Is your mattress topper your bedtime bestie? You know—the person you want to run to at the end of a long day—the way a clean, healthy relationship should be?
Or is your mattress topper your dirty little secret? The kind that has you sneaking around at night to strip your bedding so no one can spot the sweat and ice cream stains that have taken up residence on your crash pad?
Your secret’s safe with us.
Even if your mattress topper looks bright and clean, it might be time to face your demons and clean your mattress topper.
Is Your Mattress Topper in Tip-Top Shape?
If you’re wondering how to clean a mattress topper, but you’re overwhelmed by the seemingly tall order. Is it really necessary? it’s recommended that you wash your sheets every week,1 but what about your mattress topper?
Here’s how to know when it’s time to dive in and give your topper a refresh.
A safe bet is a few times per year, as some experts recommend.2 But here are a few other signs to look for to know if it’s time to start scrubbing:
- You start to smell an odor coming from your bed
- You spot a few stains or spills from afar
- Your topper has seen whiter, brighter days
Remember, you’re spending about eight hours a night lounging on this thing, chances are there’s sweat, oil, or even a few spills that have traveled through your bedding down to your topper.
So if you’ve been avoiding eye contact with some spilled wine stains, it’s time to scrub-a-dub-dub.
Mattress Topper Cleaning Strategies: How Clean Are We Talking?
Okay, you’re convinced. You need to clean your mattress topper, but you’re still wondering just how to actually do it.
When it comes to cleaning your foam mattress topper, there are a few different routes you can take. A surface clean is great for when you’ve just got a few spots that need scrubbing, but when the sweat is causing more than just stains, and there’s a bit of a funk keeping you up at night, it might just be time for a deep clean.
We promise this is not nearly as daunting as cleaning out the garage, but it is a bit more than just throwing a new scent tree over your rearview. Whether you’re spot cleaning or jumping in for a deep clean, it’s time to take the wheel and get your foam mattress topper feeling fresh and smelling great.
Here are two different ways to have a clean mattress topper:3
Surface Cleaning
If your topper just needs a quick refresh, a surface clean is one way to go. Here’s how to give your mattress topper an essential surface cleaning:
- Pop your bedding in the wash — Pull off your sheets and bedding and toss those in the washing machine. Think of this step as your free space in bingo. No one wants to put dirty sheets on a fresh, clean mattress topper, right?
- Vacuum the topper — Lay your topper down on the floor. (If you want to vacuum the floor beforehand, bonus points for you!) Spread your mattress topper flat on the ground and carefully give it a thorough vacuuming. This is what handheld vacuum dreams are made of.
- Sprinkle the topper with baking soda — Grab a box of baking soda and give your topper a hearty dusting. You’ll want to cover the whole surface. Remember that first snowfall of winter? Channel that energy.
- Chill out, then vacuum again — You’re going to want to let that baking soda chill on top of your mattress topper for at least 8 hours, so it can absorb any odor, dirt, or dust. Then you’ll go over it again with the vacuum, cleaning up all the baking soda and leaving sweet dreams behind.
- Flip over and repeat— If you want to go the extra mile, pass go, collect $200, and then give that topper a flip and repeat the entire process, start to finish.
Deep Cleaning
Sometimes surface cleaning just isn’t enough. Whether you’ve spilled a midnight snack or your topper could just use a full spring cleaning, a deep clean means you can hit the refresh button before catching some fresh zzz’s.
Here’s how to give your mattress topper a deep cleaning:
- Wash and tumble that bedding — Go on and give your sheets, pillowcases, and blankets a treatment on the sudsy cycle while you’re getting your mattress topper squeaky clean. Imagine the sleep you’ll get when you curl up in bed with fresh, clean sheets and a mattress topper to match.
- Touch up any spots or stains — Lay your mattress topper flat on a clean area of the floor. If you’ve got a spill or spot you’re particularly worried about, now is a great time to blot with water, sprinkle with baking soda, and let it sit for a bit to help lift the stubborn stain.
- Mix and spray away — While that baking soda is doing its work, mix up your cleaning solution. Grab a spray bottle and mix equal parts cold water and distilled white vinegar. Give your topper a healthy spritzing, and then gently soak up any extra with a towel.
- Back to baking soda — Now you’ll want to grab your trusty box of baking soda and sprinkle a layer across the entire mattress topper. Next—you guessed it—let that sit for at least 8 hours. Feel free to grab a snack, make dinner, feed the cats, or do the tango while you wait.
- Vacuum it up — Carefully vacuum up that baking soda. You might start to see that the baking soda has changed slightly in color. That means it’s working! But if it’s still bright white, no need to worry. There might just be some extra cleaning power in its powder.
- Let your topper air dry — Allow your mattress topper to air dry for an hour or more, depending on how much witchy cleaning potion you cast onto your topper. A fan or open window can help speed this up. Note: Make sure your topper is completely dry before stacking it under your bedding.
Tips for Quick Stain Removal
We’ve all been there, painting our nails on our bed or enjoying a little glass of wine before we turn in, and then—whoops—you’re frantically searching for towels or napkins or old socks, anything to clean up the mess that is quickly dyeing your bedding petite sirah red.
Not only do you have to wash all your bedding, but now you have to unfurl and mend your mattress topper, too?
Maybe not.
When it comes to one-off messes or stains, we’ve got a few tricks for quickly and easily cleaning them up. Here are a few ways to keep your mattress topper stain-free and fresh without an entire deep clean:
- Blot with white vinegar — A little water and vinegar can go a long way when it comes to keeping your mattress topper spot free. Just mix equal parts together and give your stains a quick scrubbing. Wipe it clean and pat dry.
- Use a laundry room favorite — Normally, laundry detergent on different types of mattress toppers is a no-no. But dilute it with some water and it becomes the hero of the night. Mix equal parts water and laundry detergent and gently scrub any stains. Allow it to sit for about half an hour, then wipe it with a damp rag and let dry.
- Baking soda it up — Baking soda works wonders on one-off spots, just as it does with deep cleaning. Mix up one part baking soda and two parts water to create a paste and scrub those stains. Then, wipe clean with a damp towel and let dry. Bonus: Baking soda can also help keep any odors away. Win-win.
- Break out the hydrogen peroxide — This cabinet ingredient is for stubborn stains. Be careful with this cleaner, as it can bleach your topper, and be sure to dilute it in plenty of water. Give that stubborn stain a light scrub and hearty wipe down, then let dry. This cleaning trick is especially great for darker stains like blood and wine.
If you find yourself tackling more than a few spots, it might be best to give your mattress topper a full-blown deep cleaning. That way, you avoid wasting time and reduce the risk of trapping excess moisture and causing further damage.
Hit Refresh with a Retreat Mattress Topper from Coop Home Goods
If we do say so ourselves, you’re becoming a mighty-fine expert on how to clean a mattress topper. Go ahead and put those nights of guilt-ridden laundering behind you. Now, you can breathe easy day and night knowing you can rely on your clean, refreshed mattress topper.
At Coop Home Goods, we take sleep seriously—without taking ourselves too seriously. We find pure joy in delivering you better sleep because we know that with it, you’ll go out into the world and conquer amazing things.
If you’re looking to hit the refresh button on your mattress and wondering where to begin when choosing a mattress topper, take a look at our Retreat Mattress Topper. It’s all the plush you’ve been dreaming of—without the price tag.
Sources:
- New York Times. How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets (And How to Get Them Really Clean). https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/how-often-you-should-wash-your-sheets/
- Good Housekeeping. How Often Do You Need to Wash Your Mattress Pad? https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a33897/how-often-to-wash-mattress-pad/
- Sleep Foundation. How to Clean a Mattress Topper. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mattress-information/how-to-clean-a-mattress-topper