An Easy Way to Keep Your Mattress Clean and Smelling Fresh

The next time you tidy up your home, don’t overlook the need to clean your mattress.

As Consumer Reports notes, we all spend a large part of our lives on our mattress. But it is easy to overlook the need to keep that part of the bed clean.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to maintain a mattress. CR recommends tackling the project twice annually.

While you can hire someone to give the mattress a deep clean, there is no reason you cannot keep it in good shape on your own. CR suggests the following steps when cleaning a mattress:

• Strip the bed and wash your sheets.
• Vacuum the mattress with an upholstery attachment, paying extra attention to seams and crevices.
• Clean any spots you notice.
• Deodorize the mattress.

That final step is crucial. Pour baking soda over the mattress — CR says you should use up to a full 1-pound box to do this. If possible, place the mattress near a window and let the sun sanitize it for 24 hours.

After this process is finished, vacuum the mattress a second time. You can then use a fabric refresher to remove remaining odors.

Once your mattress is clean, try to keep it that way. Brian Sansoni, senior vice president of communications at the American Cleaning Institute, tells CR that he recommends purchasing an encasement for the mattress, which can help keep it cleaner and stain-free.

The Sleep Foundation also recommends protecting your mattress, ideally with a waterproof mattress protector, or at minimum with a quality mattress pad.

This will help prevent spills from reaching your mattress. The Sleep Foundation also discourages you from eating or drinking in bed.

The right protector or pad also can prevent dust and allergens from building up on your mattress.

Keeping your mattress clean might even help you sleep better. But if you continue to toss and turn, try these “8 Sleep Tricks That Actually Work.”