Cleaning your memory foam mattress is a good practice. It ensures a more comfortable and restful sleep. So, if your memory foam mattress is stained with some dirt or smell stuffy and unpleasant, then you need to clean it. But how? Do you just wash the cover, or can you steam clean a memory foam mattress?
Steam cleaning is an ideal way to clean your memory foam mattress. It is effective for a very dirty mattress. So, keep reading below to know how. In addition, this article provides you a detailed process on how you can clean up your memory foam mattress and all there is to it.
What Is Steam Cleaning?
Steam cleaning is a cleaning process that uses hot water (steam) or low-pressure to clean an object or environment. It may comprise the use of pressurized hot water, steam, or even both to eradicate dirt or stains from a surface or substance. This process erases grease, oil, stains by thinning them using heat and diluting the stains in water. After the contaminants are diluted in the steaming process, they can be removed quickly by more cleaning.
Another important use of steam cleaning is to eradicate mites. These tiny living micro-organisms called “dust mites” live on the human body. They are so small you can’t see them with your normal eyes. Mites can cause allergic reactions when you inhale their feces through your nose. Fortunately, you can eradicate mites from your surfaces effectively by steam cleaning.
Steam cleaning with detergents and cleaning agents can be very effective. It makes it much easier to erase greater stains and contaminations, including paintings and heavy coatings. In addition, you can steam clean surfaces such as mattresses, ovens, clothing, furniture, refrigerator chunks, baseboards, even your toilet surfaces.
Also, steam cleaning without detergent still provides you an eco-friendly means of eradicating stains, allergens, and dirt alike. It’s not toxic due to the strong chemicals in detergents, making it environmentally friendly. You don’t have to worry about your children or pets running around licking toxic substances or chemicals used in steam cleaning.
Additionally, steam cleaning deodorizes areas such as your cushion chairs, mattresses, and even your car seats that are difficult to clean. Steam cleaning is ideal for home and commercial cleaning.
Can You Steam Clean A Memory Foam Mattress?
A memory foam mattress is a foam that uses your body pressure and heat to conform to the body shape. This mattress is ideal for providing pressure relief to your neck, back, joints, and muscles. However, memory foam mattresses can easily get stained. They are also difficult to clean up if allowed for a longer period. That’s why many ask can you steam clean a memory foam mattress.
To remove a stain from your memory foam mattress, you can steam clean it. Not only does steam cleaning remove allergens it’s also effective in erasing light stains. However, every mattress comes with a label where you can find out whether it’s possible to steam clean the mattress.
While it’s possible to steam clean most memory foam mattresses, you can still destroy the quality of the foam if you set an uncomplimentary heat setting. Therefore, it’s recommended that you set the steam cleaner to medium heat.
Rather than waiting for laundry agents to clean up your memory foam mattress, you can get an amazing mattress steam cleaner for it.
Steps To Steam Cleaning A Memory Foam Mattress
To steam clean your memory foam mattress, here are a few steps to guide you on the process:
1. Bare Your Mattress
Remove the bedding and topper covering the bed and place them somewhere safe. You should place the toppers on a large and hard surface like the floor. This way, you can easily stretch and reach for it whenever you’re done and need to put them back. We recommend that you power your steam cleaner at this point to give it sufficient time to heat up while undressing your bed.
2. Vacuum
After undressing your bed, it’s time to thoroughly dry-clean it. But before vacuuming, take a soft brush and gently brush around the bed. This action removes any underlying dust particles. After that, you can commence vacuum. For this purpose, we recommend that you use a handheld vacuum machine, although a standard vacuum can do.
Most memory foam mattresses attract dust particles and bacteria on the lint coverings, so ensure to vacuum everywhere possible properly. Vacuum the edges, corners, lint covers for dust particles also.
3. Spot Clean Stains
After vacuuming the bed or bed topping, if there are any difficult stains on the mattress or covering, you’d have to clean them up.
You must note that memory foam mattresses are more sensitive and delicate than normal mattresses. This implies that not every cleaning agent is compatible with the mattress. Instead, you must utilize gentle chemical products and a piece of material. Then, gently dab and rub the stains with the material, ensuring that the chemical properly soaked the stain.
After that, allow it for some time (usually stated on the product’s label). Once you do this, you can now steam clean away.
4. Steam Clean!
After you’ve successfully gotten the bed bare, vacuumed, and gotten rid of the difficult stains, you can now steam.
If you’re using a normal steam cleaning machine, project the cleaner’s nozzle 6inches away from the memory foam mattress. You can clean it from left to right or in a circular way. If you’re using a steam mop, travel through the mattress in an up and down direction. Also, don’t forget to steam the side of the mattress as well.
However, whichever way you choose to steam the mattress, you mustn’t spend up to 10 seconds in one spot. This causes moisture to soak the foam and can disfigure its layer integrity.
5. Dry
Once you have steam cleaned your memory foam mattress, ensure to dry the mattress with a dry towel. Travel through the mattress with any clean, dry towel you have to collect any remaining grime.
Ensure to expose the mattress to dry air for a while to enable it to get back its freshness and comfortable texture. You can utilize a hair-dryer placed 6 inches from the mattress or a fan.
No matter what drying means, you use, ensure not to use the hottest drying specifications of your dryer, as this can damage the mattress.
6. Make Your Bed.
When you’ve confirmed that the bed is dried up, it’s time to make your bed again. You can now dress the bed in the way you want and lay on it!
Tips To Keep Your Memory Foam Mattress Clean Longer
- Vacuum the mattress surface every time you change sheets.
- Sun dry your mattress two times a year.
- Ensure you erase stains when they’re wet.
- After cleaning, allow your mattress to air dry.
- Cover the surface of your mattress with nylon covering or toppings.
- Sprinkle baking soda occasionally to keep it fresh.
Final Verdict
The memory mattress is a great mattress for providing comfort and relieving stress. However, the mattress can easily get stained and become hard to clean up. You need to care properly for the mattress regularly as it conversely cares for you.
