If your mattress has an unfortunate stain on it, you might be wondering, can you use carpet cleaner on a mattress to get rid of this unsightly problem? Here’s what you need to know.
Why Clean Your Mattress In The First Place?
We shed a lot of skin and hair. Due to us spending much of our lives asleep on our mattresses, a large amount of that skin and hair will end up on our mattress.
We also sweat a lot, and that fluid soaks into our bedsheets. Inevitably, some will end up reaching our mattress, too.
These fluids and cells can cause stains, bad smells and potentially increase the risk of allergies. So regularly cleaning a mattress is a good idea.
Some online publications say that using a carpet cleaner offers a great way to steam clean your mattress and keep it fresh.
The thinking goes that because carpet cleaners can be used on upholstery, they are suitable to help rid your mattress of bacteria and dust mites, and help eradicate any bodily fluids that might have stained your mattress.
However, there are some things to keep in mind about keeping your mattress clean.
General Mattress Cleaning Is Important
Manufacturers make mattresses from many different materials, such as foams, gels, or innerspring systems.
Most mattress care instructions advise washing removable top covers regularly in the washing machine. Airing out your mattress every morning and hoovering your mattress carefully every so often can also help keep things fresh.
If you do find your mattress is stained, spot treating the stain is usually the best method. Gently dabbing the stain with a non-abrasive cloth teamed with a suitable cleaning product should help clear most problems.
But sometimes larger stains can happen, or you may think that a deeper clean is needed. Is this when you should get out the carpet cleaner?
So Can You Use A Carpet Cleaner On A Mattress?
If we are talking about using a traditional carpet cleaner straight onto your mattress, we would advise against this.
Carpet cleaners can release a lot of water, something that should never come into contact with your mattress.
Detergents that you may use on carpets can also be harsh, and while they may not pose a health risk when used properly, they could compromise the fabric and stitching on your mattress.
However, if you have a steamer function on your carpet cleaner, you may be able to use it in some circumstances and with caution.
Manufacturer Emma says that for large stains on your Emma mattress cover, steam cleaning might be suitable. But not all manufacturers offer this advice.
Eve dissuades its customers from deep cleaning their mattresses and says not to steam clean the mattress.
Other mattress brands like Otty say their covers are for dry-cleaning only, again suggesting that you should avoid using a carpet cleaner on your mattress.
For foam and pocket sprung mattresses, using a carpet cleaner or steamer is not recommended. Unless done by a professional, who can assess the bed set-up and know how to clean it properly, steam cleaning could damage your mattress.
Steam cleaning or carpet cleaning your mattress could be damaging not just to the top layers of fabric but to the core materials, too. For example, if a foam mattress becomes wet, it could be hard to dry properly. Damp could then lead to mould.
Similarly, if springs in your mattress become wet, they could rust or stop functioning.
For other kinds of mattresses, you should think carefully about using an alternative. For example, vacuuming or spot stain removal with a lightly moistened cloth might be more suitable and safer.
Also, you must read the care guidelines and your warranty carefully to avoid causing unintentional wear or damage.
If you do damage the mattress due to having cleaned it in a way that is not within the guidelines, you may end up voiding your guarantee and, ultimately, have to buy a new mattress.
So yes, you perhaps can use a steam cleaning tool in some circumstances, but only with caution and if your mattress maker gives the okay.
You can usually find advice on issues like this either in the care guidelines or on the manufacturer’s website under the FAQ section.
Final Thoughts
While many people say that you can use a carpet cleaner to freshen your mattress, mattress care guidelines often dissuade using anything more than a damp cloth. As a result, we feel it is best to avoid carpet cleaners.
If you feel that your mattress could benefit from a steam clean, we would advise you to contact a professional steam cleaning service that will come to your home. They will assess your mattress first and will know if it can withstand steam cleaning or not.
If you have any doubt about how to clean your mattress, it’s always worth contacting the care team at the manufacturer from which you bought your mattress, as they will be able to advise you on the best way to tackle any stains or problems.
Have you used a carpet cleaner on your mattress? If so, we’d love to hear your experiences of cleaning your mattress in the comments below.
