How to Clean a Mattress
We all know that bedding has to be washed and aerated regularly, but be honest – did you know that your mattress has to be cleaned too? Many people don’t! While your sheets might be nice and fresh, mattress care often falls by the wayside.
One of the best ways to optimise your sleep environment is to ensure that your space is always fresh and clean. It’s also the best way to maintain the Premier Inn bed experience at home! While washing sheets and bedding is pretty straightforward, cleaning a mattress always seems a lot harder, right? Wrong!
In this blog, we’ll explain how you can clean a mattress and keep it fresher for longer. We’ll also dive into the benefits of products like our Premier Inn at Home mattress protector, and our easy to care for mattresses.
Why Is It Important to Keep a Mattress Clean?
Whether your sleep routine is due an MOT or not, keeping a mattress fresh and clean is essential for rest. Mattresses can harbour nasties including dust mites and bacteria – from sweat produced while sleeping to natural dust build-ups, the enclosed spaces within a mattress are ideal for unwanted germs to set up camp.
By keeping your mattress clean, you’ll help the product last longer, reduce chances of skin irritation and eliminate odours in the bedroom.
How Often Should a Mattress Be Cleaned?
To keep your mattress fresh, it should be deep cleaned twice a year. Timings can be stretched out if you spot clean your mattress or if the mattress isn’t used as much. If a mattress isn’t cleaned regularly, there’s a higher chance that it will deteriorate over time, leading to a dip in quality. As one of our expert tips for how to fall asleep fast is keeping bedding clean, this means the quality of sleep will also be directly impacted if you don’t keep on top of it.
How Can You Clean a Mattress?
So – how can you keep a mattress clean and fresh? With 800+ hotels across the UK, we know a thing or two about the process!
To clean your mattress, follow these steps:
Step One – Remove any bedding and covers and clean those items separately. There’s no point cleaning a mattress if you’re just going to put used bedding back on!
Step Two – Next, remove any loose dirt or debris from the mattress. You can do this by vacuuming the surface, brushing loose items away or using a lint roller to pick up any small pieces. Make sure you focus on one section at a time, paying close attention to small gaps and stitching areas, as this is where dirt is likely to settle.
Step Three – Once all loose dirt is removed, you can use a handheld steamer to start penetrating the interior of the mattress. This ensures any internal dirt is removed, leaving the wadding fresh and clean.
Step Four – The next stage involves removing any stains and giving the entire surface a general clean. To do this, you can use specific spot stain removers or a mixture of warm water and laundry detergent. Work the cleaning solution into the mattress in circular motions and again, go one section at a time to ensure no areas are missed. It’s important not to oversaturate the mattress, so make sure you carefully rinse out your cloth each time. Using too much water may result in the mattress not drying, which can lead to mould and bad odours.
Step Five – Leave the mattress to dry and ensure any excess moisture is blotted away. Once you’ve completed these steps, flip and repeat on the other side!
The entire process can take a couple of hours, including drying time, meaning if you start in the morning, your mattress should be ready again by that night!
What Methods Can Be Used to Keep a Mattress Fresh Between Cleans?
Cleaning your mattress is key, but so is regular spot cleaning to protect it from excessive dirt and stains between washes. Follow these tips for freshness:
Use a Mattress Protector
The best way to protect your mattress is by using a high-quality protector. Protectors allow the top layer of a mattress to have a barrier between you and the product, meaning dirt is trapped before it reaches the mattress. These items can also improve comfort and are easy to wash, making them a simple solution for a constantly fresh mattress.
Our protectors are a big part of how we keep mattresses fresh across our Premier Inn hotels!
Choose Breathable Bedding
Another way to keep a mattress clean is by using breathable bedding. This reduces the chance of sweat building up, which can lead to odours and bacteria. Trapped moisture is hard to remove and can ultimately cause a mattress to deteriorate faster over time.
This is one of the reasons why our Premier Inn duvets are good for summer – we offer lighter togs that are more breathable in warm weather. Also, breathable bedding helps a mattress naturally plump back up thanks to a flow of air, even when not in use. This helps to keep your bed comfy as well as fresh!
Spot Clean Any Problem Areas
If you notice any stains or marks, treat them as soon as possible. This stops unwanted mess from becoming embedded within the mattress, giving it a better chance of staying fresher for longer.
Let the Mattress Breathe
Don’t be too quick to change your sheets on laundry day. Instead, leave the mattress exposed to fresh air to ensure any moisture can be removed. The best way to do this is to leave the bedroom window open for a few hours – weather permitting!
Choose a Mattress From Premier Inn at Home
We hope this gives you some top tips for keeping your sleep space clean and fresh. For a hotel-quality sleep every night, why not enhance your bedroom with our Premier Inn at Home mattress? Top it all off with the same quality bedding we use in our Premier Inn hotels and you’ll be well on your way to recreating the Premier Inn bedding experience at home. Comfy, easy to care for products that will improve your sleep and help your mattress last longer – what’s not to love?
