How to Clean a Mattress: Stains, Urine and Smells

The one rule that covers every mattress is never soak it. Memory foam is the least forgiving, so find out what your mattress is made of before any water goes near it.

The steps below follow Which?'s mattress guide and the makers' own care pages, all listed under Sources.

Kit for a mattress clean:

• A vacuum with a clean upholstery tool, or a soft dry brush
• Two or three pale cloths or sponges
• A bowl of cold water and a little washing-up liquid
• A tub of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and a kitchen sieve to sprinkle it
• Dry towels for pressing out moisture

Your mattress type decides how much water and heat it can take. Foam needs the lightest touch, while a sprung mattress copes better, though no mattress should ever be soaked.

Start with the care label sewn into the side, then compare it with this summary of what makers and Which? advise.

To clean a memory foam mattress, use a barely damp cloth, skip steam unless the label allows it, and give it a long airing.

Latex has its own rule. Silentnight says never to use harsh chemicals, bleach or steam on a latex mattress, or to soak it. For wool-filled and other mattresses, follow the label or ask the maker before you use any water.

Your guarantee is at stake as well. Tempur's care page says soaking its material can cause irreversible damage and will invalidate the guarantee. Read your warranty before trying a method from a video or another brand's guide.

• Read the label. Look for "do not vacuum", "spot clean only" or washing instructions for the cover.
• Strip the bed. Wash the sheets and mattress protector at the temperature on their own labels.
• Vacuum gently. Use a clean upholstery tool over the top and sides, slowly along the seams. If your label says no vacuum, use a dry brush instead.
• Spot-treat any marks. Use the stain methods further down this page, working on one patch at a time.
• Freshen with bicarbonate of soda. Sieve a light, even layer over the surface, leave it, then vacuum it off (if your mattress allows vacuuming).
• Turn and air it. Rotate or flip it as your maker advises. Open the window and leave it uncovered for a few hours before remaking the bed.

A mattress protector under your sheet keeps sweat and dust off the mattress, so you clean it less often.

• Strip and blot. Take off the wet bedding and press dry towels on the patch. Press firmly with your palms, but do not rub.
• Mix a weak solution. A few drops of washing-up liquid in a bowl of water is enough. Which? suggests diluted washing-up liquid for urine, dabbed on with a cloth or sponge.
• Dab, do not scrub. Wring the cloth out well and dab from the edge of the patch inwards, so the mark does not spread.
• Rinse lightly. Dab with a second cloth dipped in plain cold water and wrung out.
• Press out the moisture. Lay a dry towel on top and press firmly. Swap towels until they come away almost dry.
• Deal with the smell. Once the surface feels dry, sieve bicarbonate of soda over the patch, leave it a few hours, then vacuum it off.

Silentnight suggests a different mix for step 2. It uses equal parts white vinegar and water from a spray bottle, then a blot.

If you go that way, spray lightly. A mist is plenty.

Dried Urine and Old Yellow Stains

To get urine out of a mattress when dry, repeat the dab and press method. Two or three short rounds beat one wet one. Let the patch dry between rounds.

If the mark still shows and your care label allows it, Which? says you can try an upholstery cleaner. It advises diluting it and not spraying it straight onto the mattress.

Be realistic with a yellow tide mark that has been there for months. It may fade but not vanish, and the smell may be the bigger problem (see the smells section below).

When a Dog or Cat Has Wet the Bed

Pet urine comes out the same way. Products sold as enzyme urine removers are another option. Use one only if its label says it suits mattresses, and test it on the underside first.

If your pet has also had accidents on the floor, our post on getting pet urine smells out of carpet covers that side of it.

Before Bed

• Cover the mattress and duvet. The NHS bedwetting advice lists waterproof covers on both.
• Add a washable bed pad. Bladder & Bowel UK describes pads that sit on top of the sheet. Some have wings that tuck under the mattress.
• Keep a spare set within reach. A clean pad, sheet and pyjamas folded by the bed saves hunting in the dark.
• Make the toilet easy to reach. The NHS suggests easy access at night, and a toilet trip just before bed.

During the Night

Lift off the wet pad and sheet together. If the mattress feels wet, press a dry towel on it for a minute.

Then put the dry spares down and settle your child back to sleep. The rest can wait until morning.

Stay calm about it. The NHS says not to punish a child for wetting the bed, because it is not their fault and can make bedwetting worse.

In the Morning

Wash the pad, sheet and pyjamas. Then check the mattress protector at its edges and seams, where a leak can get past it.

If pee has soaked through, cleaning a mattress after bedwetting follows the steps above for getting pee out of a mattress. A dry mattress needs nothing more than airing.

When to see a GP. The NHS advises it if home measures have not helped. It also advises it if a child starts wetting again after being dry for more than six months. This page is cleaning advice, not medical advice.

Night-time accident soaked right through? Our team can tell you if a clean is worth it.

Tempur's care page says do not steam-clean its material, and that it cannot be washed, sponged or dry cleaned. Silentnight treats steaming as part of a deep clean, but only where the mattress type allows. Simba, which sells hybrid mattresses, suggests a garment steamer held close and kept from dripping.

Which? does not recommend a carpet cleaner on a mattress, because carpet cleaners are made for carpets. It suggests a product designed for mattresses instead.

Our prices are "from" prices for both sides of the mattress. The final figure is set once your cleaner has seen the mattress.

The price already covers spot treatment and a deodoriser, and our cleaning products are eco-friendly. Most common stains can be removed. Some may be permanent; we give honest advice before we start.

Each visit has an £80 minimum across all services, so a mattress can share the visit with a sofa, a rug or some carpets.

Booking details and sizes are on our page about professional mattress cleaning.

Bookings run around the clock, every day. Same-day slots are subject to availability, and you pay once the work is done.