How To Get Stains Out Of A Mattress?
QUICK ANSWER
Blot the stain with a clean cloth; never soak the mattress, which causes interior mold. For blood, use cold water with dish soap or hydrogen peroxide. For urine, apply an enzyme cleaner. For sweat or yellow stains, use a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Air dry completely.
Mattress stains are tricky because the standard approach (saturate and wash) would damage the mattress interior. Excessive moisture inside a mattress takes weeks to dry and grows mold in the meantime. The right approach uses minimal liquid, blotting instead of rubbing, and the correct chemistry for each stain type. Here is the method for the most common mattress stains plus how to avoid the moisture trap.
Why are mattress stains different?
A mattress has multiple layers (cover, foam or coils, padding) that absorb liquid. Once liquid soaks through the cover, drying takes days or weeks, and mold grows during that time. Surface stains can be treated; deeply soaked mattresses sometimes cannot be fully cleaned without replacement. The rule for all mattress stain treatment: minimal moisture, blot don't rub, treat from the outside of the stain inward to prevent spreading, and ensure complete drying before remaking the bed.
How do you remove blood stains?
Act fast for fresh blood; cold water lifts it cleanly. Blot up excess with paper towels. Mix 1 tablespoon dish soap with 1 cup cold water. Apply to a clean cloth (not the mattress). Blot the stain. Rinse the cloth in clean cold water and blot again. For dried blood, apply hydrogen peroxide (3 percent from the drugstore) directly to the stain; let foam for 2 to 3 minutes (the foaming is the peroxide breaking down dried blood). Blot with a clean cloth. Repeat as needed. Never use hot water, which permanently sets blood stains.
How do you remove urine and pee stains?
Pet urine and human urine respond to the same approach. Blot up as much liquid as possible. Mix 1 cup hydrogen peroxide, 2 tablespoons baking soda, and 1 drop of dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray onto the stain (lightly, don't saturate). The mixture foams as it works. Let air dry completely; the baking soda absorbs odor and the peroxide breaks down the stain. Vacuum off any residue once dry. For older or stubborn urine stains, use an enzyme cleaner (Nature's Miracle, Rocco & Roxie) which breaks down the proteins that cause the smell and stain.
How do you remove sweat and yellow stains?
Yellow stains on a mattress are caused by sweat oxidizing over time, similar to yellow underarm stains on shirts. Mix a paste of 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide, and a few drops of dish soap. Apply the paste directly to yellowed areas. Let sit 30 minutes to 1 hour. Blot clean with a damp cloth (not soaked). Allow to air dry fully. For severe yellowing across the entire mattress, treating in small sections works better than trying to address the whole surface at once. Mattress protectors prevent most sweat stains going forward.
Mattress stains respond to gentle treatment with the right chemistry: cold water and dish soap for blood, enzyme cleaner for urine, baking soda and peroxide paste for sweat. Always blot, never rub, and use minimal moisture. Air dry completely before remaking the bed. A mattress protector prevents most future stains entirely. With proper care, most mattress stains come out completely; only set-in stains years old prove permanent.
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