There are several touted successful methods for sanitising a mattress, but what most people overlook is that the cleaning process in itself should provide a sanitised result if done correctly. Whereas, sanitising alone, is not “cleaning”.
Consider this; if you are offered mattress sanitising, are you expecting the mattress will be cleaned? Strange question, but very relevant because there are people going around town suggesting they will sanitise your mattress, but they have no cleaning process or use any cleaning products. We all need to take a common sense approach to get past the “smoke and mirrors” sales approach being used.
If you are considering having a mattress sanitised, then you should expect it will be cleaned, right? Well there are only two or possibly three ways to clean a mattress;
- Dry clean using solvent based evaporative liquid. This is risky since it could damage foam or latex padding that sits just under the ticking (thats the covering on the mattress)
- Steam cleaning, using a steam mop with a lambswool or microfibre head. This is ok and will kill most living organisms if done properly, but may not effectively wash soil from the fabric (ticking).
- Hot water extraction, which involves pre-vacuuming the mattress to remove dead skin, fluff, hair, mites etc. The sanitising solution is sprayed on followed by fabric cleaning solution. The fine upholstery tool is passed over the mattress with a thin film of hot water that acts to wash and rinse the fabric before it is sucked away from the surface and into a waste tank.
You can make up your own mind which method you wish to use based on risk of damage to underlay, removal of soil and total effectiveness of the cleaning process used. For this reason we only use Hot Water Extraction. It sounds extreme, but when used with the correct treatment solutions, provides a 100% sanitised and totally clean result.
Now, just because there are stains remaining, it doesn’t mean the mattress is not clean. Stains are another issue due to the various types of fabrics used as ticking, and the various chemical reactions that may have occured with the type of spill on the mattress fabric. Perhaps the most common is urine stains. Here’s a quick home made tip you might consider using (with care) if you have such an issue. Remember, this is “stain removal” and should not be mixed up with “cleaning or sanitizing” when it comes to mattresses.
Pee Stain Removal Tip:
You need a measuring cup, tablespoon, funnel, and spray bottle.
8 ounces/237 ml hydrogen peroxide 3% (this can be found in a brown bottle in the first aid aisle of most pharmacies or stores)
3 tablespoons/14.29 grams of baking soda
1 drop of liquid hand dish washing soap
Mix all ingredients into the spray bottle and use within 20 minutes. Do not attempt to store the leftover solution. because it will leak out of the bottle. The mixture only works if you use it immediately, because the cleaning byproducts are active for only a short time period. You should see the stain lift and disappear within 5-10 minutes. Once the mattress dries, if a baking soda film remains, then simply wipe or vacuum it off. This method may work for pet urine stains, but always test on a small discreat area first.
This tip was extracted from the Inspired-Housewife.com. For more cleaning related tips CLICK HERE!