Pillows and mattress toppers absorb a lot of sweat and dead skin cells when you are sleeping, so these should be washed every few weeks, depending on individual need.
Depending on the size and materials of your bedding, you may need to take them to a laundromat or a dry cleaner. Review care instructions on the tags of the bedding to be sure. Many pillows are safe to wash in your washing machine. Check the tag on the pillow to find the instructions for cleaning it.
A queen or king-sized mattress may require the whole box of baking soda. You can buy commercial scented deodorizing powders, but baking soda doesn’t have all those chemical additives and works just as well. Mix in a few drops of essential oil to the baking soda before sprinkling it on if you’d like to lightly perfume your mattress. Use peppermint, lavender, or eucalyptus to help deodorize and remove dust mites. Work a small amount of white vinegar or laundry detergent into the baking soda to help penetrate and remove any stains from your mattress.
If you can, allow the baking soda to sit for up to 24 hours for really tough smells.
You can use any hand attachment that came with your vacuum to clean your mattress, though a wide-mouth hose attachment with a rotating brush would work best. Vacuuming prior to steam cleaning is important because you want to remove as much dirt and loose fibers as you can so the steam cleaner can penetrate deep into the mattress.
Most household carpet cleaners do not get the water hot enough to kill bacteria, dust mites, and bed bugs. Check the steamer’s specifications to make sure it will get hot enough.
Be sure to read the owner’s manual carefully for instructions on safe and proper use.
The mattress should be damp but not soaking wet from the steam or it will take a long time to dry. If you think the steam is making the mattress too wet, either turn down the dial for the amount of steam released if available or hold the steaming wand a little farther from the mattress.
Many mattresses made today are one-sided and never flipped so you would not need to steam the underside. If your mattress is double-sided or the bottom is dirty, wait until the top is completely dry, flip it over, and restart the whole process.
If you have a wet/dry vac or carpet steamer, you can use it to help suck any excess moisture from the mattress following steaming. If you have a clean area outside, you can also move the mattress directly into the sun for it to dry.
If you began the process early in the morning, you should be able to sleep on the mattress by that night.
