An air mattress is a great accessory to have in a household or outdoor lifestyle. Not only it’s great for camping, but also to plump up a cushion or as an additional bed for guests. However, when the mattress is crusted with pee stains from a dog, it becomes an irritating thing to stay with.
It becomes pertinent to know how to clean dog pee off an air mattress.
You need to soak the pee as much as possible with a tissue or towel without rubbing, apply baking soda or vinegar, and clean the pee stain. Although this may be an unusual or unplanned activity, it is relatively easy to clean off dog pee from an air mattress.
We will now discuss how you can get the job done with everyday household items, even if you don’t have commercial cleaning products at your disposal.
How To Clean Dog Pee Off An Air Mattress?
- Step 1- Soak the pee: Firstly, use a dry towel to blot the dog urine as much as possible from the mattress. Do not rub the towel on the bed as you clean to avoid spreading the dog’s urine.
- Step 2- Use baking soda: Apply baking soda to the stained area and spread it evenly over the dog urine. This step is vital because baking soda reduces moisture and odor. Then, allow the baking soda to sit for an hour and vacuum it off the mattress.
- Step 3- Vinegar does well: Mix two equal quantities of vinegar and water into a bottle. Shake it thoroughly until both properties are well combined. Then, spray on the affected area. Allow it to sit for 20 minutes, and then blot the moisture with a towel or vacuum. One can also consider putting in a few drops of essential oil, such as lavender or eucalyptus, to assist in covering up any unpleasant smells.
- Step 4- Dry the mattress: Take the mattress outside into the sunlight, so it is air-dried. Direct sunlight on the affected area helps disinfect and adequately dry the mattress. However, if there is no access to sunlight, placing it directly under a portable fan will also do the trick.
How To Clean Dog Stain Off An Air Mattress?
Cleaning dog stains off an air mattress is a more tedious process and requires a heavier cleaning solution, especially if the blots have already been set in for some time before the cleaning process. Three priority ingredients to be used for this are; baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap.
- Make a solution of hydrogen peroxide (8 ounces), baking soda (3 tablespoons), and dish soap (4 drops).
- With a spray bottle, sprinkle the solution well into the stained areas and allow it to soak into the air mattress.
- Allow the mixture to dry, and after a few hours, a hard baking soda residue will form at the surface.
- Vacuum or clean off the baking soda and inspect if the stains are visible.
- Repeat the process if need be.
This process of cleaning dog stains helps to cancel out both unpleasant smells and stains. When the solution can soak and penetrate the affected area, as the solution dries and hydrogen peroxide evaporates, the urine smell and smudges are drawn to the surface.
However, it is essential to note that hydrogen peroxide bleach materials. It can also slightly discolor or damage memory foam mattresses. So, to avoid this, one must first test it on a small area before using it on more prominent stains. And make sure to apply the solution sparingly and remove any colored materials to avoid bleaching.
How To Prevent Stains And Unpleasant Smell In An Air Mattress?
The most effective way to prevent dog stains and foul odor from building up in an air mattress is to make sure it is well protected. And one way to achieve this is using high-quality mattress covers – fully waterproof ones. Frequent cleaning and washing of the sheets and bedding materials also prevent the mattress from accumulating stains and nasty smells.
Popular Air Mattress Types and sizes
The choices for inflating mattresses are limitless and made from all types of materials. Some are used as standard replacements for mattresses and others as temporary alternatives. Having in-depth knowledge of air mattresses and their features can help prevent tough stains and unpleasant odors.
1. Insole Air Mattress
The insole mattress is built from high-density foam designed to ease and relax the body. This mattress type is better and has more advantages over the conventional beds filled with air, and this is because the insole mattress is inflated with air. However, they are pretty expensive to purchase but assure absolute comfort and convenience as a bed option. The insole mattress is lightweight, convenient, and simple to move around.
As you have dogs to take with you, getting a durable air mattress for camping with dogs is necessary more than anything.
Another benefit of the insole mattress is its ability to provide support on both sides of the bed, so one could still have balance even while sleeping on one side. It offers optimal balance and support when filled with air, making it an excellent choice for air mattresses. The insole air bed also provides easy techniques to clean dog pee off an air mattress.
2. Full Air Mattress
A vast air mattress takes up the same look like a twin air mattress. Although a little wider and similar to a twin air bed, it is the best option for accommodating more than one person. This air mattress type has optimal body weight support and stability that provides absolute comfort.
3. Queen Air Mattress
As the name implies, this air mattress is queen-sized and is thicker and more balanced than other bed types. And due to their enormous size, they are perfect for two or three persons to lay on without being overcrowded. This air mattress offers total comfort and eases the body. Additionally, if dog pee stains settle on the air bed, it is easy to clean off due to its unique features.
4. King Air Mattress
Like the queen air mattress, the king air is a king-sized mattress that can accommodate up to four persons at a time. It is broad in length, width, and overall density, making it a top-notch option for buying an air mattress.
With this air mattress size, you can be assured of extreme comfort and relaxation and not need to worry about dog stains because its top is built in a way that pigments can hardly settle in. However, the king air mattress takes up a lot of room during storage, which could cause inconvenience when trying to pack for camping trips and outdoor activities.
Disadvantages of Using Air Mattresses
Despite its many features and advantages, using an inflatable mattress also has downsides. Discussed below are some usual complaints and potential solutions to consider.
- Air Leakages: Air leakage is a usual complaint primarily for low-quality mattresses, and buying a higher quality might eliminate the problem of air leakage. However, a permanent solution might be to invest in one built to maintain pressure during the night. It is also essential to check if the air mattress supports one’s weight when in use.
- Temperature Discomfort: If the air mattress is kept in a room with a cold temperature, then the air in the mattress might make the air bed cooler than usual. Also, on warmer nights, the body’s heat might become trapped on the surface of the mattress, causing it to be unbearably hot. A solution would be to add a foam topper to help control the temperature.
- Mattress Punctures: As the risk of air mattresses leaking, punctures is another potential risk. It is vital to place the bed on an open surface of anything that could puncture it. Additionally, finding the heaviest PVC material is essential as it helps to add durability to the air bed.
- Mattress Sagging: After use for a long time, it is possible for the mattress to sag. And this issue usually arises when the bed also has leakages. With specific parts of the mattress sagging more than others, a solution would be to find an air mattress with internal chambers that evenly distribute body weight.
- Poor Stability and Support: Air mattresses could have poor stability since they are lightweight and easy to move around. Some high-quality air beds have no-slip to most models to prevent them from moving across the floor. And others integrate air beams to ensure their stability.
- Pillow Problems: Some builds of air mattresses come with in-built pillows and headboard chambers which help to keep the cushions from sliding off as one sleeps. Another solution would be to lean the bed close to a wall to prevent the pillow from sliding off.
- Storage Size: Air mattresses are a pretty accessory; however, it becomes a task to store them. And the higher the quality of the air bed, the more likely it is to take up much space. However, it is crucial to measure up a space to store the air mattress to avoid this challenge.
How To Thoroughly Clean An Air Mattress
Whether the purpose of an air mattress is for guests, summer camping, or as a spot for pets, it needs to be cleaned as often as possible. The air mattress could often be soiled with spills and difficult stains or just covered in dust and dirt, making it nasty to use. However, with light cleaning and the use of fitted sheet covers, the air bed can be good as new.
Light Cleaning After Every Use
It may not be necessary to vacuum or wash a vinyl air mattress after each use, but it’s vital to clean it off any dirt and debris. An easy way to achieve light cleaning is to neatly brush the mattress before folding it into a storage bag. Using a soft broom or a handheld vacuum will help to wipe off debris, dust, pet hair, dirt, etc. Regardless, vacuuming is suitable mainly for velour tops mattresses, and also plastic air beds can be easily cleaned with a damp rag or towel. It is also essential to allow the material to dry properly before storing them away.
Deep Cleaning the Air Mattress
No matter what your air mattress is made of, there are some basic ways to get it clean. Most air beds are made from rubber, vinyl, or plastic material. Whatever the mattress is built from, there are simple ways to keep them cleaned; however, what matters most is if the bed has a built-in air pump or not.
- First, thoroughly wash the sheets after every use, especially if taken out for camping, as it tends to accumulate more dirt and debris.
- If the mattress has an in-built air pump, it is crucial to unplug it before cleaning. However, it is always a struggle to remove some air pumps and keep them inflated when removed. Therefore, an ideal solution would prevent water or liquid from getting into the air pumps.
- Using a damp towel to prevent water from getting into the pumps will be ideal. The tape should be tied around the pump to avoid the slightest chance of water penetrating it.
These processes are ideal for deep cleaning an air mattress:
- Vacuum the air bed: Vacuuming is efficient in properly cleaning an inflatable mattress. It wipes out all debris, dirt, dust, and dog hair. Vacuuming is the most effective way to clean air mattresses with velour tops.
- Use alcohol to remove tough stains: Using a towel dipped in rubbing alcohol helps to reduce smudges, sterilizes the bed surface, and removes sticky spots. If the alcohol is not available, water and mild liquid detergent can also do the job.
- Air Dry: Finally, it is crucial to properly let the air mattress dry before it is stored up. And with the help of rubbing alcohol, it won’t take more than an hour to dry.
Final Thoughts
Keeping our dogs away from household air mattresses can be a struggle; might not even be an option. When the best efforts are not enough, taking measures to clean it is the best way out. now that you know how to clean dog pee off an air mattress, it should be an easy job.
However, tough stains and nasty odors might be left behind, even after cleaning. In that case, simple household items like baking soda, detergent, rubbing alcohol, vacuum, can come in handy to deep clean the mattress, both for the stain and the odor.
