Mattress toppers are one of the most expensive things you have bought for your bedroom to improve the overall comfort and coziness of your bed. Just from the name of it, you can make out mattress toppers sitting on top of the bed, and right below your sheets.
With time, your mattress topper is going to get exposed to spills and stains that come from body oil, sweat, and other contaminants that could easily make your topper look and feel dirty.
With this guide, we are going to show you how to properly clean your mattress topper while making sure that the interior part of the topper remains safe so it can last long.
Before We Began
While the easier way to wash your mattress topper is by putting it in the washing machine, you cannot entirely clean your mattress topper using that way. This is because of the fact that memory foam present inside of it can get damaged or ripped apart during the constant motion in the washing machine. The best you can do is toss the mattress cover to clean it.
Furthermore, there are different methods for different mattresses, we are going to discuss each one of them. Depending on your requirements you can choose the one which is more feasible for you.
Signs That Show Your Mattress Topper Needs To Be Cleaned
You might not even know, but your mattress topper is at that stage where you pull it off from the bed and get it cleaned. In addition to this, one research done by a US scientist claims that four out of five homes in the US have dust mites living in their beds. Beds are one of the prime habitats for these tiny creatures, and they tend to thrive in warm and moist environments.
With time, your mattress topper can be converted into a breeding ground for a number of bacteria and living organisms like dead skin cells, molds, mildew, and others. So what if you don’t see them from your naked eye? They are still living and breeding in the place where you sleep, and when the night falls, they can cause lots of trouble, making it hard for you to sleep.
Here are some of the obvious signs that show your mattress topper requires a cleaning:
If there’s an unpleasant smell coming
When a mattress topper does get dirty and molds start to form in it, it will start smelling bad, especially in the case when toppers are not cleaned often. So when you get a musty smell from your topper, you know it is time to take it out for a cleaning.
If there are stains and spills
We know accidental spills can happen anytime you are watching and eating something in your bedroom. But if you do not remove the stains from the spill sooner or later, your mattress topper will start having a bad odor, and the stain will become permanent.
If you see discoloration of the material
When you are using a mattress for too long, it will start turning yellow or, in some cases, brownish. This is all because of the dirt and dust accumulating on the topper. Even though the discoloration may seem unharmful it can surely affect your health as it can lead to respiratory problems. With a good cleaning agent, you can restore your mattress topper to its original color.
If you are feeling irritation on your skin, start sneezing or coughing as soon as you lie down.
See, your body doesn’t start sneezing on its own; there has to be some allergens present in the surroundings causing your body to react in that way. As a result, when you go to sleep and start coughing or sneezing, you must know that it is time to clean your mattress topper.
Different Methods To Clean Mattress Topper
Now all the preliminaries are done, let’s move onto the main objective of this blog, which is to help you find the right way to clean your mattress topper.
Vacuum Clean
Vacuum cleaning is one of the fastest and easiest ways to remove dust from your mattress topper. But before you do it, make sure you take out the topper from your bed and place it on the floor. This is because when you place the topper on a hard and flat surface like a floor then all the corners of the topper become much more accessible to you.
This method of cleaning your mattress topper requires you to use a soft brush attachment with your vacuum because a harder brush can quickly damage the fabric of the topper.
When vacuuming your mattress topper you have to perform circular motion cleaning so that all the dust particles and grime will come off.
It is best to go with a handheld vacuum or water-based vacuum for the most effective cleaning. After you are done with one side of the mattress topper you can flip it over and vacuum the other side of it.
Beware of one thing: when you are using a water-based vacuum cleaner, you have to first dry your mattress topper completely before you put it back on the bed. Your topper is going to take anywhere between 10 to 14 hours to dry out, depending on how thick it is.
Apart from cleaning your mattress topper professionally, it is best to clean it using a vacuum cleaner two times a month, meaning whenever you are washing your sheets, you should vacuum clean the topper to prevent it from accumulating dust and mites.
Spot Cleaning For Stains
Sometimes, your mattress topper gets into stains; if you are not vigilant enough, they can quickly become permanent. These stains can form because of sweat, body oils, and food and drink spills. Cleaning these spot stains is crucial to keep the mattress topper in healthy condition.
To clean these stains, you need to have a light-colored clean cloth to remove the stains because using a darker color can bleed out some color when it is dipped in the cleaning solution.
See, there are certain rules you need to follow when cleaning a stain, but it is best to first read out the instructions on the care label before you use anything else to clean the mattress topper.
Furthermore, when you are using liquid cleaners, you should avoid spraying and soaking a foam topper. Instead, you should be blotting and dabbing the stain using a clean cloth or a small towel.
On the other hand, if a stain is a bit resilient, you need to leave that specific spot of the mattress topper soaked with a small amount of cleaner for a while. In addition to this, you also have to sprinkle plenty of baking soda around the area to suck up any of the lingering moisture.
Cleaning Mattress Topper With Laundry Detergent
To clean your mattress topper using a laundry detergent, you first have to put the detergent in diluted water. It is necessary that you avoid low-quality detergent or the use of powder detergent as they can harm the texture of your topper or even discolor it.
For this form of cleaning, you have to mix equal amounts of detergent and water, then dip the soft cloth in the solution and rub it on the stain in circular motions. Now, leave the topper there for about 30 minutes.
Once 30 minutes pass by, you take another damp cloth and rub it a few times over the stain to ensure no detergent residue remains on the mattress topper. Finally, use a clean, dry towel to blot the area.
Make sure to keep equal amounts of water and detergent; too much water can damage the integral structure of your memory foam, and it also delays the drying process. Wait for the mattress topper to dry completely before placing it on the bed.
Different Washing Materials To Use For Cleaning Mattress Topper
The above are the three main methods of cleaning your mattress topper. Now let’s talk about different washing materials that you can use for cleaning the topper.
Dish Soap
We are sure you might be surprised to see dish soap in here but dish soap can clean more than just your kitchen wares and silver wares. If you are out of liquid laundry detergent on hand, you can make a solution similar to that one at home using dish soap.
For this, you need to mix up one teaspoon of dish soap with one cup of water; when this is done, you need to spray the mixture gently onto the mattress and be very careful not to over soak the mattress. After this, leave the mixture for a few minutes to dry up; finally, use a damp cloth to rinse the solution away; it will also take away the stain.
Baking Soda
When scrolling social media platforms, we are sure you have come across a video that shows how baking soda is a stain remover and odor neutralizer. In truth, you can remove light stains from your mattress topper using baking soda; for this, you have to mix one part baking soda with two parts of cold water. Rub the baking soda mixture on the stain, and then let it sit for 1 hour.
Remove the residue of the baking soda solution; once cleaned, blot the area with a clean, dry towel or a set of paper towels. Apart from this, you can simply sprinkle baking soda on top of the stain, leave it for 8 hours or more, and then vacuum clean it.
Enzyme Cleaner
If the stain on your mattress topper came from urine, blood, or simply from body sweat, then you can remove it using an enzyme cleaner. You can find enzyme cleaners in the laundry section of a grocery store, and if you have a child at home, it is best to purchase them in advance.
Wrapping Up
So there you go; these are a few of the methods and cleaning materials you can use to clean your mattress topper. Once again we recommend you to check out the cleaning method provided by the manufacturer of the mattress topper for the best results.
We hope you liked this educational article, let us know which one is your favorite method to clean the mattress topper. If you have any special tips that we have missed out on, do let us know in the comment section below.