Most mattress cleaning is dry work: vacuum, deodorise, then treat each stain with as little liquid as you can. Here's the method by stain and by mattress type.
Quick answer: Strip the bed, vacuum the mattress with the upholstery tool, sprinkle bicarb soda and leave it for a few hours (CHOICE suggests 24), then vacuum again. Spot-clean stains with as little liquid as possible: cold water for blood, then 3% hydrogen peroxide if a mark stays; an enzyme cleaner for urine; a damp white cloth for sweat marks. Allow about 45 minutes' work plus drying time.
Before you start: know your mattress type
Every mattress can be vacuumed and deodorised with bicarb; what differs is how much water it takes, and the law tag on its side lists what it's made of. Stains also matter to the warranty: Sealy's warranty excludes fabric stains and lets it refuse service on a stained mattress, so a protector pays for itself.
Mattress | Spot-clean with | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
Innerspring or pocket spring | A white cloth wrung out in cold water, then a drop of dishwashing liquid if water alone doesn't lift the mark (on a Sealy, water only) | Soaking, steam, carpet cleaners, stiff brushes |
Memory foam | A barely damp cloth, blotting only; it needs the longest drying time | Pouring on liquid, steam: TEMPUR says not to wash its foam |
Latex | As for memory foam | Pouring on liquid, steam |
Zip-off cover | Wash the cover at the temperature on its tag; spot-clean the core as for memory foam | Refitting the cover before it's completely dry |
Not sure | Treat it as memory foam: least moisture, blot only | Anything wet |
How to remove stains from a mattress
Treat stains before the whole-mattress clean so they don't spread. Blot, never rub; work from the edge of the stain inwards; use white cloths so no dye transfers; and keep the liquid on the stain, not in the layers below it.
Safety Never mix cleaning products. Victoria’s Better Health Channel: “Do not mix bleach with ammonia, acids or other cleaners – this can release hazardous chlorine or chloramine fumes.” Ventilate the room during and after use. Wear gloves and eye protection. Follow the label's dilution and contact time. In an emergency call 000. For poisoning advice call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 — 24 hours, anywhere in Australia.
How to get blood out of a mattress
- Blot with cold water. Wring a white cloth out in cold water and blot. Hot water sets blood, so keep everything cold.
- Test the peroxide. If a mark stays, dab 3% hydrogen peroxide (the 10-volume strength sold at supermarkets and chemists) on a hidden patch first. It can lighten coloured fabric.
- Dab it on and let it fizz. Apply a little to the stain, leave it until it stops bubbling, then blot with a cold, damp cloth. Repeat until the cloth comes away clean.
- Blot dry. Press a dry towel onto the patch and leave it to air.
How to get urine out of a mattress
- Blot straight away. Press old towels onto the wet patch and swap for dry ones until almost nothing comes up. Don't rub, and don't pour water on.
- Apply an enzyme cleaner made for urine (the pet aisle has them). Use enough to reach as deep as the urine went, no more, and leave it for the time on the bottle.
- Blot again, then dry. Blot out what you can and run a fan over the patch.
- Deodorise. Once it's dry to the touch, cover it with bicarb soda, leave it overnight and vacuum.
Old, dried stains get the same treatment. On memory foam, use less liquid and stand the mattress on its side in front of a fan. If urine went through to the core, cleaning from the top may not reach it. For floors and rugs, see How to Get Pet Urine Smell Out of Tiles, Grout and Carpet.
How to get sweat and yellow stains out of a mattress
Yellow and brown marks are mostly sweat and body oils. Start with Sealy's method: blot with a white cloth wrung out in cold water, then let the patch dry fully. For a heavier mark, CHOICE suggests a small amount of dishwashing or laundry liquid in a cup of water, dabbed on and blotted off. Old yellowing may fade rather than disappear; a protector stops new marks.
How to clean vomit off a mattress
Lift solids straight away with paper towel into a bag, then blot. Clean the patch with cold water and a drop of dishwashing liquid, blot, and use an enzyme cleaner for any smell. For illness clean-up and the bedding, follow How to Sanitise and Disinfect Your Home; if vomit has soaked into the mattress, call a specialist mattress cleaner.
How to deep clean a mattress, step by step
- Strip the bed (5 minutes). Wash the sheets and pillowcases hot. For the pillows themselves, see How to Wash Pillows by Filling, Step by Step.
- Vacuum slowly (10–15 minutes). Use the upholstery tool, not the carpet turbo head, and go over the top, sides and seams in overlapping passes.
- Spot-clean stains with the methods above, and let the patches dry.
- Sprinkle bicarb soda. Cover the top in a generous, even layer, brush it in lightly and leave it for a few hours; CHOICE suggests 24.
- Vacuum again in slow, straight lines.
- Air it and rotate it. Open the windows, run a fan, then turn the mattress head to foot while it's bare. Sealy's mattresses are single-sided, so rotate rather than flip.
Done looks like: press a dry paper towel onto each cleaned patch for 30 seconds. If it comes away dry, the patch feels no cooler than the rest and nothing smells musty, remake the bed. Never put the protector or sheets back on a damp mattress: trapped moisture is how mould starts.
The best thing to clean a mattress with: bicarb, vinegar, steam or sun?
Method | Verdict |
|---|---|
Bicarb soda | Works for smells: it's CHOICE's deodorising step. It doesn't kill dust mites or remove their allergen. |
Vinegar and water (1:1) | Works, but there's better. CHOICE lists it for light stains; cold water and a drop of dishwashing liquid lift fresh marks without the smell. Never combine it with peroxide or bleach. |
Peroxide, bicarb and dish soap mixed in a bottle | Skip the mix and use one product at a time. Peroxide on its own, tested first, handles blood. |
Diluted ammonia | Don't. No stain above needs it, and with bleach it releases toxic chloramine fumes. |
Steam cleaner | Don't. Sealy says steam cleaning is not recommended; it pushes heat and moisture into the layers. |
Sunlight | Works for airing. A 1994 Sydney study found direct sun killed dust mites in carpets, not mattresses, and you still need to vacuum. Keep it to a few hours: Sealy warns long sun fades fabric. |
Keep your mattress cleaner for longer
- Use a washable protector and wash it regularly and straight after any spill. For young children, choose one with a waterproof backing.
- Rotate the mattress head to foot every 3 months; Sealy suggests every 2 weeks for a new mattress's first 3 months.
- Act on spills fast. Blot within minutes: a fresh stain lifts far more easily than a dried one.
When cleaning isn't enough
- Urine, vomit or a big spill soaked through to the core: a specialist mattress cleaner, quickly, or a new mattress.
- Mould spots, or a musty smell that keeps coming back: replace it. Mould inside a mattress usually can't be cleaned out.
- Bed bugs: a licensed pest controller, not a cleaner (see Natural Pest Control for Australian Homes).
- Sagging, lumps or morning aches: replace it.
Simply Maid doesn't clean mattresses. For how often to do each job, and when a specialist or a new mattress is the better spend, see Is Professional Mattress Cleaning Worth It?.
Frequently asked questions
How do you sanitise a mattress without washing it?
There's no reliable way to sanitise a whole mattress at home. What works is vacuuming, deodorising, airing and fast spot-cleaning, plus a washable protector that takes the sweat and spills instead. For a dust-mite allergy, ASCIA recommends a dust-mite-resistant cover, washed at least every two months.
How long does a mattress take to dry?
A spot-cleaned patch usually dries in a few hours with a fan and an open window; memory foam and humid weather take longer. Go by the paper-towel test above rather than the clock.
Last reviewed 24 September 2026 · Update history
Sources and references
- CHOICE, How to clean a mattress (updated 23 July 2026): upholstery-tool vacuuming, bicarb for 24 hours, vinegar and detergent for light stains, 3% peroxide.
- Sealy Australia, How to clean a mattress (13 April 2026): blotting with a damp white cloth, what to avoid (including steam), drying fully, rotating.
- Sealy Australia, Warranty information: fabric stains excluded; service refused on stained mattresses.
- TEMPUR Australia, Quality guarantee and care: the foam itself isn't washed.
- Tovey and Woolcock, Direct exposure of carpets to sunlight can kill all mites (J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1994): a carpet study.
- ASCIA, Allergen minimisation (April 2024): dust-mite-resistant covers washed every two months.
