{"id":3173,"date":"2025-01-01T20:56:14","date_gmt":"2025-01-01T12:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2025\/01\/01\/domestic-science-how-to-clean-a-mattress\/"},"modified":"2025-01-01T20:56:14","modified_gmt":"2025-01-01T12:56:14","slug":"domestic-science-how-to-clean-a-mattress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/domestic-science-how-to-clean-a-mattress\/","title":{"rendered":"Huishoudkunde: Een matras reinigen"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You spend a third of your life in bed.&nbsp;How often do you really clean it\u2014all the way down to the mattress? Chances are, not enough.&nbsp;Maybe you think that with a mattress pad and a sheet, it\u2019s not really dirty (wrong). Or that that you need a professional cleaner or harsh chemicals (no, and nope). Here\u2019s the good news: Cleaning your mattress is easier than you think.<\/p>\n<h1>Why clean your mattress?<\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2276864759309628980.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: If you had a microscope to zero in on what\u2019s going on beneath the sheets, that&nbsp;would be a nightmare indeed.   <\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s face it, ignorance is&nbsp;bliss. But&nbsp;start doing a little research into what really lurks under the covers&nbsp;and you\u2019ll never sleep again. So before we get to how to clean a mattress, let\u2019s go over the \u201cWhy.\u201d Here\u2019s what you\u2019re up against when you settle into bed.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mites: You\u2019re not alone at night. Even if you sleep solo, or are&nbsp;the biggest neat freak in the world, you share your bed with hundreds of mites. These minuscule&nbsp;creatures thrive in&nbsp;warm, moist conditions, and feast on&nbsp;dead skin cells. Your reward? A&nbsp;raft&nbsp;of allergens left behind in their waste matter. Mites are a problem if you\u2019re allergic to them, which about a third of us are.<\/li>\n<li>Dead skin cells: According to Dyson, we slough off about 28 grams per month.<\/li>\n<li>Sweat and other bodily fluids.<\/li>\n<li>Dust and daily dirt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fortunately, eradicating all these \u201cinvasives\u201d is not as labor intensive as you might think.<\/p>\n<h1>How to clean a mattress<\/h1>\n<p>Most experts recommend cleaning your mattress at least twice a year to get rid of the dirt and allergens outlined above. If you\u2019re in the habit of flipping your mattress, this would also be a good time give it a thorough wash. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Strip the bed&nbsp;and wash all bedding<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6974372779882626444.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: Stripped and exposed; my mattress is ready to be cleaned.   <\/p>\n<p>Take this opportunity to deep clean all your bedding. Remove everything from the bed, including the mattress pad&nbsp;and\/or cover, and give it a good wash. Use a mild detergent in the hottest water recommended by the&nbsp;manufacturer. Wash your sheets, pillows, comforters, and duvets, too. (See:&nbsp;Domestic Science: How to Wash a Pillow&nbsp;and&nbsp;How to Clean Woolen Blankets, 5 Expert Tips.) For white cottons, bleach will kill mites&nbsp;(or try hydrogen peroxide as a more environmentally friendly option). Drying at a high temperature will kill more mites, but again, always check the care label.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Vacuum<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2692588350646169959.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: Because my son is allergic to mites, and because I have a summer cottage that I sometimes rent out, I invested in a&nbsp;Dyson V6 Mattress Handheld Vacuum ($245 at Amazon).   Switch&nbsp;your vacuum to&nbsp;the highest suction setting possible. Then, using the upholstery attachment, thoroughly vacuum the mattress including the sides. Be sure to work your way into&nbsp;any nooks and crannies. Dyson also makes a super high-suction vacuum especially for mattress, which according to a&nbsp;Consumer&nbsp;Reports&nbsp;test, picked up two grams more mites and other materials than a regular vacuum. <\/p>\n<h2>3. Spot Clean<\/h2>\n<p>,<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5910596736006285281.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: I swear by the 50\/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, a formula that\u2019s truly effective at tackling tough stains.   <\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no delicate way to say it, most mattress&nbsp;stains are organic, so use an enzyme cleaner or a 50\/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to spot clean your mattress. Using as little liquid as possible&nbsp;(since moisture breeds mildew), dab or spray a bit of your cleaner onto a clean cloth or sponge and work at the stain. Thoroughly dry any spot-treated areas before making the bed.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Deodorize<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/860006995161711434.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: As we know from our refrigerators, baking soda is a natural odor remover. It also absorbs moisture and oils.   <\/p>\n<p>Deodorize your mattress by covering it in a generous layer of baking soda. Leave in&nbsp;at least 30 minutes. Longer, several hours or more, is even better. Vacuum again to get rid of the baking soda.<\/p>\n<h2>5.&nbsp;Cover<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2276574667279740414.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: To protect my mattress, I&nbsp;bought an&nbsp;Aller-Ease Naturals Organic Cotton Allergy Protection Fitted Mattress Protector from Amazon; $56.   Now that you\u2019ve gone through the trouble of cleaning your mattress, consider buying&nbsp;a cover to protect it&nbsp;from dust, stains, and mites. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6988356499131080459.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: My bed after a complete refresh.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8252541470235379817.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The final touch, fresh flowers from the garden.   <\/p>\n<p>For more cleaning tips, see:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Domestic Science: How to Clean a Washing Machine<\/li>\n<li>10 Natural Cleaning Solutions for the Bathroom<\/li>\n<li>Linen Logic: 20 Tips for Taking Care of Your Bedding<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You spend a third of your life in bed.&nbsp;How often do you really clean it\u2014all the way down to the mattress? Chances are, not enough.&nbsp;Maybe you think that with a mattress pad and a sheet, it\u2019s not really dirty (wrong). Or that that you need a professional cleaner or harsh chemicals (no, and nope). Here\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3174,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diy-projects"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}