If an accident happens on your carpet, you use a carpet cleaner. But what if your mattress gets dirty? Can a mattress be cleaned with a carpet cleaner?
You can carpet clean your mattress. Your mattress is dirtier than you think, and cleaning your mattress with a carpet cleaner is not difficult. The key is to use as little water as possible and extract as much as you can.
Washing your sheets weekly keeps your bed clean, but it does not get the dirt off that soaks through the sheets. Read on to find out how dirty your mattress can get and how easy it is to clean it.
Can You Carpet Clean a Mattress?
Not only can you use a carpet cleaner on a mattress, but you should. Although you clean the sheets weekly, your mattress also needs a thorough cleaning at least once a year. You might not realize it, but the microbes, dust mites, and skin cells we shed make their way through the sheets.
If you wonder how many skin cells you shed a night, the answer is more than you think, and skin cells are not all you shed. The average adult loses at least a cup of fluid a night. Most of that is water vapor, but some of that is sweat. Most of the vapor goes into the air, but the sweat sinks into the sheets and mattress.
So what about skin cells? Estimates from scientists are that we shed 30,000 to 40,000 skin cells an hour. That comes to 240,000 in 8 hours. During the day, those dead cells settle as dust around your house. But at night, most of them land on your bed.
It gets worse once you know where most of those skin cells go—into the mouths of dust mites. Don’t worry — these microscopic relatives of spiders do not bite; they just feed on dead skin. Weekly cleaning of your sheets kills off most of them, but some find their way into our mattress.
As to sweat—over the course of a year, it is estimated that you leave 26 gallons of sweat in your bed. Hopefully, you can see now why you should clean your mattress once a year.
Try it out: A cup of water weighs around ½ a pound. To see how much water you lose while sleeping, weigh yourself right before you sleep and then first thing in the morning.
Why Should You Carpet Clean a Mattress?
Cleaning a mattress is a hassle, so why should you do it? Doing so provides three benefits.
- Doing so improves your bedroom’s air quality. According to the EPA, source control is one of the best ways to improve your home’s air quality. Whenever you do anything to your bed, from fluffing the sheets to tossing and turning while you sleep, you disturb some of the stuff on and in your mattress.
- It also decreases your risk of allergies. Dust, mites, and fungus can cause allergies. Cleaning your mattress eliminates one source of potential allergens. Many people with allergies do not even realize that their mattress is a cause. However, if you have allergy symptoms—things like a stuffy nose and sneezing—then your bed might be the cause.
- Your mattress lasts longer. The sweat and dirt that soaks into the fabric will begin to weaken it prematurely. Like with other fabrics, they last longer when clean.
How to Use a Carpet Cleaner on a Mattress
How to clean a mattress is not overly complicated. However, you must be conscious of how much water you are applying and how much you pull out. You don’t want excess moisture in your mattress.
If you plan to rent a carpet cleaning machine, do not forget the upholstery attachment. Those are typically rented separately. Whether you are renting a machine or using your own, you should use the manufacturer’s upholstery cleaning product.
Here are the steps in carpet cleaning your mattress:
- You will have to stand up your mattress at some point. Some people do it at this step, while others prefer to clean the top and then lean the mattress against the wall to clean the other side. It is more important that you be mindful of getting as much water out of your mattress as you can.
- When you make your first pass, be mindful of how much water you are using. Getting rid of water will be easier if you are conscious of how much you spray.
- Make a second pass over the mattress to suck up as much water as you can.
- Once you finish, lean the mattress against the wall and clean the other side.
- Before you use the mattress, it needs to be completely dry.
To speed the process of drying, open windows in the room and run a fan.
Finally, don’t forget that when you finish using a carpet cleaner, whether to clean your mattress or a carpet, you need to clean it. This includes emptying the tanks and cleaning them. If you rented a machine, you could lose your deposit. If it’s your cleaner, drying it out keeps bacteria and mold from growing in the machine.
Also, take a minute to clean the brushes. You never know what might have gotten caught in them from the last time you used it. Get into the habit of cleaning it before you put it away.
Should You Carpet Clean a Memory Foam Mattress?
A memory foam mattress also gets dirty and needs to be cleaned, but you should not use a carpet cleaner on a foam mattress. Memory foam is quite absorbent, and getting all the moisture out of the foam will be almost impossible. Do you want to risk sleeping on a moldy mattress?
Instead, follow these steps to clean a memory foam mattress:
- Vacuum. Either a handheld vacuum cleaner or a floor vacuum will work as well. Use either the small brush attachment or crevice tool to get into the mattress’s nooks and crannies.
- Spot clean. Dilute fabric cleaner or a mild detergent with a 2:1 ratio and put it in a spray bottle. Lightly spray your cleaner onto dirty areas, use a clean rag or sponge to get the stain out, and use a second rag to wipe off any remaining dirt or soapy film.
- Let the mattress dry. A hairdryer makes an excellent memory foam dryer. Avoid the highest setting to avoid damaging the mattress. The hair dryer should be four to six inches away from the mattress.
Can You Steam Clean a Mattress?
There is some dispute about whether you should steam clean a mattress. Some people argue that too much water soaks into the mattress, but other folks say the heat prevents most of the moisture from soaking into it. Professionals who steam clean mattresses use commercial grade cleaners, so you should stick with a carpet cleaner unless you have the equipment and know-how.
Tips for Keeping Your Mattress Clean
If you do not have a mattress pad, consider buying one. Not all pads are the same, so consider what you want from your pad.
- Spills. Pads are commonly sold to protect against basic wear and tear. Look for a mattress pad labeled waterproof.
- Allergens. Some pads contain anti-allergens or bed bug barriers.
- Temperature control. Natural fibers such as cotton or down help keep your temperature even as you sleep.
You can also find pads that firm up your mattress, conform to your body, or help reduce the effect of a partner’s tossing and turning.
Final Thoughts
Although it may seem odd at first, once you think about what can live in your mattress, cleaning it doesn’t seem so bizarre. A carpet cleaner is an excellent tool for cleaning it so long as you extract the water before putting it back in your bed.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on November 5, 2020.