How to Clean a Mattress | Step-by-Step Guide

Clean a mattress by stripping bedding, vacuuming the surface, and spot-treating stains with minimal moisture.

Your mattress collects dead skin, dust mites, and spilled liquids over time. Regular cleaning keeps it fresh and extends its life.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these supplies before pulling off the sheets: a vacuum with an upholstery attachment, clean dry towels, a mild laundry detergent or gentle cleaner, cold water, and baking soda.

Avoid bleach, harsh chemical sprays, and any approach that soaks the mattress. Excess moisture seeps into the layers and creates a mold risk that’s hard to reverse.

How to Clean a Mattress in 8 Steps

The order matters. Working top to bottom prevents you from re-soiling areas you already cleaned.

1. Strip the bed completely. Remove all sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and mattress covers. Wash the bedding according to its care labels.
2. Vacuum the entire surface. Use the upholstery attachment to go over the top, sides, seams, and crevices. Pay extra attention to the seams where dust and debris collect.
3. Blot fresh spills with dry towels. Press down gently to absorb liquid, working from the outside of the stain inward. Never rub or scrub — that pushes the stain deeper.
4. Apply a small amount of cleaner to a cloth. Dip a clean cloth in a mild cleaning solution, wring it out well, and blot the stained area. A little moisture goes further than you think.
5. Blot with cold water. Use a cloth dampened with cold water to remove any cleaner residue from the fabric.
6. Sprinkle baking soda over the surface. An even layer across the whole mattress absorbs moisture and neutralizes odors. For targeted spots, apply it directly to the stain.
7. Wait for the baking soda to dry. This usually takes a few hours. The baking soda pulls odors and remaining moisture out of the fabric as it dries.
8. Vacuum up the baking soda. Run the upholstery attachment over the entire surface again, then let the mattress air-dry completely before putting sheets back on.

For a deeper clean, the best bed mattress cleaners we’ve tested handle this job faster with less manual effort.

Common Mistakes That Damage Mattresses

The most frequent error is scrubbing a stain instead of blotting it. Scrubbing grinds the spill into the fabric layers and spreads it outward. Blotting lifts it out.

Using too much water or cleaner runs a close second. Mattresses are thick, dense foam and fiber — they hold onto liquid far longer than you’d expect. What feels like a slightly damp surface can stay wet for days internally, and that trapped moisture becomes a breeding ground for mold and mildew.

Other mistakes worth avoiding: remaking the bed before the mattress fully dries, using bleach on fabric, spraying chemicals directly onto the surface, and skipping a test patch on delicate materials. Before applying any stain remover, test it on an inconspicuous spot to check for color damage or fabric wear.

When You Need Disinfecting, Not Just Cleaning

Standard cleaning removes dirt and odors.

Apply it to a cloth rather than spraying the mattress directly, and let it air-dry completely. Never use bleach on a mattress; it breaks down the fabric and leaves a residue.

If your mattress is heavily stained or worn beyond what surface cleaning can fix, a dedicated machine tackles the job far more thoroughly.