Yes, you can clean your mattress!

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UN CALDO CHALET DI DESIGN , archstudiodesign archstudiodesign Scandinavian style bedroom
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You might have wondered in the past if there was anything you could do to clean your mattress. While companies that sell them might have you believing that you need a new one as often as your change your toothbrush, we have found some great tips for tackling the task at home.

Regardless of what has spilled or happened on your mattress we think we can help you tackle it so that you are sleeping on a fresh and fluffy cloud again before you know it.

Take a look and see what you need to be keeping in your store cupboard!

Battling with blood

Blood stains can be common on a mattress for any number of reasons. If you have a cut or scratch that you don't notice you can leave a mark and just as easily, women can have accidents during their period. There is no need to panic or be grossed out. Blood is natural.

To tackle a blood stain the best method is to mix up a relatively dry paste of crushed aspirin (this will thin out the stain) or baking soda with a little lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide. This works as the liquids are naturally antiseptic and by keeping the paste dry it won't soak the mattress. Work the paste in with a cloth and keep going until the stain fades. It might take a little time to remove it totally.

Handling spills in bed

Top Dog Mattress Loaf Classic style bedroom

It's no secret that we all spend a lot of time in our beds and not just for sleeping. We're not talking about anything x-rated here but are merely drawing attention to the fact that many of us are guilty of eating and drinking in bed. We know we shouldn't but we all do.

If you've taken the time to buy a good mattress and treated yourself to some stunning bedding, such as these sheets from Loaf, the last thing you want is coffee, tea or even red wine leaving a mark. If you do have a spill, DON'T reach for water! You need to keep your mattress as dry as possible or you will encourage mould spores to grow. Instead, identify the stain and use one of our tips, below.

Accidents happen

Kids, pets or even unfortunate grown up accidents can all mean that your clean mattress is exposed to an unfortunate amount of urine in its lifetime but don't worry that you can't tackle the stain and smell as you can. Let's be honest, you don't want to be buying a new mattress every week, do you? 

Soak up the urine as soon as possible by using an absorbent cloth and really do try to get as much up as you can. The lingering smell of old urine is what you will need to tackle next so sprinkle a good amount of baking soda onto the mattress and when dry, hoover up. Repeat until you can't smell the pee any more. Ta-da!

Move on from mould

This is one thing that we really recommend that you keep an eye on because if you try to tackle a mould outbreak yourself and nothing happens, it really could be time to simply get a new clean mattress. This is your health we are talking about after all and a damp bedroom is not what you want.

Lemon juice and vinegar are both great to use in the battle against mould but as you will want to keep your mattress as dry as possible, you really will struggle here. A baking soda and vinegar paste can work wonders but you'll need to totally dry out your mattress before you start using it again. 

Drying a damp mattress

In a warm country that enjoys great weather all year round this would be an absolute piece of cake. Unfortunately this is the UK and we have no such luck, meaning that you have to get a little more creative when it comes to drying out your mattress.

If you have tried to reclaim a clean mattress and gone a little heavy with the detergent and liquid we recommend that you prop it up in a warm room, with the heating on and plug in a dehumidifier next to it. This should suck out most of the moisture and speed up the drying process but you might need to employ your hairdryer, too!

Perfume the pong

If you have a relatively clean mattress but it just smells a little less fresh than you would like, you can easily tackle this issue. Some people like to sprinkle baking soda over the mattress, leave for a few hours and then hoover up but for some extra zing, we have a better tip.

Add some essential oil to your baking soda first, let it dry back out and then sprinkle over your mattress before hoovering. Pick a scent that you love, or something relaxing that will help aid sleep, and you'll never remember what it used to smell like.

For more home cleaning tips, take a look at this Ideabook: The Slacker’s Guide To A Quick Home Clean Up. We're not calling you a slacker but who doesn't love an easy life?

Did you know that baking soda was so versatile?! Tell us any other good tips you have for a fresh mattress!

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