Top 7 Tips to maintain Mattress Hygiene

Maintaining good “Mattress hygiene” plays a vital role in   extending the life span of your  mattress. It also helps keep your mattress clean, fresh and free from germs. 

A recent survey shows that a large number of population is unaware of the fact that they need to clean their mattress regularly. This could lead to the accumulation of dust, dirt and other allergens inside the mattress and could cause various health concerns like allergic reactions, skin itching and asthma. 

Here are some simple tips that will help you maintain good mattress hygiene and will keep your mattress fresh and clean.  

7 Mattress Hygiene Tips that you should follow regularly

1. Wash your bed sheets, bed linens regularly

Your bed sheets and bed linens are like clothing that your mattress wears. Just like our body clothing, they get dirty, could contain  bacteria and other allergens. It is important to wash them regularly. You should wash your bedding essentials (bedsheets, pillow covers etc.) at least once a week or once in  two weeks. Try to use hot water (temperature 60 degrees Celsius or higher) instead of warm water for soaking and washing beddings as hot water kills the dust mites and bacteria.

2. Vacuum the surface of the mattress properly

Vacuuming is one of the best ways to clean your mattress surface. Use a high-powered vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter system for cleaning the mattress surface. You can use the upholstery attachment for cleaning the surface of the mattress and switch to the crevice attachment for cleaning crevices and seams of the mattress as these difficult to reach areas   usually contain lot of dirt, dust and allergens.

Make sure, your vacuum brush is properly clean before using this on the mattress surface. Otherwise, it will make the mattress surface dirtier and may transfer dust particles. Do not forget to vacuum the headboard and sides of the bed to avoid the accumulation of dust from these parts onto the mattress. 

3. Take care of your mattress stains

While cleaning and vacuuming the mattress, it is a good idea to take care of your mattress stains. Ideally, you should take care of any spills or accidents immediately as ithelps in avoiding deeper stains on the mattress. As a natural DIY cleaning agent, you can use a mixture of lemon juice and salt or a mixture of baking soda, salt and water to deal with stains. Put any of these mixtures on stained areas and let it sit  s for 30-40 minutes.Clean the stains by using a damp cloth. Later on, vacuum the mattress and allow it to air dry. 

4. Deodorize your mattress

Mattress soaks perspiration, dead skin cells and skin oils on regular basis. With prolonged use, the mattress may smell bad and create a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria and other allergens. Deodorizing your mattress is a great idea to eliminate bad odors and keep your mattress  clean and fresh. Baking soda is one of the best ingredients for deodorizing your mattress. 

Use 1-2 packets of baking soda and swift it generously on the surface of the mattress by using a flour swifter. let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you plan ahead and have enough time, you can leave baking soda on the mattress overnight. After completing that period, remove the baking soda from the mattress and vacuum the mattress surface again.

5. Let your mattress breathe 

After cleaning and vacuuming, do not put fresh bedsheets immediately on your mattress. Open the windows of your room and allow fresh air and sunlight to fall on the mattress. This process helps in the proper aeration of mattresses and kills dust mites and other disease-causing bacteria. 

6. Rotate your mattress 

Before doing this step, it is important to read the manufacturer's instructions which could be different from mattress to mattress. It has been advised to rotate your mattress at least once in 3-6 months. Using the mattress from one side continually may cause depression or indented areas in the mattress. If we rotate the mattress promptly, it helps in spreading out the pressure points and avoid premature sagging of the mattress. 

7. Use mattress protector

Using a mattress protector is a great idea to maintain good mattress hygiene. Mattress protectors act as a barrier and provide good protection against spills and stains. Just like your bed sheets and bed linen, your mattress protector needs to be washed regularly. 

Hygiene maintenance tips for different types of mattresses

Memory foam mattress

Memory foam mattresses are immensely popular nowadays. You can clean memory foam mattresses by gentle vacuuming. Additionally, you can use cleaning solutions (made up of laundry detergent and water) for cleaning the memory mattress but remember not to use any  liquid solution excessively on the memory foam mattress. Memory foam tends to absorb liquid quickly. Excessive exposure to liquid could damage the foam and may lead to the growth of mold. 

Also, do not use strong chemical-based cleaning products for a memory foam mattress. This may affect and ruin the memory foam. 

Avoid using the high heat setting of a blow dryer for drying your memory foam mattress. It could damage the foam. You can turn or rotate your memory foam mattress in a timely manner (1-2 times in a year) which helps in spreading out the routine wear and tear. However, it is equally important to read and follow the manufacturer's instructions. 

Hybrid mattress

As the name suggests, a hybrid mattress is made up of both memory foam and latex. Just like all other mattresses, the hybrid mattress also requires proper cleaning and maintenance to keep them clean and free from germs. Hybrid mattresses are easier to clean as most of these contain a removable cover that can be taken off easily. You can clean a hybrid mattress either by using a vacuum cleaner or by hand cleaning. 

Avoid using a steam cleaner for cleaning hybrid mattresses as the high heat may damage the fabric of the mattress. Also, avoid using strong chemical-based products to clean hybrid mattresses. 

Latex mattress

Though many latex mattresses offer natural resistance against microbes and bacteria. However, they also require regular cleaning. 

Avoid sun-drying your latex mattress. Traditionally, sun-drying is considered a good option for mattresses to remove odors, but with latex mattresses, this is not the case. Exposure to direct sunlight can break down the cellular structure of natural latex. Instead, allow your latex mattress to dry inside your home or in shade.

You can also use a natural latex mattress topper or protector for reducing the hassle associated with mattress cleaning. Cleaning a topper is easy and it works great in expanding the life span of your latex mattress.