Accidents happen, and if your pet or child has left urine stains on a mattress, you need to act fast. It’s perfectly possible to clean a mattress of urine, removing any visible marks or smells left behind, but you need to do so before the stain has a chance to fully set in.
There are many household cleaners that you can buy to remove urine from a mattress, but oftentimes, your best cleaning tools will already be in your home’s cupboards. Stay tuned for the best tips for cleaning a mattress of urine using natural products and tried and tested cleaning methods.Stage 1: Gather your ingredients
Before getting started on cleaning the mattress in question, make sure you have all the tools you need to get the job done. Gather an empty spray bottle, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, liquid soap, and vinegar.Â
Step 2: Create the solution
Make your cleaning solution by combining eight ounces of hydrogen peroxide with three tablespoons of baking soda and half a teaspoon of washing up soap. Add each ingredient carefully to your spray bottle.Â
This is your chance to add an essential oil to give the solution a nice scent. Shake gently to combine the ingredients.
Step 3: Soak mattress with vinegar
Set your cleaning solution aside for a minute and first soak the entire urine stain with white vinegar, then use a cloth or paper towels to blot the vinegar until it’s dry. If you’re dealing with an accident that’s just happened, you’ll first need to soak up the urine with a towel or two to remove the worst of the dampness.
Step 4: Apply the solution
Once vinegar and urine are suitably removed, you can get to work applying the cleaning solution. Spray over the affected area, then leave to soak for up to ten minutes, twenty minutes for difficult stains. Then use another towel to blot the surface until it’s dry.
Step 5: Reapply when necessary
You won’t always get the stain off the first time, even if you’ve effectively managed to mask the urine smell with the contents of your cleaning bottle. In the case of a stubborn stain, you’ll want to repeat the process and reapply the cleaning solution to the affected area, waiting between ten and twenty minutes again for it to take effect.Â
In desperate times, never resort to scrubbing at the stain, as this will only spread it across a wider surface.
Step 6: Sprinkle with baking soda
If you’re paranoid about a lingering smell, it’s a good idea to sprinkle the area with a couple of teaspoons of baking soda. Baking soda is known for its ability to absorb smells – some people even keep a bowl of baking soda in the fridge to keep things fresh.Â
Step 7: Let it dry
If you can, leave the urine patch exposed to dry for 12 hours. Keep the bed free from blankets of sheets during the drying process to allow air to get to it as easily as possible, and for evaporation to occur.
Step 8: Vacuum the baking soda
The final step is to vacuum up the baking soda from the stained area. You should be left with a dry, fresh-smelling patch of mattress with a reduced or barely visible urine stain.Â
Now that it’s properly cleaned, the urine smell should be gone by this point in time. If it’s still lingering, add some more baking soda and leave it for another couple of hours.
- STAIN AND UNWANTED SMELL REMOVER: Clorox Urine Remover for Stains and Unwanted smell breaks down urine to eliminate Unwanted smell, not mask it, while the powerful hydrogen peroxide cleaner removes stains
- URINE CLEANER: Formula uses hydrogen peroxide to remove uric acid crystals and break down the cell structure of unwanted particles to eliminate the lingering smell and evidence of urine
- CARPET STAIN REMOVER: This powerful stain remover is safe to use on fibers and soft surfaces such as carpet upholstery mattresses and bed linens, as well as hard to clean surfaces such as grout
- OUTDOOR STAIN REMOVER: The hydrogen peroxide formula works great on hard non-porous surfaces such as concrete sidewalks, outdoor tile and trash areas
- DESTOYS URINE ODORS THE FIRST TIME: Urine elimination technology neutralizes and removes odors on contact for immediate freshness
- REMOVES PET STAINS AND MORE: Effectively tackles pet stains, food stains, and other tough messes
- HELPS PREVENT REMARKING: Discourages pets from returning to make a mess in the same spot
- SUITABLE FOR USE AROUND PETS: Suitable for use around pets when used as directed
- Instant All-purpose Stain & Odor Remover is the go-to solution for household stains & odors
- Patented formula neutralizes & eliminates odors, providing a deep clean that deters future accidents
- Use on carpet, furniture, mattresses, clothing, bedding & any other water-safe surfaces
- Parent Tested, Parents Approved - Award Winner
- Certified Gentle And Safe: Chlorine free and color safe; Safe to use around pets and children; No hazardous propellants, no residue left behind. So gentle it’s been Certified Safe for all carpets, earning the Seal of Approval by the trusted Carpet and Rug Institute (cri)
- Eliminates Stains, Odors and Residue: If it’s gross, it’s gone; Not just the stain, but the stink; From stinky yellow pet urine and feces to vomit and other organic spills, our professional strength formula tackles them all
- Every Surface, Every Time: For use on carpets, floors, furniture, clothing, litter boxes, kennels, carriers, all pet living and sleeping areas—anywhere stains happen
- Enzyme Activated: The key is getting to the problem deep-down; This spray contains natural enzymes that are activated on contact with odors and stains, feeding on ammonia crystals and organic matter until they are completely eliminated
Conclusion
Cleaning a mattress of urine isn’t the most pleasant of activities, but get it right and you’ll at least feel a sense of satisfaction when the job is done. If you want to avoid the task of cleaning a mattress stain again in the future, it’s worth investing in a waterproof mattress cover.
This is placed beneath the bedsheets, and, as the name suggests, is completely waterproof. It’ll absorb the worst of the urine, and all you’ll need to do is wash the mattress cover and replace it by bedtime.
This method is one of the most commonly used for cleaning urine off a mattress, but that’s not to say there aren’t other methods out there that work equally as well. Enzymatic cleaners are particularly effective at removing stains from mattresses, and are useful for eliminating pet urine stains. When you use this type of cleaner, your pet won’t return to the scene of the crime to take a wee again and again, because it won’t be able to smell urine in the area.
Most people find that a combination of cleaning methods work best, so find what works for you and stick to it. Remember that though the task might be time-consuming, the more thorough you can be, the better the overall outcome.