The soft padding of a pillow-top mattress helps ensure a good night's rest, but it also provides a highly absorbent surface for stains. Urine, blood or spilled liquids quickly soak into the cushioned top. Acting promptly can minimize the depth of the stain, but only proper cleaning will remove it completely. Pillow-top mattresses require similar stain removal methods as a regular mattress, but it can take longer for the thicker padding to dry properly. Blot up the stain with with a clean rag if it's still wet. Removing the liquid promptly prevents it from soaking into the pillow-top padding. Vacuum the mattress surface with the upholstery attachment to remove any dirt on the surface prior to stain removal. Dilute an upholstery shampoo with water per the package instructions. Apply the shampoo sparingly to the stain, working it into the fabric with a soft brush. Avoid applying too much and keep the padding in the pillow top as dry as possible. Moisten a sponge with white vinegar. Blot the stain with the vinegar to remove the shampoo residue and to help neutralize any odors, such as from urine stains.
Air-dry the mattress quickly and thoroughly. Set the mattress outdoors in sunshine or aim a fan at the wet spot to hasten drying. If moisture penetrated deeply into the pillow top, use a wet-dry vacuum to suck out the excess moisture. Sprinkle baking soda over the stain if an odor remains. Leave the soda in place for eight hours, then vacuum it from the mattress. Things You Will Need Rags Vacuum Upholstery shampoo Scrub brush Sponge Vinegar Fan (optional) Wet-dry vacuum (optional) Baking soda Tip References Michigan State University: Matress Care and CleaningOhio State University: Quick and Easy Stain Removal Photo Credits Gabriel Garcia/Demand Media Suggest a CorrectionHow to Find Bed Bugs Información relacionada disponible en español If you have an infestation, it is best to find it early, before the infestation becomes established or spreads. Treating a minor infestation, while an inconvenience, is far less costly and easier than treating the same infestation after it becomes more widespread.
However, low-level infestations are also much more challenging to find and correctly identify. Other insects, such as carpet beetles, can be easily mistaken for bed bugs. If you misidentify a bed bug infestation, it gives the bugs more time to spread to other areas of the house or hitchhike a ride to someone else's house to start a new infestation. Learn about identifying bed bugs. Bites on the skin are a poor indicator of a bed bug infestation. Bed bug bites can look like bites from other insects (such as mosquitoes or chiggers), rashes (such as eczema or fungal infections), or even hives. Some people do not react to bed bug bites at all. Looking for signs of bed bugs Where bed bugs hide Bed bug behavior and habits Looking for Signs of Bed Bugs A more accurate way to identify a possible infestation is to look for physical signs of bed bugs. When cleaning, changing bedding, or staying away from home, look for: Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed.
Dark spots (about this size: •), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would. Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow Where Bed Bugs Hide When not feeding, bed bugs hide in a variety of places. Around the bed, they can be found near the piping, seams and tags of the mattress and box spring, and in cracks on the bed frame and headboard. If the room is heavily infested, you may find bed bugs: In the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions, in the folds of curtains. In electrical receptacles and appliances. Under loose wall paper and wall hangings. At the junction where the wall and the ceiling meet. Even in the head of a screw. Bed Bug Behavior and Habit Understanding the behavior of bed bugs (how they eat, live, and reproduce) will help you to find an infestation before it becomes established and to monitor for the presence of bed bugs after your home has been treated.
Appear to prefer to feed on humans, but will feed on other mammals and birds as well. Will readily travel 5-20 feet from established hiding places (called harborage) to feed on a host. Even though they are primarily active at night, if hungry they will seek hosts in full daylight. Feeding can take 3-12 minutes. The rusty or tarry spots found on bed sheets or in bug hiding places are because 20% of the time adults and large nymphs will void remains of earlier blood meals while still feeding. Bed bugs need at least one blood meal before the individual bug can develop to the next of the six life stages. They can feed more than once. Each stage also requires the molting of skin. To continue to mate and produce eggs, both males and females must feed at least once every 14 days. Each female may lay 1 to 3 eggs per day and 200-500 eggs per her lifetime (6-12 months but could be longer). Egg-to-egg life cycle may take four to five weeks under favorable conditions.
Bed bugs can survive and remain active at temperatures as low as 7°C (46°F), but they die when their body temperatures reaches 45°C (113°F). To kill bed bugs with heat, the room must be even hotter to ensure sustained heat reaches the bugs no matter where they are hiding. Common bed bugs are found almost anywhere their host can live. Tropical bed bugs (Cimex hemipterus) require a higher average temperature than the common bed bug and are found in tropical and subtropical areas. Using a fabric conditioner and laundry detergent from the Neutral 0% range will make your bedding soft & clean, and will help reduce the risk of skin irritation. It’s the perfect combination for sensitive skin, making it ideal for washing baby blankets. Use water or any cleaning products sparingly to prevent saturating your mattress. A diluted dish detergent can be used to remove general stains on your mattress – always test on a small inconspicuous area first. If you find your washing machine is not big enough for your duvet, pop to your local launderette where they tend to have bigger machines.
If you have skin allergies, choose a gentle detergent specially developed for sensitive skin, like Neutral 0% Liquid Laundry Detergent, which contains 0% colourants or perfume, both of which could irritate sensitive skin. Getting a good night's sleep is important for your mental and physical health, and clean bedding and mattresses are key to ensuring good sleep and good health. According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, regular and deep sleep is essential to learning, memory, and overall health, while poor sleep can lead to a greater risk for chronic disease, as well as impaired judgment and reaction time. Cleaning your bedding and mattress can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Here are some helpful tips for how to clean your mattress and bedding, and find the right mattress stain remover. How to Clean Your Mattress A clean and comfortable mattress is essential for a good night’s sleep. While stains, odours, and dust mites are inevitable consequences of daily mattress use, regular cleaning can help to minimise these discomforts.
To keep your mattress clean, follow these 3 essential tips: Vacuum both sides of your mattress about once a month. Vacuuming your mattress helps to remove dust and dust mites, which can cause allergy reactions and irritation. If possible, air your mattress every few months by placing it outside in a sunny spot. This will prevent any accumulating moisture that can lead to mould, and will also banish any lingering odours. You can also air your mattress when changing the sheets and bedding. After removing the sheets, wait for a few minutes to let your mattress breathe. Ideally, open a window to let in fresh air and sunlight. How to Clean Stains on a Mattress Cleaning stains off your mattress may seem like an unpleasant task, but here are some tips that will help you clean a variety of stains. Be sure to check any instructions on your mattress tags – including any wash symbols – before you begin, and do not apply too much water or mattress stain remover to your mattress.
For simple or unidentified stains, clean your mattress with a citrus cleanser or diluted dish detergent. Spray the cleanser and let it sit for five or ten minutes. Blot the mattress repeatedly to remove excess liquid, and remember not to apply too much water. For blood or urine stains, first try applying a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to the affected area. Blot the stained area with a clean cloth just after application. If this does not work, apply a small amount of laundry detergent directly onto the stain. This will help break up the proteins found in bodily fluids. Brush the spot vigorously. Remember to clean bloodstains with cold water only, as hot liquids will set these stains for good. (This article on getting rid of period stains - a common cause of blood on your bedding - has some more useful advice on how to get blood out of sheets.) For particularly stubborn stains, try applying baking soda after detergent. Let the baking soda set, perhaps overnight, and vacuum the area the next day.
5 Top Tips for Cleaning Bedding, Bedspreads & Sheets Cleaning bedding is usually as easy as washing your clothes, though it is important to pay careful attention to the wash symbols on your blankets, sheets, and pillowcases to make sure that you don’t shrink, stain, or damage your bedding. Remember to wash your sheets and pillowcases about once a week, and your duvet or blanket about once a month. In general, it is a good idea to pre-treat spots or stains on your bedding with spot cleaners before throwing them in the wash. Simply spray the soiled area with a stain remover and allow to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before you begin your wash. Be sure to follow the wash symbols on your bedding. Consider washing your bedding with a detergent specifically designed for sensitive skin if you or any of your family members have allergies or sensitive skin. For example, you could try Neutral 0%, an unscented laundry detergent that’s gentle on skin and fabrics. Do not wash your sheets in hot water, as this will set any stains that have not yet been removed.