open windows — avoid direct heat from a hair dryer which can damage foam layers.
How to Deodorize a Mattress
Even without visible stains, mattresses absorb sweat and body odor over time. Baking soda is your best friend here. Sprinkle a thin, even layer across the entire mattress surface, leave it for at least a few hours (longer is better), then vacuum it all away. For an added boost, mix a few drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil into the baking soda before applying.
How to Make Your Mattress Last Longer
Cleaning is only part of mattress care. A few simple habits extend its life significantly:
Rotate regularly. Turn your mattress 180 degrees every three months so that wear is distributed evenly and no permanent dip forms where you sleep.
Use a mattress protector. A good quality, zippered, waterproof mattress protector is the single best investment you can make. It keeps out dust mites, bed bugs, moisture, and stains — and it’s far easier to wash a protector than to deep-clean a mattress. If you don’t already have one, get one today.
Let it breathe. When you strip the bed to wash your sheets, leave the mattress uncovered for an hour or two before remaking it. This allows moisture to evaporate and keeps the surface fresher for longer.
Keep pets off the bed. As much as you love them, pets bring in dander, dirt, and sometimes fleas — all of which end up deep in your mattress over time.
When to Call in the Professionals
Some situations go beyond what a DIY clean can handle — heavily soiled mattresses, persistent odors, or post-illness deep sanitization. In those cases, professional home cleaning can take care of the entire bedroom environment, not just the mattress. Our team at BraBos regularly handles deep cleaning in Boston that includes bedrooms, and we know exactly what it takes to restore a space to genuinely clean standards.
If you’re also preparing a home for a new occupant or coming out of a renovation, our move-in/move-out cleaning service covers every room from top to bottom — mattress care included where needed.
About BraBos Cleaning
BraBos Cleaning is a trusted, fully insured cleaning company serving Boston and surrounding areas including Newton, Cambridge, Somerville, and Quincy. Every cleaner on our team passes a rigorous screening process, and we back every job with a 100% happiness guarantee.
Ready to give your home the deep clean it deserves? Book your clean today or get a free quote — no commitment required.
