A mattress is a piece of furniture that should be cherished and cared for as you spend between 8 to 12 hours per day on it. When you think of it, that is the major part of your time at home!
Because a sheet protects the mattress, you tend to forget about it and will not provide the care that is needed. Moreover, mattresses are thick furniture, and like most people, you may need to find a good way to clean them without causing damage.
This blog will tell you everything about mattress steam cleaning so you can spend your night on a healthy mattress!
Steam Clean Preparation
Using steam clean is an easy yet delicate process that uses the heat from a steamer cleaner to kill bacteria, dust, and mites and remove stains.
Applying steam on your mattress it will become damp, and the trickiest part is the drying process. If this takes too long, then mould can appear. Take your time, be patient, and follow those preparatory steps:
- Pick a day and a time when the mattress will not be used for at least 5 hours.
- Maximise ventilation in your bedroom using fans, opening windows, and a dehumidifier.
- Check the weather; you need a sunny and dry day, avoiding autumn or winter.
- Prepare your material: a mattress vacuum, a steam cleaner, a microfibre cloth, baking soda, and laundry stain remover.
Steam clean process
- Clear your mattress: Take off all bedding accessories and wash them in your washing machine as usual.
- Deodorise: To remove any smell, spread baking soda on your mattress and give it at least one hour to rest and work on your mattress. If odours are very strong, you want to let the baking soda work for one day.
- Remove dirt: Use a vacuum to clean your mattress with the handheld attachment or a wide-mouth hose attachment with a rotating brush. Work slowly to loosen the fibres and remove the dirt, hair, and baking soda. That is an essential step before steam cleaning because it prepares the mattress fibres to be well penetrated by the steam.
- Work on stains: If you spot stains, apply the laundry stain remover to them. Follow the instructions on the packaging, but you will need to leave it on for at least fifteen minutes. Then, use a microfibre cloth to work on breaking up the stain and clear up the spot from laundry products.
- Prepare your steam cleaner: Make sure the steam cleaner you have will reach a minimum of 100 degrees Celsius. This temperature will be enough to kill bed bugs, mites, and bacteria; any lower, you might not achieve the same results. Fill your machine with water carefully, following the instructions from the manufacturer.
- Steam the mattress: Move your steamer in long strokes, with slow movements. Hold it above the surface without touching it. Stay around 10 cm up to allow the steam to work on the fibres, dampening it but not to the point of soaking it. Make sure to steam all surfaces, and remember the sides.
- Let it dry: Drying takes 2 to 4 hours. Use all sources of ventilation possible to help remove the humidity from the mattress and the room. Let your mattress stand up so the bigger surfaces do not stick to the ground. Turn your mattress from time to time. Check if it is dry by applying dry paper on the surface; if it is not wet, the process is finished. Let it dry as long as possible to avoid missing any damp areas where mould could grow.
Well done, your mattress steam cleaning is done!
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