We spend about one-third of our life in bed. Therefore, it’s worth ensuring that our bed is cozy, comfortable, and… clean! Regular care for the cleanliness and freshness of the mattress should become a habit. Here are three simple steps to bring your mattress closer to the ideal state:
- If you decide to steam clean, it will allow you to remove stains, mites, dust, and other impurities from the mattress, ensuring a clean and hygienic sleeping environment.
- During cleaning, keep the proper order: first vacuuming, then stain removal, steam cleaning, and finally thorough drying.
- To keep your mattress in good condition for a long time, remember also about regular cleaning, minimizing moisture, investing in a mattress protector, and considering purchasing a mattress cover.
How quickly do mattresses get dirty?
Mattresses, which are in direct contact with our bodies, can accumulate sweat, dead skin cells, mites, bacteria, urine stains, and unpleasant odors. Research shows that a typical mattress can contain from 100,000 to even 10 million mites.
If you often sweat during sleep, sleep with pets, eat in bed, have children in the process of potty training, you probably will need to take care of your mattress more frequently to prevent stains and unpleasant odors.
Mini guide to deep steam cleaning of a mattress
Steam cleaning a mattress is not as complicated as it may seem if you properly prepare the mattress for cleaning.
To steam clean a mattress, sprinkle it with baking soda and then thoroughly vacuum with an upholstery attachment. Then run the steamer over the vacuumed area and leave the mattress for 2 hours to dry.
Make sure to give your bed enough time to dry. It’s best to start cleaning early in the morning on a sunny day.
We recommend deep cleaning of the mattress at least once a season. Once you learn how to properly steam clean a mattress, it will be easy to include this activity in your seasonal deep cleaning schedule.
We clean the mattress with steam – step by step
You will need: a vacuum cleaner with a long attachment, laundry detergent or baking soda, vinegar, dry towels, and a steamer. In our example, we will use a mini steamer from Fortador, model Volt.
Prepare the steamer
Fill the steam machine with cold tap water, plug it in, and press the button on the touch screen. It should be ready to use within about 5-10 minutes.
Vacuuming and refreshing
While preparing the cleaning machine, thoroughly vacuum the surface of the mattress. This step is crucial for the steam to penetrate deeper. Any hair, skin cells, dirt, and other substances that do not dissolve during steaming can block the access of steam. Remove them with a vacuum cleaner.
If you want to refresh the bed’s scent, sprinkle the mattress with baking soda before vacuuming. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the soda to make the bed smell even fresher.
We recommend lavender, as its scent has a relaxing and calming effect. Before vacuuming, give the baking soda mixture at least an hour to absorb the odors from the mattress.
Spot cleaning of stains
Before steam cleaning the mattress, you should remove tougher stains locally. A moderate detergent and water applied with a sponge handle such stains well. Or, since you already have baking soda on hand, another proven natural method for stain removal is sprinkling the stain with additional soda and then gently tapping in white vinegar.
Whatever you do, be careful not to saturate the stain with too much liquid, as – as we mentioned – a key issue in cleaning a mattress is ensuring its complete drying.
Steam cleaning
Hold the steamer a few inches above the mattress surface at a medium heat setting, away from the fabric, gently moving it across the bed in long, sweeping movements. Pay particular attention to how damp the mattress is; it should be only slightly damp, not soaked.
If you notice that it’s becoming too wet, raise the steamer higher and, holding it further from the surface, continue cleaning. Also steam clean the sides of the mattress.
Complete Drying
After thoroughly steam cleaning the bed, give it at least three hours to dry. Open the windows, set up one or two fans to blow directly onto the bed, or – if you have space outside and the weather is nice – move the mattress outdoors to dry in the sun. To check if the mattress is dry enough to put bedding on it, use dry towels and press hard in various places on the mattress. If they pick up any moisture, let the bed dry longer.
Fortador Volt Mini Home Steamer
Every upholstered item can be effectively maintained clean through steam cleaning. The Fortador Volt Mini steamer, which reaches a maximum temperature of 338°F, is particularly effective in killing bacteria and mites, as well as dissolving stains and dirt from various surfaces, furniture, and carpets.
Due to the fact that steam cleaning only uses water and heat, it’s also very environmentally friendly. In addition, it is recommended to use a mild laundry detergent while steam cleaning upholstered items, instead of a detergent with aggressive chemicals that can harm both the environment and your skin.
Like other Fortador steamers, the Volt MINI is equipped with an excellent choice of accessories and attachments (including a steam mop), which facilitate every cleaning task. Above all, you get a 15-foot hose, which is five feet longer than hoses from most other commercial-grade steam cleaning units. Combined with a long power cord, this machine can reach difficult places that larger steamers cannot access.
The small and electric Volt MINI is a portable steamer that does not pollute the air in buildings you clean, as it does not emit diesel exhaust fumes.
Another advantage of the machine is its low noise level, which allows operators to work unobtrusively in public places such as offices and apartments.
Fortador Volt Electra Steam Vacuum
The Fortador VOLT Electra is the world’s only fully electric steam vacuum that reaches a maximum pressure of 12 BAR or 175 PSI, which outperforms leading diesel engine machines on the market.
Thanks to the technology – steam plus detergent, the electric steam cleaner Fortador VOLT Electra performs both extraction with vacuum and washing and disinfection with dry steam. It includes a high-quality wet/dry extractor that can be used independently.
How to Clean a Mattress Without a Steamer?
However, if you decide to clean the mattress without using a steam machine, remember these few simple steps:
Cleaning Covers
The first step is to remove any sheets, covers, and pads from the mattress. If the manufacturer provided any specific recommendations for cleaning them, follow those. To get rid of bacteria and gain a pleasant, fresh smell, use a reliable laundry detergent and set the wash cycle to the highest permissible temperature.
Vacuuming
Vacuum the mattress using the brush attachment. Remember the crevices.
Stain Removal
To best break down proteins in stains, use a professional stain remover. Wipe the spot with a clean cloth that’s been sprayed with an enzymatic cleaner.
Leave the product on for about 15 minutes until the enzymes start to work. Then, use the same cloth to wipe the stain again this time to completely remove it. Finally, wipe the spot with a damp cloth.
Neutralizing Mattress Odors
Evenly spread a layer of baking soda over the entire surface of the mattress. Leave for 24 hours, then vacuum.
Ventilating
When the mattress is already clean, give it some time to air out. Ideally, you should do this outside, where the sun would have a chance to dry any remaining moisture after cleaning. If that’s not possible, airing it in a well-ventilated room will also suffice.
