Did your child have an accident in bed? Did you spill juice while having breakfast in bed? Regardless of the reason, anyone who has a foam mattress will have to clean it at some point. Here is an overview of how to clean foam mattress surfaces. We’ll provide generic advice on how to clean any foam mattress.
Content:
01.Remove the Worst of It
02.Wash the Cover
03.Neutralize Any Odors
04.Dry Out the Mattress
05.Reassemble the Mattress
06.Invest in Prevention
07.Plan on Maintaining the Foam Mattress
07 Steps to Clean Foam mattress
01.Remove the Worst of It
If you spilled food in bed, the first step is vacuuming up the crumbs. It is better to use the upholstery attachment on your upright vacuum cleaner or a handheld vacuum cleaner than trying to run a large vacuum over the surface of your bed.
If you became ill in bed, use cleaning wipes to remove the physical components of the mess. If you or a pet peed in bed, get a towel and soak up the worst of the mess. Blot up as much liquid as possible.
02.Wash the Cover
If there is a detachable cover on the mattress, remove it and wash it separately in cold water. If there is no detachable cover or the stain seeped into the lower levels of the mattress, you’ll have to clean up the stain manually. Use a small amount of a mild laundry or dish detergent mixed with water. Soak a sponge in this, and then dab the stained area. Dab, not scrub, since scrubbing will push the strain into the mattress and cause it to set. Let the cleaning solution sit for at least five minutes.
Then use clean sponges or dry towels to absorb the soapy mix. Rinse with clean water that you draw out with a towel. This essentially washes that layer of the foam mattress. Washing with a clean sponge ensures that you don’t end up spreading the stain instead of removing it. If you’re concerned about applying too much cleaner, use a spray bottle containing the cleaning mixture. Do not put the cleaning fluid in a bowl or cup on top of the mattress or you risk making a bigger mess.
One word of warning – do not use bleach or any cleaning solutions using mix. This will damage the foam mattress, and it will alter the coloring of it as well. Don’t use anything with ammonia, either, since this can degrade the foam.
If you’re dealing with urine stains, enzymatic cleaners are safe but costly. Vinegar will neutralize its odor and be safe for exposure to the foam, but you’ll have to be extra sure to dry everything. If you’re going to use vinegar to clean up the foam mattress, use a mix with equal parts water and vinegar.
Do be careful not to expose the foam mattress to too much water, since moisture in the foam mattress can become a breeding ground for mold.
03.Neutralize Any Odors
After you’ve removed the obvious stain, sprinkle the area with baking soda to absorb any remaining odors. If possible, let it sit on the affected area overnight. Then vacuum up the baking soda, because you don’t want this to remain on the foam mattress when you reassemble it.
04.Dry Out the Mattress
Before you reassemble the bed such as putting the cover and sheets back on, let everything dry out. If you can’t wait for the mattress to dry naturally, you can use a hair dryer set on a low, cool setting. Do not set a dryer on high, since this could warp the foam. A better choice is setting up a fan to blow air over the area so that you speed up the drying process without applying heat.
05.Reassemble the Mattress
Once the foam layer is dry, you can put the mattress top or top foam layer back in place. Then put the sheets and blankets back in place.
06.Invest in Prevention
Now that you’ve removed the stain, the next step is preventing it from happening again. The ideal situation is putting a water-proof cover on the mattress. If this isn’t an option, put two or more layers of sheets on the foam bed so that they absorb the next mess before it reaches the mattress.
07.Plan on Maintaining the Foam Mattress
The foam mattress needs to be maintained by vacuuming the surface once a month while you wash all of the blankets and sheets. This helps to control dust mites as well as remove food crumbs and shed hair. Note that you should do this even if you have a water-proof cover on the mattress. Don’t forget to vacuum in the little crevices of the mattress that can trap debris like skin flakes, hair and other unwanted debris.