I’m kind of embarrassed every time my mom comes to visit. My dogs messed up the guest bed and it stinks. You can smell it even if I put on two sets of sheets. I need to know can a mattress be cleaned.
Florence F., Los Angeles
Yes, you can clean your mattress. It’s not hard. You’ll just need to do it soon enough that it will be dry when you have guests. If you want complete directions, check out this article here: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/get-rid-urine-smell-stains-mattress-carpet/
Pet urine, especially cat urine, is easy to clean up if you have an enzyme cleaner. This product gets rid of the ammonia odor that pet urine leaves behind. If the stain is old, you might have to treat it more than once. Then the spot will need to air dry.
If you don’t have an enzyme cleaner, you can also try using white vinegar. Dampen any urine spots with a wet cloth. Then spray them with vinegar and let the mattress dry in the sunshine if possible. If you have Borax instead of vinegar, you can use that, too.
Dampen the stain with a wet rag. Sprinkle Borax on the damp area and rub it in well. Then let the spots dry. Vacuum up any leftover Borax powder. This remedy also works as a DIY yoga mat cleaner.
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda can also take care of urine and other mattress stains and can be effective for how to get blood out of a mattress, too. How to wash a foam mattress and get rid of the ugly stains and the smell is not hard but does take a little effort and time.
Sprinkle baking soda on the stain and scrub it into the fabric. Spritz some peroxide on the stain and rub some more. Let the mixture sit for a couple of hours and vacuum up the residue. Repeat as needed.
Since the bed needs to air dry each time you clean it, it’s best to start the stain removal process a few days ahead of time so that the bed is ready when you need it.
If your mattress has many stains or is old and you think you may be better off with a new one, you can do that, too. Do you know what to do with an old mattress? It is possible to donate it but note that it must be cleaned first. Or, you could recycle the mattress, too. Contact your local recycler to learn how the process works.