Getting Ready to Clean Your Memory Foam Mattress Topper Memory foam mattress toppers, and memory foam mattresses as well, for that matter, must always be cleaned by hand, because machine cleaning can destroy the memory foam. Start by removing your mattress topper from the bed, and place it on the floor. Check it for any stains and odors. Especially if you have to remove stains and odors, you may want to bring the topper into your bathroom, turning on the fan or opening the window to keep the room ventilated. If you're cleaning it on a hardwood or carpeted floor, place a tarp under it to protect the floor. Gather all the materials you need. For simple cleaning, you need a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment, a gentle fabric cleaner, water, and a spray bottle. Vacuuming and Cleaning Your Memory Foam Mattress Topper The first step in cleaning your mattress topper is to vacuum it. Use a powerful handheld vacuum if possible, working with a soft brush attachment. Work your way from across the mattress topper using circular motions to pick up dust, debris, and other particles from the mattress.
If you have an eggshell-style mattress topper, work through the crevices between the peaks, where debris is likely to congregate. If your mattress topper is free from odors or stains, move straight to spraying it with detergent. Use a gentle laundry detergent such as those used for hand washing, mixing one part detergent to two parts warm water. Fill a spray bottle with the detergent, and then spray the entire mattress lightly. Don't soak the foam, but keep your spray bottle moving as you spray. How to Remove Stains from Your Memory Foam Mattress Topper After you blot the stain with water, sprinkle boric acid on it, and then keep blotting it till it's gone. If you're dealing with a stain caused by pet urine that soaked through your bedding, try an enzymatic pet stain cleaner. Apply the cleaner, and then let it sit for 15 minutes or so. Another option for stain removal is hydrogen peroxide. Be very careful using this chemical, and be aware that it may discolor your foam mattress topper.
After spot cleaning the stains, blot the area again with a damp sponge and let it dry. Once it's dry, vacuum once more to remove any vestiges of the chemicals. How to Remove Odors From Your Memory Foam Mattress Topper Stains that have a tendency to linger inside a memory foam pad or mattress topper include urine, vomit, and cigarette smoke. To remove these odors, start by vacuuming and spray-cleaning the mattress topper as usual, and then sprinkle it with baking soda. Let it sit overnight or for at least eight hours before vacuuming the baking soda away. Other options include trying citrus-based cleaning products or products specifically designed for eliminating odors. The Final Stages of Cleaning Your Memory Foam Mattress Topper Don't forget the flip side of your gel memory foam mattress topper. After you've cleaned it and removed all stains and odors, flip it over, and give the flip side a spray with your detergent solution. Let it dry completely, and then vacuum away any detergent residue.
Don't return a mattress topper to your bed unless it's completely dry, as it can develop mildew, which can destroy the mattress topper. It's best to give your mattress topper a full 24 hours to make sure it's completely dry.Skip to main content. Home Guides Home Home Improvement Home Painting Can You Machine Wash Foam Mattress Toppers? Foam mattress toppers must be spot-cleaned by hand. The material used to make a foam-style mattress topper varies by brand or model; some are memory foam, while others are latex or polyurethane. Since the foam has no protective covering permanently affixed to it, it is not designed to withstand machine washing. Instead, fit the topper with a machine-washable cover to increase its longevity. Foam Mattress Topper Care A cover designed for your model of mattress topper helps keep the topper itself free from moisture and dust. The retailer carrying your model and thickness of foam topper most likely carries a cover designed to fit it. If the foam mattress topper does get dirty, the cleaning methods are essentially the same regardless of the type of foam.
Spot-clean it by hand with a slightly damp cloth and a mild soap, allowing the foam to air dry completely. A vacuum cleaner comes in handy for dealing with dust or hair if the mattress topper is without a protective cover. With or without a cover, allow the mattress topper to air out for an hour or so whenever you change the bed linens; this helps keep it fresh and allows any built-up moisture to dissipate. /Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionFoam doesn't hold up well when it gets wet. It starts getting crumbly and brittle. Think how a kitchen sponge gets after too many uses. There are a lot of air cells in memory foam. Water can get into those cells and mess up the structure. It's recommended to use a waterproof mattress protector over the mattress and any memory foam topper you might have. The warnings against getting the topper wet doesn't apply to just the washing machine. That also applies to perspiration, drinks, or any other "wet spots" that might occur. This will damage the memory foam.
That's why you should use the protector and wash that. /reas...Memory foam is a soft urethane foam engineered to spring back more slowly than regular foam allowing it to conform to things resting on it. There is a temperature component to the conforming property so it conforms better to warm surfaces. There are numerous problems with washing the material. It is an open cell foam so all of the cells connect allowing the material to become saturated. Water, at 64 lbs/cu ft, inside this matrix can make it too heavy to pick up. I imagine the spin cycle on your washer could destroy the machine before it can remove enough moisture. Trying to remove it wet may also tear the foam. Any treatments that were applied to the foam will be reduced or removed. Should you make it through the wash the dry cycle can be equally destructive. If you have one of the gel foam pads the gel component can not stand up to high heat like the foam can. If you compromise the gel cells the comfort level of the foam can go down drastically.