We all know that accidents happen, neither from your little child nor furry family members. Fortunately, you don't need to worry about ruining your expensive mattress if you clean up the mess quickly. Common household supplies may help, and the cleaning process is not as difficult as you've thought.
In this blog, we provide detailed instructions for how to remove different types of urine stains and lingering smells from your mattress, as well as tips to keep it clean and fresh.
Contents
- How to Get Fresh Pee and Smell Out of a Mattress
- How to Get Dried Urine Stains and Smell Out of a Mattress
- Tips for Removing Dog or Cat Pee From a Mattress
- Tips for Cleaning Different Mattress Types
- Pillow Top
- Memory Foam
- Latex
- Different Cleaning Methods
- Dry Cleaning
- Wet Cleaning
- Steam Cleaning
- Keep Your Mattress Clean
- FAQs
- Is it bad to sleep on a urine-soaked mattress?
- Do air fresheners get rid of urine smell?
- Can urine on a mattress cause mold?
- How to get the urine stains out of bedding?
What You Will Need
It is essential to obtain the necessary materials before starting the procedure of cleaning pee stains and odor from your mattress. You might need the following items:
- Clean and dry towels
- A spray bottle
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Vacuum cleaner
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Liquid dish
- Laundry detergent
How to Get Fresh Pee and Smell Out of a Mattress
This six-step method shows the best and most convenient way to clean pee out of a mattress by using common household supplies. Please go on and see how it works.
Step 1: Blot the excess urine as much as possible with a clean, dry cloth. DO NOT scrub, or the stain will spread into the mattress, making it harder to remove fully.
Step 2: Sprinkle some baking soda on the stain to soak up the remaining urine.
Step 3: Make a solution of one part white vinegar and one part water in the spray bottle. A bigger spray bottle is recommended as you may need a lot of solution for the bigger size of the stain.
Step 4: Spray the solution over the urine stain until it is fully covered. Then let the mattress sit for 5-10 minutes, and then continue to blot the excess solution with another dry cloth.
Step 5: Sprinkle more baking soda on the entire stain area. Sometimes liberally covering the top of the mattress is okay because this helps to remove the pee smell from the mattresses. Let it dry for approximately 18 hours.
Step 6: Vacuum up the baking soda fully. Repeat this process if any pee smell or stain remains.
Please note that remove the bedding and comforter before cleaning your mattress, and wash them immediately if needed.
How to Get Dried Urine Stains and Smell Out of a Mattress
The dried urine has set into the fabric of mattresses and leaves a yellow stain on the surface. This type of stain needs a strong cleaning agent, such as hydrogen peroxide. It’s best to use hydrogen peroxide only on white mattresses, as it will bleach colored fabrics.
Step 1: Combine 8 ounces (240 ml) of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 3 tablespoons of baking soda, and a few drops of liquid dish detergent in a bowl. Mix these ingredients together thoroughly, and then pour them into the spray bottle.
Step 2: Cover the entire stain area with the cleaning solution, and wait until the mixture is completely dry. Try not to soak the stain as it will take longer to dry.
Step 3: Vacuum the mattress to remove any remaining baking soda or mixture.
Note: It's best to mix the cleaning solution in a bowl first, and please do not shake it, or it will bubble like crazy. We recommend you use the solution quickly, as hydrogen peroxide breaks down very fast.
Tips for Removing Dog or Cat Pee From a Mattress
Suppose you come home to find a mess from one of your little puppies or kitties, which might be smellier. Compared to human urine, animal urine is more concentrated and smells stronger. Animal urine is used to mark their territory, so it is very important to clean up stains as soon as possible in order to prevent animals from marking the bed again.
Don’t worry. You just need to prepare the cleaning agents similar to the steps above - baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and liquid dish. The process to get the dog/cat pee out of a mattress is basically the same as How to Get Dried Urine Stains and Smell Out of a Mattress. And for the beginning, you need to blot all the fresh urine from the stain.
If there is still a smell that remains after the cleaning process, we advise you to sprinkle baking soda liberally to cover the entire top of the mattress. Then cover the whole mattress with plastic wrap. Leave it to sit for 24-48 hours. Finally, remove the plastic wrap, allow the mattress to dry on its own, and vacuum all the baking soda.
You can also add a few drops of essential oil to your cleaning solution to leave a fresh scent on your mattress.
Tips for Cleaning Different Mattress Types
The cleaning tools and steps may vary somewhat from mattress type to mattress type, but generally, most can be cleaned as described above. Some notes on prevention or cleaning urine stains and odors will be mentioned below to help you.
Pillow Top
Nothing is more relaxing than sinking into a pillow top mattress at the end of a long day until you have urine, blood, pet, or another difficult-to-remove stain. It takes time to clean a pillow top mattress, it would be wiser to spend time sleeping in bed. Learn some helpful advice to protect your mattress from pee stains.
If you enjoy sleeping with your pets, think about covering the area of the bed they prefer with a different blanket so that you have to wash that one piece rather than the entire mattress in the event of an accident or spill.
To prevent liquids from leaking into your mattress, think about covering it with a mattress cover or pad. For maximum protection, encapsulate your mattress in a waterproof protector. Find out how to quickly dry the mattress after removing a stain if you don’t have a cover.
Memory Foam
Cleaning swiftly to absorb moisture is essential since memory foam mattresses have a tendency to absorb liquid more quickly than other mattress types.
It would be good news if you discovered the stain right away. Your cleansing will be simpler the more recently the stain occurred. But you must move quickly to prevent the urine from soaking in. But don't be alarmed if you see a dried urine stain on your mattress. However, you might require a harsher remedy.
Latex
Generally speaking, in order to eliminate the odor or the dust mites of the mattress, sunlight is the best solution. Leave the mattress under the sunlight for a couple of hours, as natural biocides, sunlight helps you kill bacteria and mites. However, latex mattress should avoid this method, direct sunlight can cause latex mattresses to harden and turn yellowish, which accelerate the aging of the mattress, affecting its service life. If you need to disperse the smell of a latex mattress, just place it in a cool, dry place.
Different Cleaning Methods
Cleaning mattresses can be a daunting and time-consuming task, different cleaning methods also have different effects on the mattress.
Dry Cleaning
Dry cleaning a mattress includes vacuuming to remove dead skin cells, dust mite droppings and dust mites. Then, it is treated with a dry-cleaning solution to dissolve body oils and perspiration. As natural cleaning agents, you can use liquid soap, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, or baking soda.
Wet Cleaning
Different cleaning techniques rely on varying proportions of water and detergent. Dry cleaning employs liquid solvents rather than water to carefully clean sensitive fabrics. Less water is used for wet cleaning than for conventional laundry. A small proportion of water with specialized detergent can safely clean your mattress. As a chemical-free cleaning method, wet cleaning can prevent shrinking, stretching or fading.
Steam Cleaning
Low-pressure steam is used during the steam cleaning process to remove soluble materials from surfaces. Prior to applying coatings or paint, this procedure’s often employed as a kind of surface preparation, specifically effective at eliminating pollutants like grease, dirt, and other soluble materials in steam cleaning.
No matter which cleaning method is used to clean the mattress, never soak your mattress or mass-clean it with liquid solvents and water. If you need to clean an accidental spill on your mattress, we advise against using a steam cleaner for large-area cleaning. Instead, blot it up as soon as you can with a dry cloth and baking soda to neutralize the odor.
Keep Your Mattress Clean
Knowing how to get the stain out of a mattress is helpful for daily maintenance, but more importantly, avoid cleaning your mattress again and again. Try to keep your mattress clean using a good quality waterproof mattress protector.