If you haven't thought about cleaning your mattress lately, consider this: You probably spend six to eight hours on it every night. During that time, dead skin cells, sweat and oil from your body can make their way onto and into it, leading to possible yellow stains. Not to mention that this environment is a magnet for dust mites!
How often to clean your mattress
Whether you suffer from allergies or not, it's a good idea to regularly clean your mattress to keep it fresh. That's why Carolyn Forté, executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab, recommends following this step-by-step advice every three months to keep your bed dust-, stain- and odor-free.
Ahead, find out how to deep clean and deodorize any mattress, plus the best products to use to remove mattress stains yourself.
How to deep clean your mattress, step by step
1. Wash bedding.
Strip your bed of all bedding, including pillowcases, blankets, mattress pads and protectors. After pre-treating any stains, wash your sheets on a cleaning cycle that uses the hottest water safe for the sheets' fabric (check the care tag). "The hotter the water, the more germs you kill," says Forté. While you're at it, wash your pillows, too!
2. Vacuum with an upholstery tool.
The easiest way to remove dust is to use the upholstery tool on your vacuum cleaner. It's a good idea to do this every couple of months or more often if someone in the family suffers with allergies.
Go over the top and sides of the mattress and as much of the box spring as you can access. Press down firmly on the tool or tap it on the fabric to draw out dust beneath the surface.
Then, use the crevice tool to get into the quilting, along the edge welting and where any pillow top is attached. Some newer vacuums now come with tools that vibrate against mattress and upholstery fabrics to better draw out dust.