Have you ever thought of cleaning your mattresses and bed comforters? First, you should know that it’s a highly grueling job. The amount of time needed to clean mattresses and bed comforters can be time-consuming. But if you are a busy person and living alone, you don’t have the time to do grueling housework.
Fortunately, technology advancements help clean mattresses and comforters efficiently. What’s more, there are laundry services that offer laundry pickup and delivery, like Liox Laundry. So you can call for a pickup appointment, and they will take care of our laundry.
But, if you would like to do the cleaning of your mattresses and bed comforters at home, here are some tips on how to do it.
How to Properly Clean Mattress
1. Preparation of cleaning materials
To clean the mattress, you have to gather and ready the materials for ease of use. The materials are as follows:
- water preferably cold
- detergent
- clean cloths
- enzyme cleaner/hydrogen peroxide+dish soap mix/baking soda+water mix (for cleaning stains)
- vacuum with upholstery tool/crevice tool
- baking soda
- brush
2. Removing and washing of bedding.
Remove the bedsheets, pillowcases, and comforter. Wash them using the washing machine, or you can drop them off at the nearest laundromat while you clean the mattress. You can also wash the pillows if the care label permits it.
3. Clean the mattress using the vacuum (with an upholstery tool attached).
Equip the upholstery tool on the vacuum and start vacuuming the mattress. Do not forget to include the sides and edges. Also, you can equip the crevice tool for cleaning the seams to get hidden dirt or dust. It is a good idea to clean your mattress often or every couple of months if you or someone in your family suffers from allergies.
4. Remove stains on the mattress.
Look for stains in the mattress, which means you need to check the mattress thoroughly. Also, you need to be careful and check what kind of mattress you have because some mattresses cannot be wet at all, like memory foam.
The stain remover you will use will depend on the kind of mattress and the type of stain. For biological stains like iodine, saliva, blood, urine, and other natural stains, you can use an enzyme cleaner or a DIY alternative like mixing 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and 1 tablespoon dish soap.
Pour some onto the cleaning cloth and put it onto the stain. DO NOT RUB IT. leave it for a while and then replace it with another fabric with cold water applied and put it onto the stain until the stain is removed. The main point is to use less of the product and moisture as possible.
5. Deodorizing the mattress
Apply baking soda to the whole mattress to soak up the odor coming from it.
Do not skimp on the baking soda. To apply it evenly, you can use a sifter to distribute it evenly over the mattress. It is best to leave it as long as possible for better results as the baking soda will break down acids and soak up moisture and odor. Make sure that the mattress is not wet as it can cause molds on the mattress.
6. Cleaning the mattress
After the baking soda has done its work, use the vacuum to clean the mattress and use a brush to brush away small baking soda particles not vacuumed.
7. Flipping the mattress
Flip the mattress and apply the steps above for even cleaning. You can just cover it up with sheets after flipping it 180 degrees for those who have yet to use the other side. Note that you need to flip the mattress to ensure even wear and prolonged usage.
8. Cover it up with a mattress protector
A mattress protector is a worthy investment because you can prolong the usage of your mattress. It can also save the mattress from spills, dirt, bugs, and dust.
9. Finish with clean sheets
After the mattress has been cleaned, you can now make the bed with fresh sheets.
How to Clean a Bed Comforter
1. Read the care label
The first thing you need to do is to read the care label. So if you see “Dry Cleaning Only,” it’s best to just go to the dry cleaners and let them clean it. If the care label has instructions on washing or cleaning the comforter, just follow the specific instructions given.
2. Remove the stains and fix the comforter.
Be sure to remove the stains before washing the comforter. You can make a mix of baking soda(1 tbsp) and water(1 tbsp) or baking soda(1 tbsp) and white vinegar(1 tbsp) and apply it to the stain. You also must check the comforter for tears, loose threads, and torn seams. Fix the comforter first before washing.
3. Washing the comforter.
The comforter must fit inside the washing machine with room to spare, meaning you need to wash it on its own or have enough space; otherwise, the comforter will not get washed or entirely cleaned if the washing machine is full. If the machine is too small, you can call a laundry service such as laundry service Sacramento to get the job done.
4. Choosing the appropriate settings, water, and detergents.
Select the delicate setting in the washing machine to prevent damage from being done to the comforter. You also need to add the extra rinse setting if possible. Next, apply cold or warm water as instructed on the care label.
If you want to kill dust mites, you need to use hot water. Using a small amount(1 scoop) of mild detergent is suggested to prevent over-foaming the machine, and it also protects the comforter from being damaged.
5. Drying the comforter using the washing machine
To dry the comforter, using two tennis balls is suggested. First, put the comforter evenly on the machine, then add the tennis balls on top of the comforter to help it keep the comforter. Alternatively, you can use clean tennis shoes or down fluffer rings instead of tennis balls. It will take a while to dry the comforter, so every 30 minutes, you need to take out the comforter, fluff it, and put it back again. This is to make sure that fill is redistributed and adequately aerated.
6. Air drying
After it is dried in the machine, complete the drying process by air drying. If it is sunny outside, you can leave it for a couple of hours. Drying outside makes sure that the comforter is dried out evenly, and sunlight also kills dust mites. You can use it after it has dried.
Final Thoughts
Washing the mattress and bed comforter is necessary for people who suffer from allergies. But even though you don’t suffer from allergies, that does not mean that you do not clean your mattress or bed comforter.
Everyone needs a good night’s rest after a day of hard work, and cleaning your mattress and bed comforter ensures that. If you can at least wash your mattress and bed comforter 3 times a year? Assuming you do not have allergies, then that will be a year of good night’s rest.
