How to Get Smells Out of a Mattress
A mattress can develop a stale, sweaty smell over years, from body sweat, dead skin, and oils soaking in through the sheets. You cannot wash a mattress, but you can deep-deodorize it: vacuum it, cover it in baking soda, and air it out.
We make small-batch beeswax candles in Far Rockaway, so a room that truly smells clean is our whole focus, and that always starts at the source rather than the scent. Below is where the smell comes from, how to clear it step by step, and how to keep the space fresh afterward, with the full the MBur beeswax candle collection here as you read.
Why a mattress gets smelly
You spend hours on it every night, and sweat and oils pass through the sheets into the mattress. It cannot be laundered, so the smell builds in the surface layers.
In humid conditions, that trapped moisture can even lead to mildew. Deodorizing and airing it is what resets it.
How to deodorize it, step by step
- Strip and wash the bedding. Wash the sheets, the mattress protector, and everything that goes on the bed.
- Vacuum the mattress. Go over the whole surface and the seams to remove dust, skin, and dust mites.
- Deodorize with baking soda. Sift a generous layer over the whole surface, let it sit several hours, all day is better, then vacuum it up.
- Spot-clean stains. For sweat or urine marks, use an enzyme cleaner or a mix of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and a little dish soap. Blot rather than soak, and let it dry fully.
- Air it out. Pull the mattress into sunlight or by an open window if you can, since UV and airflow freshen and dry it.
Let any damp spot dry completely before making the bed. Sealing in moisture is what turns a cleaned mattress musty, so patience on drying matters.
Keep it from coming back
Use a washable mattress protector and wash the bedding weekly, and air the mattress when you change the sheets.
Flip or rotate it per the manufacturer, and keep the bedroom ventilated to lower humidity.
Freshen the whole room once the source is gone
With the smell in the mattress handled, the air itself is the last step. A clean candle is the finishing touch here, best lit once the space is already clean. From there it is the fastest way to make the room read fresh rather than merely neutral.
For your bedroom, Retail Therapy fits well. It is juicy and bright, with red currant, peach, and amber, and like every MBur candle it is poured from 100% beeswax with a wooden wick and phthalate-free non-toxic fragrance oils, so freshening the air never means adding soot on top.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a smell out of a mattress?
Vacuum it, cover it in baking soda for several hours, then vacuum it up, and air it out. Spot-clean stains with an enzyme cleaner for set-in smells.
Can I use water to clean a mattress?
Only lightly for spot-cleaning, and blot rather than soak. A soaked mattress cannot dry fully and will grow mildew.
How do I keep my mattress from smelling?
Use a washable protector, wash bedding weekly, air the mattress when you change sheets, and keep the room ventilated.
Does baking soda really deodorize a mattress?
Yes. Left on for several hours it absorbs odor and moisture from the surface layers, then vacuums right up.
Ready to keep your space smelling clean once the source is handled? Explore the MBur beeswax candle collection and find the scent that fits the room.
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