A mattress isn’t one of those things that you normally get excited about, but it’s an investment. And if you’re going to put down that much money for a mattress, you need to keep it clean.
But how do you possibly clean something this large and awkward? Well, we’ve figured it out for you! Just follow the steps below to clean (and maintain) your mattress for years to come.
When you buy through our links, we may earn a small commission.
How to Clean Your Mattress
I know you don’t want to hear this, but your mattress isn’t as clean as you think. It’s full of dead skin, dust mites, dirt, and debris. Not only is that nasty, but if you’re someone who deals with allergies, it can be a serious nuisance to your quality of sleep.
Here’s how we tackle mattress cleaning:
- Gather Your Supplies
You don’t need much to clean your mattress. But you do need the right supplies. This isn’t a situation where you can swap out one supply for something else you have lying around.
These ingredients and tools are purposefully chosen to clean your mattress without damaging it (USA) (Canada)
- Vacuum with an upholstery attachment (or use your carpet vacuum in a pinch) (USA) (Canada)
- Tide® powdered laundry detergent
- Baking soda
- Cleaning cloths
- Cold water
- Peroxide (if you have blood stains)
- Strip the Bedding
Remove everything from your bed and lay the mattress bare. This includes comforters, sheets, pillowcases, mattress covers, etc. Toss everything into the washing machine for a clean while you deal with the mattress. Furthermore, bedding should be washed in hot water to help get rid of any of those dust mites that are lurking around.

- Vacuum Away!
Now for the fun part. Grab your vacuum, insert the upholstery attachment into the wand, and cover every square inch of your mattress. This includes all the sides and seams. If you’re having trouble reaching any area, use the crevice attachment to suck up stubborn dust or dirt.

- Spot Clean (If Necessary)
If you notice any stains, now’s a good time to spot clean. The type of mattress and the type of stain will dictate how you clean, so be sure to read your manufacturer’s recommendations (if you can find any).
- Sprinkle With Baking Soda
Once you’ve removed any stains, grab that baking soda and sprinkle it like fairy dust all over the mattress. Let it sit for several hours (or even overnight if you’ll be gone on a trip). The baking soda will break down and absorb whatever moisture or odor is left.

- Vacuum (Again)
Once you’ve let the baking soda do its thing, vacuum it up. Take your time and work your way into all of the seams, sides, and crevices. We want your mattress to be fresh!
- Flip & Repeat
Thought you were done? Not quite yet. Go ahead and flip that mattress over and clean the other side. And if your mattress manufacturer recommends regularly flipping your mattress anyway, this is a good time to keep the new side facing up.
How to Maintain Your Mattress
You should clean your mattress every few weeks. But you should also be committed to maintaining it. Doing so can help you get several extra years out of your mattress and prevent the need to go through the process of buying a new mattress (and getting rid of your old one).
Here are some helpful tips for mattress maintenance:
- Make sure you have a sturdy bed frame/box spring for your mattress. Without proper support, your mattress won’t last nearly as long. Check every few months to make sure it’s still providing adequate support.
- Flip your mattress every three months (for two-sided mattresses). It’s also a good idea to rotate your mattress 180 degrees. This will prevent the mattress from becoming contoured to your body.
- Wash your bedding at least once a week. And make sure to address any stains as soon as they appear. (Also, on a related note, stop eating and drinking in bed, you dirty bastard. It’s a recipe for disaster!)
Get a Copy of The Cleaning Army Handbook
Join the #CleaningArmy and pick up your own copy of the handbook. We have it available for purchase in hardcopy and ebook versions. You can also grab one of our checklists or calendars to make sure you never miss a corner of your home!
For a list of our favorite products, click here.
We're big on Instagram.
Follow @GoCleanCo for seriously satisfying videos and top-secret tips. Don’t be shy, come say hi.
gocleanco
Nov 18
I circled rollerblades in the Sears Wish Book every year…and every year my mother would patiently explain that we lived on an acreage with gravel roads and rollerblades do not work on gravel…and every year I would be so disappointed when they didn’t show up under the tree. 🤣🤦🏼♀️ #nostalgia #christmastime
gocleanco
Nov 15
PSA: A lot of people don’t know you can do this when you order a gift off of Amazon. At check out, you can select that the item is a gift and then choose the option to add a gift bag and a custom message and this is how it is delivered! You don’t have to worry about the surprise being ruined if they open the box because it’s already wrapped and they can plunk it under the tree. Perfect if you have family far away that you won’t be seeing this holiday season. Saves ya time and energy in the chaos of the season. 🎁🎄🎅🏻🕰️🕰️🕰️ #christmastime
gocleanco
Nov 13
Nostalgic Christmas!!!! Bring on the tinsel and the garland. I can handle it. 🤭We have some fun things planned to take you back to the days when we made ornaments outta fishhooks, so STAY TUNED ya filthy animals! 🎄🎁 ⛄️ 🎅🏻 🤶🏻❄️ ☕️
gocleanco
Nov 12
Best part of getting my hair done is hanging with sister @hellohairhouse the results aren’t too shabby either
gocleanco
Nov 9
Just out here doing the lords work. meganrreed_
gocleanco
Nov 4
Okay my DM’s are full of people asking for this to live on the feed. Brew a cup of coffee. I use a @nespresso pod but any regular cup java will do. Add in one scoop of your fav protein powder (or do half if you find this too sweet). This-is-a-wing-it-to-how-you-like-it-recipe as most cups of coffee are. I used vanilla protein powder here with a sprinkle of cinnamon, tastes a Christmasy! My go to is usually chocolate protein because it tastes like a mocha. Froth it with frother and drink it hot or over ice. This gets me 26 grams of protein right in the morning which helps cause I’m not a breakfast person. I’m trying y’all. 💪🏻 🍑
gocleanco
Nov 1
You asked and I delivered! You have been requesting I test the viral Tineco floor washers forever so here they are! Full break down of the S5 and S3 model in my stories plus they are both on sale at Canadian Tire and Amazon! @tinecoglobal #sponsored #floorcare #evolutionofclean
gocleanco
Oct 28
Best one yet. 🤣😂🤣🤣 I told you guys he looks like @mrclean
gocleanco
Oct 25
I have shared my new BLANCO sink and faucet but let’s talk about accessories, did you know BLANCO also has under sink organization systems? I completed my BLANCO UNIT with the BOTTON II, it tidies up the mess under your kitchen sink and it pulls out like a drawer; you can store your cleaning supplies in it and also has a handy dandy little handle so you can take your supplies with you around the house. I have a post up on their blog that goes into depth about BLANCO maintenance and care, and more tips in my stories so make sure you check them out. You folks had lots of questions about BLANCO last round and I am happy to help. Plus BLANCO customer service can answer any maintenance questions you might have. #sponsored @blancoamerica1
gocleanco
Oct 22
You can’t win them all. 🐷🩰
gocleanco
Oct 20
Ghosts have chores too! #happyhalloween
gocleanco
Oct 13
It’s a blessing and a curse, really. #housework
gocleanco
Oct 11
Me for the last 24 hours straight 🥴😵💫 What didn’t you snag that you had on your heart set on for Prime Big Deals Days? Drop ONE THING you didn’t nab in the comments below and maybe we will do some surprise Amazon deliveries! 🥰 The only thing I have had time to buy for myself is a Home Alone Pillow with Kevin’s face on it and some Tide Rescue 😂 Swipe to see ➡️➡️➡️
gocleanco
Oct 9
It is the final week of the Fall Cleaning Challenge which means we are cleaning the Common Area’s in our homes (that’s hallways, closets, mudrooms, porches and laundry rooms) we are ALSO taking our buckets, Aquablades, power washers and shop vacuums outside to clean up our outdoor spaces before the ❄️ hits. This is a big week. What’s the biggest disaster area that you need to tackle this week? I’ll go first. It’s my scary linen closet which currently it has a sign on on it that says CAUTION ⚠️ 😂 I also got a new leaf blower that I am very excited to blast some dirt and 🍂 with. Pace yourselves, WE GOT THIS! 👊🏻 #cleaningtips
gocleanco
Oct 8
If you are sick of doing dishes, we got this off Amazon for Stella’s apartment cause she didn’t have a dishwasher and she would not stop complaining about it. The little window is so cute, you can watch everything that happening in it, it’s almost as dramatic as and episode of Love is Blind. 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ from Stella! #amazonfinds
gocleanco
Oct 7
Hiiiii 👋🏼 Sarah here. I’m the one behind the cleaning hacks, motivation, business tips, home design, decor and sometimes fashion advice and sassy commentary. Oh and I wrote some books in the early days too 🤓 How long have long have you been following along for the ride? Thanks for sticking with me 💕💕💕
gocleanco
Oct 6
Takes me just as long to pick a blanket as it does a pillowcase. 🫠🤣 Everything is linked up in my Amazon Store front! Link is in my bio. Reminder it’s Prime Deals Days next week so expecting lots of stuff to be on sale next week! My rug is from @ruggable and is 9x12 and called the Kamran Hazel. #falldecor
gocleanco
Oct 4
Entering spooky season but it’s just a regular Wednesday for us. Today I learned not everyone pronounces it 👻—GUR 🤣🤣🤣 #happyhalloween
gocleanco
Sep 24
Heya. 👋🏼 Sarah here. We are wrapping up Week One (Kitchen Week—the most overwhelming) of the Fall Cleaning challenge. How is it going? What have you got done? My job during these Challenges is to motivate and help educate you on the most efficient and effective ways to clean so you feel confident about moving onto the next week with us! The Cleaning Challenges get easier each time we do them as it’s a scheduled, routine deep clean that helps you stay on top of things before they get out of hand. If you deep cleaned in the Spring Challenge with us, I know (based on the hundreds of DM’s🤣) that this week felt easier because you lined the tops of your cupboards with parchment paper in the Spring! I find it hard to put into writing how cleaning can make you feel SO GOOD, satisfied and proud of your home. I can’t explain the feeling feeling until you roll up your sleeves and get to work and feel it yourself. Once one room is done, please stop and stand back and survey your work. Take a minute to feel the accomplishment in your bones. This is hard but rewarding work and you CAN do it—I will cheer you on the entire way. Keep sending me your before and afters! They make me so happy and proud of each you, I feel like I am helping clean millions of homes around the world and that’s honestly pretty cool. 😎
gocleanco
Sep 22
It’s Kitchen week of the Fall Cleaning Challenge and I can finally share my new kitchen sink from BLANCO that everyone has been asking about. I am very excited to be working with @blancoamerica1 they are THE kitchen experts and a global brand with over 95 years of experience. Head to my stories to see how I care for this beauty on the daily and how easy it is to treat stains. BLANCO is more than just sinks; they also have faucets and organizational systems (like the BOTTON) that work together as an integrated UNIT. #ad