How to Clean a Mattress Naturally and Remove Stains

Let’s be honest for a second. When was the last time you actually looked—I mean really looked—at your naked mattress?

If you’re like most of us, you probably whip the fitted sheet off on laundry day, see a vague yellow map of stains or a patch of gray dust, and immediately cover it back up with a fresh sheet. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

I did this for years. It wasn’t until my allergies started flaring up every morning that I realized my “clean bed” was actually a giant sponge for dust mites, dead skin, and old sweat.

We spend a third of our lives on these things. Yet, while we wash our clothes after one wear, we let our mattresses marinate for a decade.

The good news? You don’t need to drag it outside (mostly) and you certainly don’t need expensive industrial chemicals that smell like a hospital. You can deep clean a mattress with stuff you likely have in your kitchen pantry right now.

Here is exactly how to clean a mattress naturally, get rid of those stubborn biological stains, and stop waking up with a stuffy nose.

The “Do Not Soak” Rule (Read This First)

Before we mix any potions, there is one golden rule you must follow, especially if you have a memory foam or hybrid mattress: Moisture is the enemy.

Mattresses are dense. If you saturate the foam or the deep batting, it will not dry quickly. A damp mattress becomes a breeding ground for mold inside the layers where you can’t see it.

The Mistake People Make: They treat the mattress like a carpet. They grab a steam cleaner or pour buckets of soapy water on a stain.

Why It Fails: The water seeps deep. The surface dries, but the core stays damp for days, eventually smelling musty or growing mildew.

The Fix: We will use surface cleaning techniques. Damp cloths, not soaking wet ones. Spray bottles, not buckets.

Step 1: The Aggressive Vacuum

Most people skip this, or they do a quick 30-second swipe. Don’t be that person. You need to remove the physical debris (skin flakes, dust, crumbs) before you add any liquid. If you wet the dust, you just create gray mud.

The Tools:

• A vacuum with a HEPA filter (ideally).

• The upholstery attachment (the one with the lint strip or soft bristles).

The Method: Strip the bed completely. Take the upholstery attachment and go over the entire surface. But here is the key: Go slow.

Don’t just wave the wand around. Press down firmly and move slowly across the fabric. You are trying to pull dust mites out from inside the weave, not just off the top. Pay special attention to the seams and piping around the edges—that is where the “gunk” collects.

Quick Aside: I once found a petrified granola bar crumb in the seam of a guest bed that hadn’t been used in six months. Vacuum the seams. Trust me.

Step 2: The Baking Soda Reboot (Deodorizing)

If your mattress just smells a bit “lived in” but doesn’t have major stains, this is your go-to refresh. Even if you have stains, do this step after vacuuming but before wet cleaning.

Baking soda is a base. Most smells (sweat, body oils) are acidic. The baking soda neutralizes them rather than covering them up.

The Process:

1. Grab the heavy artillery: You need a fresh box of baking soda. Don’t use the open one from the back of your fridge that already smells like onions.

2. Add a scent (Optional): If you want a spa vibe, mix 10-20 drops of lavender or tea tree oil into the baking soda box and shake it up. Tea tree oil is great because it’s naturally antibacterial.

3. The Sieve Trick: Don’t just dump clumps on the bed. Pour the baking soda into a kitchen sieve and dust it evenly over the entire mattress. It should look like a light snowfall.

4. The Wait: Leave it alone. Seriously. Go get coffee. Go for a run. Ideally, leave it for 3 to 4 hours. The longer it sits, the more moisture and odor it pulls from the fabric.

5. Vacuum again: Use that upholstery attachment to suck up all the powder.

Surprising Insight: If you have a room with a window that gets direct sunlight, strip the bed and let the sun hit the baking soda-covered mattress. UV rays are a powerful natural sanitizer that kills bacteria. It’s free bleach from the sky.

Step 3: Tackling the Stains (The “Magic” Solution)

Okay, let’s talk about the ugly stuff. Yellow sweat pillows, urine accidents, or that mystery brown spot.

You can buy “enzyme cleaners” at the store (and for pet urine, those are actually best), but for general human stains, you can make a powerful stain remover at home.

The Magic Mixture:

• 1 cup of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (Standard brown bottle stuff).

• 3 tablespoons of Baking Soda.

• 1 drop (literally, just one) of liquid dish soap.

Why this works: The peroxide bleaches the stain without damaging white fabric. The baking soda acts as an abrasive. The dish soap cuts through the body oils that are holding the stain to the fiber.

Case Study: The “Potty Training” Incident

A friend of mine called me in a panic because her toddler had an accident on their unprotect king-sized memory foam mattress. She was scrubbing it with hot water and a towel.

The Correction: I told her to stop the water immediately. Heat sets protein stains (like urine or blood). Cold water only!

The Fix: She mixed the solution above, sprayed it lightly on the spot, and let it bubble. As it dried, the baking soda turned into a crust, lifting the stain out. She vacuumed it up, and the yellow was gone.

How to apply it safely:

1. Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle. (Note: You have to use this immediately. You can’t store it; the gas from the peroxide will make the bottle explode if you leave it sealed for days).

2. Spray lightly. Do not soak. Just mist the stain.

3. Blot, don’t rub. Use a clean white cloth. If you rub, you push the stain deeper. Blotting lifts it off.

4. Air dry. Let it dry completely.

Crucial Warning for Colored Mattresses: Hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleach. If your mattress is dark gray or patterned (rare, but they exist), test this on a hidden corner first. For standard white mattresses, it brightens them up beautifully.

Step 4: Removing Blood Stains (A Special Category)

Blood behaves differently than sweat or urine. It is a protein that binds instantly if you apply heat.

The Mistake: Using warm water because “warm water cleans better.”

The Result: You cook the protein into the fabric. That stain is now permanent.

The Fix: Use Meat Tenderizer. Yes, the powder from the spice aisle.

1. Mix a tablespoon of unseasoned meat tenderizer powder with just enough cold water to make a thick paste.

2. Apply the paste to the blood stain.

3. Let it sit for 30 minutes. The enzymes in the tenderizer break down the protein bonds in the blood.

4. Wipe away the paste with a damp (cold water) cloth.

5. If a shadow remains, hit it with a little hydrogen peroxide.

Step 5: Drying is Non-Negotiable

You have vacuumed, you have spot-cleaned. Now, you might be tempted to throw the sheets back on because you’re tired.

Don’t do it.

If you put sheets on a damp mattress, you are essentially wrapping a wet sponge in plastic.

• Use Fans: Point a box fan directly at the mattress for an hour.

• Hair Dryer (Cool Setting): If you need to speed-dry a specific wet spot, use a hair dryer—but keep it on the “Cool” setting. Remember, heat is bad for memory foam (it can distort the structure) and bad for protein stains.

Maintenance: How to Never Do This Again

Deep cleaning a mattress is satisfying, but it’s also a pain. The goal should be to do this once or twice a year, not every month.

1. The Mattress Protector (The Real Hero) If you don’t have one, stop reading and go buy one. Modern protectors aren’t like those crunchy plastic sheets from the 90s. They are soft, breathable, and waterproof. They stop dead skin and sweat from ever reaching the mattress foam. You just wash the protector with your sheets. Problem solved.

2. Rotate, Don’t Flip Most modern mattresses are “one-sided” (pillow tops, memory foam hybrids). You cannot flip them over. However, you can rotate them 180 degrees. This prevents permanent body indentations and allows the mattress to wear evenly. Do this every time you deep clean (every 6 months).

3. The Weekly Strip When you change your sheets, leave the mattress “naked” for an hour before putting the fresh sheets on. Open the window. Let the mattress breathe and release the moisture it absorbed from your body over the last week.

Final Reality Check

Look, a mattress won’t last forever. If your mattress is over 10 years old, visibly sagging in the middle, and you wake up with back pain regardless of how clean it is, no amount of baking soda is going to save it. Cleaning extends the life, but it doesn’t perform miracles on structural failure.

But for the stains, the dust, and that stale bedroom smell? This routine works. It’s cheap, it utilizes science (enzymes and oxidation), and it saves you from sleeping on a chemistry set of harsh commercial cleaners.

Grab the vacuum, find the baking soda, and reclaim your sleep sanctuary.

Author Box

Editor — The editorial team at Tips Clear. We research, test, and fact-check each guide and update it when new cleaning science emerges. This content is for educational purposes; always check manufacturer labels before applying products to warranty-covered items.