How To Clean Mattress Without Vacuum: 19 Hassle-Free Ways (2024)

Eight hours of everyday sleep is equal to almost one-third of your life. Would you want to spend that time on an unclean, dirty mattress with a foul odor?

You need to clean mattresses:

To remove the dust, lint, dirt, dead skin, and particulates accumulated in thick fabrics;
To remove pet hair and prevent allergies
To save yourself from dust mites and fleas.

Here are some ways to clean mattresses without using a vacuum cleaner:

A detergent solution in a bowl of water
Baking soda and vinegar
Rubbing alcohol

Below, you will find 19 tried and tested, detailed step-by-step solutions to clean mattresses without a vacuum cleaner.

Table Of Contents

🤯 How To Clean Mattress Without Vacuum?
🎯Tips to Remember While Cleaning a Mattress
💡How To Clean Mattress Without Vacuum: FAQs

🤯 How To Clean Mattress Without Vacuum?

Problems	Fixes
1. General cleaning	Diluted laundry detergent like Lysol Carpet shampooer or a carpet cleaner Solution of vinegar and baking soda
2. Bacterial disinfection	Spraying antibacterial Febreeze Rubbing alcohol/vodka Sun-drying
3. Heavy sweat	Use zippered mattress bags Waterproof mattress pad Percale cotton sheets Vinyl
4. Spot clean	Spraying warm water & then drying with a towel Hydrogen peroxide, dish detergent & baking soda solution Baking soda & vinegar solution Oxiclean solution Lemon juice with salt solution
5. Smelly mattress	Essential oils & baking soda solution Fabric softener Vinegar
6. Bed bugs	Steam cleaning & heat

Also Read: 3 Best Vacuum For Couches

🧹 How Can I Deep Clean My Mattress at Home?

Keep your sleeping surroundings fresh and hygienic by routinely cleaning your mattress at home.

Solutions to clean the mattress at home:

Vinegar and baking soda solution
Essential oils and baking soda solution
Carpet shampooer or a carpet cleaner
Soap solution – Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid soap in 1 liter of water, then dab the solution on the mattress stains using a damp cloth.
Dish detergent solution, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide – Add 3 tsp of dish detergent, 2-4 tsp of baking soda, and 3 ounces of hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle.

Follow these steps to keep the mattress clean at home:

Remove the linens from the bed and give them a warm wash.
Use diluted Lysol to clean the mattress protector.
Remove stains (sweat, pee, and blood stains) from the mattress (without rubbing) using dish soap or laundry detergent.
Let the mattress dry for a few hours.
Sprinkle baking soda (a natural deodorizer) on the mattress to remove the foul smell.
For a pleasant smell, use lavender essential oils, a room freshener, or a mixture of water, baking soda, and essential oils.
At last, brush off/remove the baking soda.

Also Read: Why My Bed Always Feels Sandy

🦠 How Can I Disinfect My Mattress for Bacteria?

The most practical way to disinfect the mattress for bacteria is to let it sit in sunlight for a few hours.

Alternatively, try any of the following DIY methods to disinfect your mattress from sweat stains and microscopic germs:

Lightly spray an antibacterial disinfectant spray like Febbreeze without soaking the mattress.
Do sharp and short bursts of steam cleaning with a handheld steamer.
Spray vinegar on the mattress and let it dry for 15 minutes with paper towels. Then shower some baking soda and remove it with a brush later.
For stubborn stains, use foaming shaving cream.
If you have an old mattress, add cornstarch and baking soda in equal proportions, and sprinkle on the mattress.

🧼 How Do You Get Yellow Sweat Stains Out of a Mattress?

Ways to Remove Sweat Stains out of Mattress

If you love eating or drinking on the bed or don’t regularly wash linen, the mattress will likely get yellow sweat stains.

Remove the sweat stains using the following:

hydrogen peroxide and baking soda solution; or
natural enzyme cleaners, like Simple Solution; or
lemon juice and salt paste

Follow these steps to get yellow stains out of a mattress:

Remove the linen and put it in the wash.
Add one cup of hydrogen peroxide to a container and mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda.
Then, add 3-5 drops of dish soap to the container.
Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray on the yellow stains.
Remove the excess solution with a damp cloth or napkin, but do not rub the stains.
Let the mattress dry for about 15 minutes.
After cleaning, cover the mattress in a waterproof zip bag and place a mattress pad on top.

🧽 How Do You Spot-Clean a Mattress?

Follow any of these techniques to spot-clean a mattress:

Make a paste of lemon juice and salt. Apply it to stains and let it sit for 30-60 minutes. Afterwards, clean the residue with a white cloth or napkin.
Spray vinegar on stains and sprinkle baking soda while the mattress is wet. Let it dry.
Add a cup of hydrogen peroxide to a container, and mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda with 3-5 drops of dish soap. Gently dab stains with a clean cloth.

Also Read: How To Dry Wet Carpet

🛏️ How to Freshen a Mattress Naturally?

Ways to freshen a mattress naturally:

Sprinkle baking soda and baby powder
Spray rubbing alcohol/vodka
Vinegar (a natural deodorizer)
Essential oils in baking soda

Here are the ways to freshen a mattress naturally:

Strip the linen and put it in for the washing.
Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to one cup of baking soda.
Put the mixture in a strainer and sprinkle it over the entire mattress.

🐞 How Do You Deep Clean a Mattress for Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are human blood-sucking apple-seed-like insects that live inside a mattress in groups.

Follow these steps to deep clean a mattress for bed bugs:

Put all the linen in a separate bag, using rubber gloves, and put it in the laundry. Wash them in hot water.
Thoroughly clean the entire mattress using a steamer at 120 degrees.
Unbolt the bed frame apart and clean every inch. If you have a wooden bed, fill in the gaps/cracks.
Open windows for good ventilation. Then, use mattress-specific insecticides (pyrethroids, pyrethrins, pyrroles, or natural products like Bed Bug Patrol and EcoRaider) on the bed bugs.
After cleaning, cover the mattress with bed bug-proof mattress covers and zip them.

Also Read: Can You Vacuum Spiders?

🎯Tips to Remember While Cleaning a Mattress

Schedule the mattress cleaning every 6 months.
Flip your mattress once every 3 months.
Never mix hydrogen peroxide and baking soda in the same container.
Wash your bed sheets every week and use fresh sheets.
Buy a premium-quality mattress cover to keep dirt, dust mites, and dead skin cells away from the mattress.
Avoid using any harsh chemicals to deep clean your mattress.
Use a white cloth to dab the solution on the mattress to prevent color transfer.

💡How To Clean Mattress Without Vacuum: FAQs

How to clean a mattress with a vacuum?

Follow these steps to clean the mattress with a vacuum cleaner:

1. Take out the linen from your bed.
2. Get a bed and upholstery attachment of a vacuum cleaner.
3. Start vacuuming the mattress from the top.
4. Vacuum the seams and services thoroughly as the dust, dirt, lint, and dead skin accumulate.

How to clean pee out of a mattress without a vacuum?

Follow these steps to clean pee out of a mattress without a vacuum cleaner:

1. Soak the pee with a paper towel or napkin without rubbing it on the mattress.
2. Mix water and vinegar in equal amounts in a spray bottle
3. Spray the area where you need to clean the pee.
4. Absorb excess moisture with a towel.
5. Spread baking soda over the affected area.
6. Wait for about 8 hours and remove the excess baking soda.
7. Check for odor and stains.

Can I use carpet cleaner on a mattress?

Yes, you can use a carpet cleaner on a traditional spring mattress.

However, using it for a memory foam mattress is not advisable because of excess water. The brushes of carpet cleaners are rough and can tear and damage foam mattresses.

How long does it take for a mattress to dry after shampooing?

Usually, it takes 24 to 48 hours for a mattress to dry after shampooing. But you also need to consider your mattress’s material and the saturation amount.

How to clean a mattress with baking soda and vinegar?

Follow these steps to clean the mattress with baking soda and vinegar:

1. Remove linen from the bed.
2. Fill vinegar in a bottle and spray it all over the mattress
3. Let it stay for a few hours.
4. Then spread baking soda over the mattress using a sprinkler.
5. Again, let the baking soda sit for a few hours or a day.
6. Remove/Brush off the baking soda from the mattress.

Adarsh

Adarsh is a Health Science graduate with expertise in environmental health and wellness. He is a Neat Freak who constantly looks for ways to keep his surroundings clean. At Clean Homies, Adarsh is focused on researching and sharing information on how you can maintain hygiene at home for a happy life.