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We all know to clean bed sheets regularly and a well-known pillow manufacturer has taught us about the importance of changing our pillows regularly, but are we all cleaning our mattresses enough? The answer is probably not.
Most of us might not have ever cleaned our mattress because it’s not really something we think about doing. However, it is just as important as keeping everything else that goes on our bed clean.
Photo by Malidate Van from Pexels
The disgusting-yet-unavoidable fact is that we humans shed skin every day. And that pile of dead skin makes a delicious meal for dust mites. In fact, the amount we shed in a day could feed around 1 million of them. Not only is that pretty disgusting to think about, having that many of these sorts of creatures in the house can be a huge contributor to allergy problems.
The good news is there’s no need to throw your mattress out in disgust. Unless it’s really old, you can just give it a good deep clean.
How often should a mattress be cleaned
As a general rule of thumb, you should try to clean your mattress at least twice a year. If you want to really keep on top of things, cleaning it with the change of every season would be even better.
And in even better news, cleaning it is relatively easy and can be done by yourself at home:
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Step 1: Vacuum
Once you’ve stripped the bed of all bedding and the mattress protector (if you have one), vacuum the mattress thoroughly. The seam line is where most of the buildup settles so play close attention to that.
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Step 2: Spot clean
Make up a paste of baking soda, salt and water and cover any stains with it. Leave the paste to set for 30 mins before brushing it away. Then wipe any residue away with a damp cloth and then dry with a hairdryer or fan.
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Step 3: Freshen up
Sprinkle the top of your mattress with baking soda and leave it for one hour. Then vacuum it all up.
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Step 4: Rotate or flip it
This will depend on what type of mattress you have. If you have a one-sided mattress then you’ll just need to rotate it. If you have a double-sided mattress, then you can flip it over to give one side a rest.
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Step 5: Protect your efforts
If you have already got one, invest in a mattress protector to put under your regular bed sheet. This will protect your mattress from sweat and skin flakes and keeping it clean is as easy as putting it in the washing machine.
When should you change a mattress?
Even mattresses will eventually need to be changed as, unfortunately, nothing really lasts forever. The use by date of a mattress is dependent on a few things such as material and quality. As a general guide, a budget mattress will usually last about five years, whereas a more premium mattress (meaning a more substantial investment) can last anywhere up to 20 years.