Photo from Unsplash
Cleaning your mattress is as essential as any other household task. After all, we typically spend a third of our lives sleeping.
However, your mattress can quickly become the dirtiest furniture piece inside your home. Your bed can easily absorb any dust and odors inside the space.
Plus, quality mattresses require a considerable investment. They could last for a decade if cared for properly.
Listed here are some ways you can maintain your new mattress. But first, an overview of why cleaning your bed matters from our pest experts.
Why does it matter for you to care for your mattress?
A clean mattress is beneficial for several reasons. For one, a dirty mattress can be a source of pollution inside your room. You will be covered in a concoction of dust, sweat, and oil throughout the day.
You will inevitably pass some of that to your bed, along with any loose skin, hair strands, and odors. Regularly cleaning your mattress is a way to improve the air quality in your bedroom.
Cleaning also prevents your bed from turning into a breeding ground for allergens or bacteria. Breathing in allergens can trigger allergies, asthma, and other breathing issues. Having a clean mattress prevents you from spending the night wheezing and sneezing.
How To Keep Your Mattress Clean and in Good Shape
Cleaning your mattress is simple but takes a lot of time and work. Here are a few tips on keeping your mattress as comfy and clean as the day you bought it.
Use a mattress protector or encasement
There are several mattress accessories that you can use to protect your bed from varying types of contamination.
For instance, mattress protectors are a type of mattress cover that you can place under your bed’s fitted sheet. Protectors can prevent dust, dirt, skin cells, sweat, moisture, and other contaminants from getting to your mattress.
If you travel frequently or worry about bed bugs, consider getting encasements. These seal the sides of your mattress, keeping the pesky pests out.
Get the proper mattress support
Some mattress companies will offer matching support for your mattress. Buying from the same company isn’t necessary, but the proper support or frame helps keep your mattress in good shape.
When you do buy your mattress, ask the manufacturer or check the documentation for recommendations. It can help you know what to look for in support.
Find support that matches the type of mattress you have. For instance, use box springs for innerspring mattresses. For memory foam mattresses and customized beds, look for foundations that can support the weight of the mattress and sleepers.
Rotate and flip your mattress
One should note that not all mattresses can be flipped or rotated. The manual can inform you whether your mattress can be flipped or rotated and how frequently you can do so.
Also, keep in mind that there is a difference between flipping and rotating. Flipping involves overturning the mattress so the bottom becomes the new top and vice versa.
On the other hand, rotating means turning the bed 180 degrees. This means the part where your head rests will be where your feet will lie.
Clean your mattress
Mattress cleaning can take a lot of time and effort. You can choose the DIY route or hire professional cleaners to do it for you. There are several aspects to cleaning a mattress:
- Vacuuming removes bed bugs, dust, dirt, and dead skin cells from the entire surface of the mattress.
- The spot cleaning and stain removal process involves removing any unsightly mattress stains. These stains could include remnants of liquids, bodily fluids, and mud from the mattress.
- Deep cleaning is a thorough way of removing allergens or contaminants that usual processes cannot remove. Bacteria and molds fall under this category.
- Deodorizing and sanitizing your mattress removes the buildup of any unpleasant smells that your mattress may have absorbed.
Wash your bed linens
Putting your bed linens in the washing machine freshens them up. It can also help lengthen the lifespan of your mattress.
Dirt, sweat, and other bodily fluids can accumulate on your bed sheets. Putting them in the wash can minimize the chances of these contaminants seeping through your mattress.
Did you know?
Before the invention of the coil spring mattress, beds were supported by a foundation consisting of interlocking ropes. Rope beds were invented during the 16th century and became obsolete by 1865.
Pest Guide Can Help Protect Your Investment
Mattresses are essential to any home as they can affect how much sleep you get every night. Appropriately maintained, they can last for years.
Dust mites and bed bugs, in particular, can be challenging to handle. Not only can they damage your mattress, but these pests can also affect your sleep.
Pest Guide offers informative resources and helps connect you with pest control companies if you need them.
Protect your investment against bed bugs and other pests. Contact Pest Guide today to schedule a consultation or appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can sprinkle some baking soda over the mattress. Leave it for 2 hours, then remove it using a vacuum cleaner with a special upholstery attachment.
Add some essential oils to your baking soda if you want your bed to smell better. Mix equal parts of distilled white vinegar with water for harsher smells, and lightly spray it on the mattress.
Sunbathing your mattress is one way of disinfecting it. The UV rays prevent dust mites and bacteria from reproducing.
Both accessories provide your mattress with protection. However, encasements are more durable than mattress protectors. Plus, they also protect your mattress from bed bugs.