Expert: Jan Hayner - 1/5/2008

Question
How can I sanitize a mattress?

Answer
Hi Marilyn;
I can help you with this one, I just finished mine yesterday. I leave this for the winter months when my house really needs to smell fresh and clean because of the 'boxed in' feeling that I get.

The first things that you will want to do is to vacuum your mattress, making sure to get all areas, especially around the beading and the crevices. This is where dustmites hide and run for cover. I usually go over the mattress twice just to be on the safe side.

Second, this actually is the hard part! Stand your mattress on the floor, either sideways or upright for the cleaning portion. Why! because it will help to make sure that the cleaner doesn't soak into the padding of the mattress. This would make it take a lot longer for it to dry and make chemically break down some of the padding.

Third; What chemicals to use;
I personally prefer the good old fashioned vinegar and baking soda combination. It kills everything insight, sanitizes and leaves a fresh smell; not to mention how inexpensive it is.

However, these products also work great. I have tried them all and know that you will have the mattress clean and smelling great.
Flolex-WalMart, Lysol-99% germ free and Oxyclean

How to clean the mattress
1. The first thing you should do is, vacuum of all the dust from the mattress, getting in every corner.Take your time doing this, it is the most important step. Just picture that vacuum gobbling up all of the mites, hair follicles etc.

2. You will then want to do a general stain removal process. I use hydrogen peroxide for this, but Oxycleen works great too. If it is a small stain, put it on using a Q-tip, for larger stains, using a cloth, add the peroxide to the middle of the stain and rub going to the outside of the stain, then rinse the same way.

3. With a sponge damped with a solution of 1 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup baking soda and a gallon of water; and go over the mattress to remove any dust and dirt left after the initial vacuum.

4. After you have cleaned it in this way, you can use a brush, scrubbie, cloth or steam cleaner to wash the rest of the way. Make sure that you don't saturate the mattress and that you use a wet/dry vac or carpet/upholstery steamer suction or something on that order to get as much liquid out (helps cut drying time) as possible. It will also help to remove any other mites or contaminates that were left behind after vacuuming.

5. If any remaining odors are present sprinkle with baking soda and let sit for two hours and vacuum again.

This sounds like a lot of work, but remember, you are working with a big surface, so it is relatively easy work. I do this twice a year because I don't use the mattress covers; but if you have one, once a year is all you need to do it.

You may also want to invest in a mattress pad after you are through. I personally don't like the sound, when I roll over, but I am told that they help a lot!

I hope this helped, it is a really easy job to do, the hint is to make sure that the mattress isn't soaked and that you get in the little grooves around the binding.

Happy Mattress Cleaning,
Jan Hayner