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mattress guides

How To Clean A Memory Foam Mattress? Tips To Clean Mattress, Pad & Topper

woman cleaning memory foam mattress

Spilling coffee, water, or anything else on your mattress may seem a complete disaster, but in fact, there are right ways to clean a memory foam mattress. That happens to the best of us, and first of all, you shouldn’t panic.

We’ll tell you how to clean memory foam mattresses fast and easily. Just read this guide, find the solution to your particular problem, follow the recommendations, and you’ll get that liquid out of your bed and continue to enjoy a great sleep on your memory foam mattress.

tools to clean a memory foam mattress

Cleaning a memory foam mattress properly: All ways and tricks

Coffee, water, food, urine, blood—all this can spoil your mattress. On top of that, memory foam smells if you don’t clean your mattress regularly. Though there are different types of stains and spills, there is a single algorithm that will help you get rid of stains, dirt, and liquid.

  1. Vacuum your mattress to get rid of dust and crumbs
  2. Spot-treat the stains using the cleaning solution
  3. Sprinkle baking soda and let it absorb the liquid—that will take about 24 hours
  4. Vacuum it again
  5. Flip it over, if necessary, and take all these steps once again

Generally speaking, that will help you cleaning a memory foam mattress, no matter what happened to it. If you have just spilled liquid on it, use paper towels to absorb the liquids, and then take the same steps besides the first vacuum clean. This algorithm is also approved by all biggest mattress manufacturers—experts in matter how to clean a memory foam mattress. Some recommendations that brands provide may be a bit different, though.

Saatva

Saatva recommends using a pet-stain upholstery cleaner. The representatives of the company also say that Biokleen and Simple Solution cleaners work pretty well. Those who don’t want to use chemicals can mix lemon juice and salt to get rid of stains. 

Casper

Casper, in turn, recommends enzyme-based cleaner and also shares the recipe of the homemade cleaner which contains hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid detergent. The company also notes that adding essential oils is a pretty good idea for those who want not only to remove stains but also to get rid of odors.

Nectar

Nectar also provides pretty useful recommendations. In particular, those who want to remove stains should use the solution made of hydrogen peroxide, soda, and vinegar. Those who want to get rid of blood stains should make a paste with water and baking soda. On top of that, the company recommends using meat tenderizer mixed with water and leaving it for an hour to make your mattress clean. 

mattress mold

Getting rid of mold on memory foam mattress: Is it possible?

It’s possible, but you never know if you get rid of all the mold, so you do it at your own risk. First and foremost, you need to remember that researchers note that though most molds are not harmful to healthy humans, allergic reaction to mold is one of the most commonly experienced health effects. 

So, if you decide to clean your mattress, take serious safety measures and do the following:

  1. Vacuum the bed
  2. Make a cleaning solution
  3. Scrub the stains and rinse the area
  4. Get rid of liquid using baking soda and vacuum your bed

If you need more detailed instructions, you can find them in our guide on how to get mold out of your bed.  

Memory foam mattress care: Preventive measures

Cleaning foam mattress is not the easiest task—it’s always easier to prevent a problem than to solve it, right? Here are the ways to do it:

  1. Buy a mattress stain- and water-resistant protector (you can find tips to choose the right one and the best protectors in the market here)
  2. Consider getting a slatted foundation instead of a solid bed base—it’s much more breathable
  3. Rotate it every 3 months
  4. Wash your bedding at least every two weeks—oils, hair, sweat are no good for your mattress that absorbs all these things
  5. Don’t let pets lie on your bed
  6. Follow all manufacturer’s recommendations

This is enough to make your mattress last much, much longer. 

cleaning memory foam topper

How to clean a foam topper & mattress pad?

It’s pretty close to cleaning the mattress—after all, in most cases, it’s just a thinner piece of memory foam. Anyway, here are the steps you should take:

  • Remove it from your bed not to make it wet, too
  • Vacuum the pad
  • Spot-clean the stains using one of the solutions (we have mentioned the most popular recipes above)
  • Rinse the pad, apply baking soda and leave it for 8-24 hours
  • Vacuum the pad again

Washing memory foam topper or pad is not super fast, but it’s pretty easy if you know which solution works for you perfectly, and use baking soda that absorbs all the liquid from the mattress. Just remember that nearly all stains, even the old ones can be removed completely or at least partially—just be careful, use the recommendations that we provided and enjoy sleeping in your clean bed. 

FAQ

Can you wash memory foam pillows?

First and foremost, you shouldn’t wash your pillows in the washing machine—in the best-case scenario, you’ll weaken the material, and in the worst-case scenario, your pillow just will be torn apart. However, it can be hand-washed in lukewarm water with a teaspoon of super gentle detergent. Don’t apply too much pressure—this is a pretty delicate item.

How to get urine out of memory foam mattress?

Remove the bedding, make a cleaning solution (vinegar with water, 50/50%), dab liquid with paper towels, then spray your solution on the stains and blot out excess liquid. After that, sprinkle baking soda, leave it for about 10 hours, then vacuum up the soda. If there are old urine stains on your mattress, you’ll need to use the algorithm provided in this article above (or use this one).

How to clean memory foam mattress topper?

First, you can’t wash it in the washing machine. This will damage its structure. If it's dirty, if there are stains on it, do exactly the same things that you do when cleaning your memory foam mattress: vacuum the topper, apply the solution, spot-treat the stains, apply baking soda, wait at least 8-10 hours, then vacuum soda.

Can you steam clean a memory foam mattress?

No, you shouldn’t do it. Memory foam is a unique material, and it becomes much softer if you increase the temperature in your room. Imagine what happens when you apply localized heat—you’ll damage its structure, and there is a big chance that you won’t be able to use it anymore.

How to wash foam mattress pad?

It’s pretty much like cleaning a mattress itself or cleaning a memory foam mattress topper. You need to remove it from the bed, vacuum it, make a solution, spot-clean the stains applying the solution, apply baking soda to remove the liquid, and vacuum it once again. 

How to clean a memory foam mattress with baking soda?

There are some cleaning solutions with soda (for example, you can try to remove blood stains with a paste made of soda and cool water), but in most cases, it’s applied after you spot-clean the stains to remove all the liquid from the mattress and make it fresh.