Can you steam clean a mattress? How a mattress is cleaned
A mattress is cleaned by working a shampoo into the surface and pulling it out again with hot-water extraction, so that little water stays inside. That is how WATERFALL's mattress cleaning works at your home, with the best non-toxic products, safe for kids and pets; a mattress is priced per mattress, any size, see the prices page. WATERFALL cleans mattresses at your home for $120: call (747) 214-6199.
How do pros clean a mattress, step by step?
The mattress is checked first, then cleaned in the four steps of a WATERFALL visit: pre-vacuuming, shampooing, steam extraction, then stain and odor removal.
- check the type (innerspring, hybrid or foam) and the care label, take the bedding off and lay a drop cloth
- pre-vacuuming: the top, the sides and the seams
- shampooing: an organic shampoo worked into the fabric with a machine
- steam extraction: the shampoo, the dirt and the extra water pulled back out
- stain and odor removal: the spots that remain get a stain remover, then an odor treatment
- the mattress stays uncovered until it feels dry, before the bed is made
How does mattress steam cleaning work?
The machine heats water, sprays it with a cleaning solution into the fabric and vacuums it straight back out, so the dirt, sweat and oil leave with the water. Heat loosens body oil faster than cold water, and the suction is what keeps the mattress from being soaked. The risk is water that stays inside: a mattress can feel dry on top and be damp below, which is why it stays uncovered until it is dry all the way through.
What does WATERFALL do?
The four steps above, with the best non-toxic products, safe for kids and pets, in your bedroom on a drop cloth; the visit takes about an hour for a typical couch, 1–2 hours for bigger pieces. You pay after the work. Clear the area around the bed of clutter such as clothing and other objects before we arrive.
Can you steam clean a mattress without soaking it?
Yes, if the maker's care guide allows it and the machine takes the water back out. A household steamer leaves moisture in the padding even when the top feels dry; an extractor sprays and vacuums in the same pass. Keep the passes brief and moving, add no extra detergent, blot whatever shows and dry the mattress with a fan and open windows before the bed is made. Skip steam on memory foam, latex or a mattress with electronics unless its guide says otherwise.
Can all mattresses be steam cleaned?
No. Memory foam and latex take water badly, and the maker's care guide may allow only spot cleaning. Read the label, and text a photo of the label and the mattress to (747) 214-6199; we tell you what we expect before you book.
Do professionals clean both sides of a mattress?
It depends on the mattress and on what you ask for. Most modern mattresses are one-sided and are rotated, not flipped, and the sleeping side is where sweat and oil collect. Tell us if you want both sides done when you book; text a photo of the mattress to (747) 214-6199.
How do professional mattress cleaners use UV light?
Mostly to find stains: a UV black light makes dried urine and some other marks glow, so the cleaner can see and pre-treat what the eye misses, though a glow can also be an old mark that was already cleaned. Some companies also pass a UV-C lamp over the surface after cleaning; it works only where the light falls, does not reach into the foam and does not lift a stain or a smell. WATERFALL's job is shampoo and steam extraction; to have a particular spot looked at, text a photo to (747) 214-6199.
When can I use the bed again?
When the mattress is dry all the way through. Drying depends on the weather and on the mattress, so open the windows, run the air conditioning or a dehumidifier, or keep a gentle fan back from the mattress, and do not make the bed on a damp mattress, because trapped moisture is what causes a smell.
Questions and answers
Is it worth steam cleaning a mattress?
Yes, when the problem is sweat marks, spots or a smell in the top layers. It will not fix a sagging mattress.
Can you steam clean a mattress?
Yes, with an extraction machine rather than a household steamer. The extraction pulls the water back out as it goes.
Can I use a steam cleaner on a mattress?
With care. A household steamer adds moisture and removes none, so an extractor is the better tool.
How are mattresses cleaned professionally?
The bedding comes off, a shampoo is worked in and an extractor pulls it out with the dirt. The mattress is left to dry afterwards.
What are the benefits of steam cleaning your mattress?
It takes sweat, oils and marks out of the top layers instead of wiping them around. The benefit is a cleaner bed.
What is your mattress cleaning process?
Four steps with the best non-toxic products, safe for kids and pets, in your bedroom on a drop cloth: pre-vacuuming, shampooing, steam extraction, then stain and odor removal. Clear the area around the bed of clutter first.
Does mattress cleaning include both sides?
Tell us if you want both sides done when you book; text a photo of the mattress to (747) 214-6199. Most modern mattresses are one-sided, and the sleeping side is where sweat and oil collect.
Why is UV light used during a mattress inspection?
It makes some dried stains glow, so it finds a mark. It does not clean it.
Prices and booking
More guides
- Mattress care: all guides
- Is mattress cleaning worth it? — Yes when the mattress is sound and the problem is sweat, a stain or a smell; home care every few months, a professional cleaning when there is a reason.
- Cleaning a mattress at home, by type — Use little water on every type, vacuum first, blot instead of rubbing and let it dry fully; foam types take water worst.
- How to get urine and stains out of a mattress — Blot fresh marks with cold water and mild soap, avoid heat, dry fully; old stains may lighten and cannot be promised out.
Sources: IICRC (The cleaning and restoration industry's standards body, for how professionals clean fabrics and carpet.)