Can you wash your mattress: Our guide on keeping your mattress as good as new

The short answer is yes – in fact, it’s encouraged. We all know how dirty mattresses can get, even if you make use of a mattress protector. Your mattress might even look clean, but due to sweat, the odd bit of drool, dead skin cells and pet dander, there will be dust mites and other creatures snoozing alongside you, too.

Cleaning a mattress is pretty straightforward, and our guide shows you the exact steps for washing your mattress, keeping it as good as new for a cleaner and easier night’s sleep.

Our mattress washing guide

First things first: what type of mattress do you have? Anything other than a foam mattress uses the same method. Foam mattresses don’t work well with water (they soak it up, and attempting to then dry them is quite a hassle). Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions to keep the material maintained, or if in doubt, call in a professional cleaning team to assist you.

Materials you need:

• Vacuum cleaner
• Bicarbonate of soda
• Gentle liquid dish soap
• Clean sponge
• Container or bucket filled with some cold water

How to wash your mattress

1. Remove all the bedding, pillows, duvet, other add-ons (like extra blankets or electric blankets) and mattress protector.
2. Generously sprinkle bicarbonate of soda evenly, and leave to sit for a good 10 to 20 minutes.
3.  Vacuum the mattress, ensuring you vacuum the surface and sides.
4. Pour a couple of drops of liquid dish soap into the container/bucket filled with water. Mix to combine. Dampen the sponge with this soapy water – keyword here being dampen, not soak.
5. Use this damp sponge to wipe down surfaces of the mattress, regularly rinsing it out as you work.
6. Let your mattress dry thoroughly before replacing the protector, bedding and extras. You can put your mattress in direct sunlight until completely dry – the UV rays help to deodourise and kill off any bacteria.

While this method is great for consistent cleaning routines, if you’re up for taking it a step further, enter the deep-clean mode. Simply flip the mattress over after it has thoroughly dried, and repeat the same steps as above. If you have a mattress with a solid bottom (i.e. one that doesn’t need turning over), you can still and should repeat the steps above to ensure all the surfaces are clean.

If your mattress has a few stained areas, read our cleaning guide here:

How regularly should you wash your mattress?

Since we spend about a third of our lives sleeping on mattresses, experts encourage regular cleaning schedules. Vacuum (with or without a bicarbonate of soda sprinkle) your mattress at least once a month, and wash it at least once every six months or every year. If you’re up for more regular cleaning, you can vacuum weekly and wash bi-monthly.

If you have a partner, kids and pets sharing some space on the mattress with you, experts recommend you wash your mattress at least once every three to six months – our sweat and other bodily functions, paired with pet dander and drool, build up quite quickly. Which fleas and dust mites and bed bugs love, but our skin and airways hate.

Flip and rotate your mattress to prevent dents every three months. You can use this time to wash or deep-clean your mattress, too. Ensure you’re not only flipping the mattress but also rotating it to help prolong the mattress’s lifespan.

Also See: How often should you wash your bedding? The complete cleaning guide