How to clean a mattress in 6 easy steps

Whether there's a stain or smell you want to remove or you just want to give your mattress a regular spring clean, these tips will help you get it right.

Use our expert Which? guide to discover how to clean your mattress quickly and easily, in just six simple steps. Plus, find out how to remove common mattress stains such as blood and urine, and keep your mattress feeling fresher for longer.

Mattress past its best? Head to our round-up of the best mattresses to find a new one.

How to clean your mattress

If your mattress is stain-free, it should be quick to clean. Simply follow these six steps:

1. First, check the instructions or care label for your particular mattress.
2. Strip the bed and check for new stains on the mattress. If you find any, scroll down for tips on how to tackle them.
3. Gently vacuum the surface of the mattress. For this, use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner if you have one, making sure the attachment is clean before you begin. Once you've given the mattress the once over, go back and focus on any nooks and crannies in the surface to make sure you pick up every last bit of dust and dead skin. It's a good idea to vacuum under the bed to remove dust at the same time, and around the frame, especially if you suffer from allergies.
4. Rotate your mattress from head to toe if it's one-sided. If it's two-sided, flip it and make sure you vacuum both sides.
5. Air your mattress for a few hours to let the fabric breathe. Unless you need to get rid of an unpleasant smell, opening the bedroom window to let fresh air circulate around the room and pass through the fabric in your mattress should be sufficient. Scroll down for advice on dealing with smells.
6. Remake the bed. We recommend using a mattress protector beneath your sheet to protect your mattress from dust and sweat, as this means you won't have to clean the mattress so often.

Read more cleaning tips in our guide to how often you should wash your bedding.

Cleaning a memory foam mattress

Always check the manufacturer's instructions and your product warranty before attempting to clean your memory foam mattress.

Memory foam mattresses often come with removable mattress covers that are machine washable to help make cleaning easier, but not always. Sometimes the cover is removable, but the instructions actually advise against taking it off and washing it, while others allow this but say to avoid cleaning the foam after the cover has been removed.

If you're putting your cover in the washing machine, follow the washing instructions carefully to be sure you don’t inadvertently invalidate your warranty or shrink the cover so much that it doesn’t fit back over the mattress.

If you’re tempted by memory foam, see our best memory foam mattresses.

Video: how to remove mattress stains

Our handy video shows you at a glance how to tackle stains, or read on for more detailed information.

Scrubbing stains out of a mattress is no one's idea of fun, but it's essential if you want to keep yours clean and odour-free for years to come. Before you get going, there are three golden rules to follow:

1. Try to attack stains as soon as possible.
2. Always check the mattress label before you apply any cleaning products.
3. Test any cleaning solution on a small part of the stain first to ensure it won't damage the mattress.

How to get blood stains out of a mattress

First, dab at the stain with a little cold water. Be careful not to soak the mattress (especially if it's a foam or memory foam mattress) and don't rub the stain, as this could spread the blood further. 

You might find this technique surprisingly effective, especially if the stain is recent, but if not, try adding a little baking soda to the water. Apply to the stain, leave it for 30 minutes, then dab with clean water and leave to dry.

If the stain is still there after the mattress has dried, try following the steps below for removing urine, as these will also work for blood.

How to get urine out of a mattress

To remove bodily fluids such as urine from your mattress, try diluting washing-up liquid in water and then gently dabbing at the stain with a cloth or sponge. Remember that mattresses aren't waterproof, so it's best to clean slowly and steadily. 

Don't soak the mattress, especially if it's a memory foam or foam mattress as this could damage the mattress.

If the stain still isn't lifting and your mattress care label says it's OK, use an upholstery cleaner – but always read the instructions. We recommend erring on the side of caution, so it's safest to dilute it and avoid spraying it directly on to the mattress.

Removing other mattress stains

For food and drink stains such as tea and coffee, your best bet is to try the baking soda and cold water mix mentioned above.

For bodily fluids and sweat stains, try using diluted washing-up liquid. If in any doubt, though, contact the manufacturer to find out if it has any specific advice.

Can I use carpet cleaner on a mattress?

Carpet cleaners are designed for removing stains and smells from carpets, not mattresses, so we don't recommend this.

Always check the manufacturer's instructions and your product warranty first. If you do decide to invest in a cleaning product, choose one specifically designed for mattresses.

How can you get the smell out of a new mattress?

Regardless of how comfortable your mattress is, you're unlikely to get a good night's sleep if you're unable to escape an unpleasant smell when you put your head down.

Brand new mattresses

It's quite normal for a brand new mattress to smell. If yours is made from synthetic materials such as memory foam, you may notice a strong chemical smell after first unpacking. Even natural mattresses, made using materials such as sheep's wool, can smell unusual at first. 

Sometimes, the small can be the result of flame-retardant treatment that manufacturers are required to apply.

While these smells will eventually disperse, you can speed the process up by airing the mattress near an open window.

If the weather is good, and you're able to move the mattress, try airing the mattress outside in your garden, patio or outside space (if you have one). UV light from sunshine can help to sanitise your mattress, naturally.

Unwrap your new mattress as soon as possible; never leave it in plastic wrappings or store it in a damp place (such as a garage) for any length of time, as the damp environment could lead to rot. 

Something has soaked into the mattress's fabric cover

It's not only new mattresses that can smell. If you've noticed an unpleasant smell from your mattress, it's time to investigate.  

Bodily fluids are obvious examples, but even your morning brew can cause issues; spilt drinks such as tea and coffee, or even spilt water leave a musty odour if the fabric doesn't properly dry out.

After you've removed any stains, air the mattress for as long as possible to allow the smell to fade. If the smell is especially strong or unpleasant, though, you'll need to up your game.

Before trying any DIY fixes, aways check your mattress care labels. If you're good to go, try sprinkling a generous baking soda layer over the entire surface. For best results, leave it for as long as possible, overnight ideally. 

Vacuum up the baking soda (if your mattress allows) and air the mattress by an open window – you should find the smell has gone.

If the smell still hasn't gone and you've had your mattress for a while, it might be time to replace it. We recommend replacing your mattress when it's around 8-10 years old.

Need a new one? See our round-up of the best mattress deals. 

What happens if you never clean your mattress?

While you might think your mattress isn't dirty – especially if you normally shower before going to bed and if the mattress is stain-free – that's unlikely to be the case. 

No matter how often you change your bed linen, you still need to go the extra mile every so often and give your mattress a thorough clean. 

According to The Sleep Council:

• the average adult loses 285ml of fluid each night
• we shed around 454g of dead skin over the course of a year, much of which ends up nestled in your bed
• an average bed contains 10,000 dust mites that produce more than two million droppings, which can aggravate allergies
• a person spends roughly a third of their life asleep.

So if you never clean your mattress, it could become a hot bed of bacteria, dust, mould or dust mites. All of which is not only unhygienic, but can also aggravate allergies.

When we surveyed Which? members*, 65% had never cleaned stains from a mattress, 30% had never vacuumed their mattress, and 17% had never aired their mattress - all of these will help keep your mattress fresher and cleaner. 

Always check the specific care labels for your mattress before starting any cleaning. 

Unwelcome visitors in your bed? Read our advice on how to get rid of bedbugs.

How often should you clean your mattress?

There's no hard and fast rule for this. It all depends on the mattress and the person sleeping on it, but every six months is advisable.

If you're in the habit of flipping or rotating your mattress every three to six months (as you should be), it's worth taking a little extra time to clean it while you do so.

If you suffer from allergies, you should clean your mattress whenever the tell-tale symptoms of a runny nose, itchy throat and dry eyes start to worsen.

It also depends on how breathable the mattress is. Every mattress we review is tested for how well moisture passes through it – the more breathable a mattress is, the less likely it is to stockpile sweat.

Head to our mattress reviews to find a breathable option.

How to maintain a clean mattress

Make your mattress go the distance with these expert tips from The Sleep Council.

• Give the mattress some air Get into the habit of airing your mattress daily. Throw back your duvet and pillows in the morning (you can leave the mattress cover on) and leave the bed to air for 20 minutes. This will allow body moisture to evaporate.
• Turn your mattress regularly, but only if the manufacturer advises it. You should turn your mattress over and rotate it end to end every week for the first three months, then every three or four months after that. This will help the upholstery fillings to settle down more evenly. Some mattresses, particularly memory foam or those with in-built toppers, shouldn’t be be turned over, but you should still rotate them regularly.
• Ban bouncing on the mattress (fun though it is) and try not to sit on the edge of the bed too much. Both can put undue strain on the mattress and cause it to lose support sooner.
• Protect the mattress with a mattress protector A washable cover will protect your mattress from stains and you can also buy covers made from purpose-made ‘barrier’ fabric if you have a dust allergy.
• Use your mattress guarantee Think your mattress has sagged sooner than should be expected? Consider contacting the retailer or manufacturer. Mattresses often come with a warranty to cover faulty materials or shoddy workmanship. Unfortunately, most mattress guarantees won't cover the gradual wear and tear that happens and which leads to a loss of support.
• Consider using a mattress topper You can pick one up for as little as £10 – although some can cost more than £100. These add an extra layer of memory foam or padding to the top of your mattress. The quality can vary significantly, though, so it's worth checking our reviews of the best mattress toppers we've tested. 

And don't forget, while cleaning your mattress is a good place to start, vacuuming your bedroom and cleaning under the bed is also a good idea to help prevent dust build-up.

*Based on a survey of 10,630 Which? Connect panel members conducted in October 2023.