How to Clean Memory Foam Mattress in 3 Simple Steps

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How to Clean Memory Foam Mattress in 3 Simple Steps

How to Clean Memory Foam Tidyhere Infographic

A good quality memory foam mattress, topper or pillow plays a key role in a good and restful night’s sleep. We keep memory foam buried underneath tons of other linens, so it can be pretty easy to forget about and just as easy to forget to clean. That’s okay, there’s no time like the present to catch up.

Luckily, we have a few tips and tricks you can start incorporating into your routine to keep your memory foam feeling and smelling fresh and ready for a good night of sleep. Ready to find out how you can improve your sleep, breathing, and prolong the life of your memory foam? Keep reading this little cleaning guide to find out just how simple it can be!

Can Your Memory Foam Be Washed?

The short answer is no, at least, not in the traditional manner. When you put memory foam in the wash, the agitation and spin cycle will damage the foam, and it will also be close to impossible to get all of the water out of of the foam to dry.

Memory foam traps and locks in moisture so easily, so deep cleaning any memory foam mattress, topper or pillow requires extra time and attention. No matter the type or size of your memory foam, the cleaning methods will stay pretty similar.

So what is the best method for washing memory foam? You’ll find our step-by-step cleaning guide below.

How to Clean Memory Foam Mattress?

Before you get started, you’ll need to make sure you have everything you need on hand and ready to go:

Step 1: Vacuum

Move your memory foam pillow, topper, or mattress to the floor and lay it flat. Grab a vacuum with an upholstery brush, soft brush, or crevice attachment, and vacuum the entire surface of the memory foam. You’ll want to make sure you fully vacuum both sides of the memory foam to ensure you are removing as much dander from the foam as possible.

Step 2: Deodorize

To properly deodorize memory foam, there are two methods:

✔️ In a spray bottle, mix one part mild laundry detergent with two parts cool water and spray the solution evenly across the surface of the item.

✔️ Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda around the surface of the memory foam and allow it to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before completely vacuuming it all up. This is best for quickly refreshing the memory foam, but is not a long term solution.

Step 3: Air Dry

Lay or stand the memory foam in a bright sunny spot with good airflow, you can place it outside for a few hours if necessary. Make sure it is completely dry on all sides before putting it back on your bed, as deeply set-in moisture can lead to mildew and odor.

More Tips On How to Clean a Mattress

✔️ Try to recruit a friend or partner to help when cleaning your memory foam mattresses. Memory foam mattresses are probably the toughest to clean since they’re so heavy and unwieldy.

✔️ Memory foam mattress toppers often come with a washable cover that provides a layer of protection for the memory foam. Most of these topper covers can be washed and dried in your washer and dryer, making the memory foam cleaning process a lot simpler. Check your topper cover’s manufacturer tag for any care instructions and extra information.

✔️ Like mattress toppers, a lot of memory foam cushions come with a removable cover. Check your cushion’s manufacturer tag for any care instructions. Due to the contoured shape of these cushions, you may want to use your vacuum’s upholstery or crevice attachment on your handheld vacuum for more control as you clean it.

✔️ Your memory foam pillows usually come with a pillowcase or you may have used you own. In either situation, you will need to take it off and consult the pillow’s manufacturer tag for any care instructions. If you do not see a care tag, you should clean your pillows the same way you clean cushions and toppers.

How to Get Stain Out of Mattress?

How to Clean Memory Foam Remove Stains on Memory Foam Infographic

Mix

The first thing you’ll want to do is mix up a cleaning solution to use on the memory foam. We suggest mixing one part baking soda with two parts cold water in an empty spray bottle.

Treat

Spray the freshly mixed solution onto the entire area of the stain. Use a cloth to clean the area of the stain in a circular motion, moving from the outside in. After you clean the stain, let the solution sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Dry

Using a fresh cloth, blot and wipe the treated area in a circular motion. Once you are sure that you have removed all excess moisture, leave the foam out to air dry completely. You can place it outside for the best results.

Benefits of Cleaning Your Memory Foam

✔️ Memory foam is going to wear out, unfortunately that’s a fact of life. But with the proper amount of scheduled care and cleaning, you can delay that date for a few years. Fun fact: when you keep up with regular cleaning and care, your memory foam can last up to 10 years!

✔️ Because our mattresses don’t get a lot of air, they can trap in moisture and odor and start to grow mildew. When you regularly vacuum and air out your memory foam, you can prevent and even remove odor and mildew and promote a more restful night’s sleep.

✔️ Find yourself waking up feeling congested and not having a fulfilling sleep? Keeping up with the care and cleaning of your mattress and other memory foam pillows and toppers can help remove the allergens such as dust mites affecting your rest, keep them under control and promote more restful sleep each night.

FAQs

Can you put memory foam in the dryer?

Generally speaking, no. Memory foam mattresses and toppers are far too big for most dryers and more importantly, memory foam and contained heat do not mix well and can damage the foam or even cause a fire.

How often should I clean my mattress?

Whenever your bedding is getting washed, take some time to vacuum your mattress. you ‘ll be treating stains too, you’ll only have to deodorize your mattress a few times each year.

Can I use hydrogen peroxide to remove stains?

While it’s an effective stain remover, hydrogen peroxide and memory foam generally don’t mix. If you’re dealing with a stubborn stain you can try a more dedicated stain remover.

How to Clean Urine From a Memory Foam Mattress?

Use the stain-removing method we outlined earlier! Once the area is mostly dry, grab some baking soda and sprinkle it all over the stain and let it sit for about eight hours. After that, vacuum the affected area, and you’re done!

You can also check this video for more cleaning tips: