If you’re interested in the correct way to clean your mattress, don’t worry: Consumer Reports advises it doesn’t involve buckets of water.
“You’re not submerging it in water,” said Haniya Rae, a reporter on the Consumer Reports home and appliance team.
The recommended mattress cleaning method involves stripping off the sheets and mattress pad, and going over every inch with a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment.
“You want to make sure you’re getting all those dead skin cells out of those crevices because that’s where dust mites like to hide,” Rae said. “Make sure you get all those allergy-causing debris out of those crevices.”
On soiled areas, use an enzyme-based cleanser, or a solution Rae said should include a teaspoon of mild dish washing liquid added to a cup of warm water.
“You pat that down on the bed; you don’t need to scrub so hard, and then just wipe it up once you’ve let it soak a little bit,” Rae said.
Take your time when deodorizing.
A good way to deodorize a mattress is to dust it with baking soda and allowing it to sit for a day.
“We do really recommend leaving it for 24 hours,” Rae said. “I know that might be a pain for people with only have one mattress to sleep on, but if possible leave it undisturbed for 24 hours to make sure the baking soda is doing its job.”
Rae said many manufacturers recommend rotating the mattress every six months and that’s typically a good schedule as well for cleanings.
She adds, however, that a mattress pad placed between the lower sheet and the mattress can help prevent stains from moisture and reduce the accumulation of allergens.
