Today we are going to talk about the one place where we spend a third of our lives and the one place that many people forget to clean regularly. Where is that? Your mattress! The average person will spend almost 230,000 hours sleeping in their lifetime. We know you spend a lot of time dreaming about cleaning. LOL We also know that as Clean Freaks you regularly wash and clean the sheets, pillow cases and blankets but your mattress can be a challenge!
Why Clean Your Mattress?
WARNING : Ewww Moment-
As humans we shed nearly 600,000 particles of skin every hour. That adds up to around 1.5 pounds of skin per year.
Did you know? Just like people, mattresses get heavier over time?!? Your mattress absorbs dead skin particles, contains dust mites, dust mite waste (feces Ewww!) moisture, oil and other biologicals.(aka Nasty Stuff)
So, How can you put your mattress on a diet?
Here are 5 Tips to Clean Your Mattress like a Pro!
1. Remove and Wash ALL the Bedding.
Sheets, pillow cases and blankets need to be washed, preferably with hot water. The cleaner the bedding is, the cleaner the mattress will stay over time. Also, the hot water can help reduce the dust mite population. More on that shortly…
2. Vacuum! Vacuum! Vacuum!
Once the bedding is removed, we recommend using a vacuum with a HEPA filter to vacuum your mattress.
Here is a vacuum we like to use!
Pro Tip: If you choose to use a vacuum with a beater bar be very careful!
Vacuuming is essential to reduce the build up of dust from dead skin.
Here’s Why:
Dust mites! Dust mites are very tiny eight legged creatures related to spiders.
An average mattress can have millions of dust mites.
A dust mite delicacy is dead skin cells. So yes, as gruesome as it sounds, dust mites survive by feeding on dead skin.
When dust mites eat, excrete waste (poop), and when they die: The waste material left behind can be very toxic.
Nearly 20 million people in the United States have some form of dust mite allergy.
So by vacuuming your mattress regularly you are minimizing the food source for dust mites and helping reduce the population. You are also helping remove the nasty dust mite remains. Ewww!
3. Spot Cleaning
Since we all spend a third of our lives in one place, at some point we are going to have to clean up a spot.
Here is a simple Spot Cleaning DYI:
1 Mist the spot with hydrogen peroxide then let it sit on the spot for 5- 10 minutes.
2 Gently wipe the spot with a microfiber towel (Repeat steps 1 and 2 if needed)
3 Next, flush the spot with a small portable spotter. (If you don’t have a spotter, mist the sp and blot with the microfiber towel to get up as much excess moisture as possible)
4 Finally, let the mattress air dry
See Brandon’s Mattress Spot Cleaning Video HERE
Pro Tip Reminder: Label is Law Make sure to check the Manufacturer’s cleaning guidelines. (Especially with new mattresses) Certain cleaning products can void your warranty.
4. Do NOT Over Wet the Mattress!
Your mattress is like a sponge, literally. If you use too much moisture on the mattress the moisture can take a long time to dry. This can cause water spots on the surface and if the mattress is saturated with water it can lead to issues with mold and mildew.
5. Flip it and Reverse it?
Over time if your mattress stays in the exact same position the interior material can start to compress and degrade. We recommend rotating your mattress every 3 months. (Again, always defer to Manufacturer guidelines)
Should I flip my mattress?
Usually that depends on the type of mattress you have. Some mattresses have specially designed tops to make them more comfortable. (Again, always defer to Manufacturer guidelines)
There you have it!
To put this to rest, it’s all just a matter of Mind over Mattress!
Now you can sleep sound tonight knowing that a clean mattress is a great place to spend a third of your life!