There are lots of reasons you might end up with a nasty stain on your memory foam mattress. Perhaps you’ve spilt coffee on it while having breakfast in bed; maybe your puppy had an ‘accident’ on it; or your kids jumped all over it with their muddy shoes on.
But cleaning a memory foam mattress isn’t as simple as removing a stain from a standard pocket sprung mattress would be.
That’s because of the very special space-age material that memory foam mattresses are made of – memory foam and liquid really don’t mix!
You can’t saturate it with water or a harsh chemical such as bleach or hydrogen peroxide as that could damage the memory foam and almost certainly invalidate the warranty.
Although there are many mattress cleaner sprays online, they are not usually designed to clean memory foam mattresses.
Spot clean stains on a memory foam mattress
But accidents do happen and for the best results, it’s important to act as soon as you see the stain. Always check the manufacturer’s instructions first before starting the cleaning process.
Generally, old-fashioned cleaning remedies tend to work the best on stains. All you need is some white vinegar and some bicarbonate of soda (sometimes just called bicarb or baking soda).
You may be surprised that you can actually remove stubborn stains such as urine, blood and sweat from your memory foam mattress with white vinegar.
White vinegar is an excellent disinfectant and deodoriser, but don’t use it neat! It should always be diluted with water first.
In an empty spray bottle, put a mixture of half white vinegar and half water. You can then spritz the solution on to the memory foam mattress, taking care not to put too much liquid on to it.
You could also use a mild detergent such as dishwashing liquid mixed in water. But you should only use the bubbles from the mixture to clean the memory foam mattress.
After applying white vinegar or dishwashing liquid, very gently massage the stain with a clean cloth or sponge in a circular motion.
How to clean heavy stains on a memory foam mattress
If you have really stubborn stains or they cover a large area of the mattress, you can still use the same white vinegar or dishwashing liquid solutions. But tackle the stain a little at a time until you’ve spritzed and massaged the whole area.
After using white vinegar on your mattress, you may find it smells strongly of vinegar. To get rid of the odour, sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda over the area and leave it for as long as possible, preferably overnight.
When you’re ready, use the upholstery tool on your vacuum cleaner to gently hoover up the bicarbonate of soda powder.
How to dry a memory foam mattress
After cleaning a memory foam mattress, you can’t just put the mattress protector and sheets back and sleep on it straight away. It has to be aired and left to dry naturally, otherwise it may develop mildew.
In order to allow sufficient time for drying, it’s best to clean a memory foam mattress in the morning.
When it’s been cleaned, the memory foam mattress should be placed in a sunny spot in a well-ventilated room.
You can speed up the drying process if you sprinkle some more bicarbonate of soda over the area. It’s very effective at absorbing moisture.
So, how do you clean a memory foam mattress?
Check the manufacturer’s instructions first, then use either a white vinegar or dishwashing liquid solution sparingly on the stain. Remember to air and dry the mattress naturally before using it again.