Is mattress cleaning worth it, and how often?
Mattress cleaning is worth it when the mattress is sound and something is wrong with it, such as a smell that stays, sweat marks or an accident; if it looks and smells fine and has a protector, home care is usually enough. WATERFALL's mattress cleaning is priced per mattress, any size, and every price is on the prices page. WATERFALL cleans mattresses at your home for $120: call (747) 214-6199.
Is mattress cleaning worth it?
Yes, if the mattress is otherwise one you would keep. Cleaning takes out the sweat, oils and marks that build up in the top layers, and it costs less than a new mattress.
It is not worth it when the mattress itself has failed: a sagging center, broken springs or foam that has lost its shape will still be there after the visit.
Can you clean a mattress?
Yes. A mattress is cleaned with a shampoo worked into the surface and then extracted, so little water stays in it. WATERFALL does this at your home, in your bedroom, with the best non-toxic products, safe for kids and pets; one price covers a mattress of any size, see the prices page.
Do I need to clean a brand new mattress?
No. Take the plastic off, let it expand and air for as long as its maker says, and put a washable protector on before the first night. Do not spray, shampoo or steam it, and do not unzip the cover unless the label says it is removable. If it arrives stained, damp or with a strong smell that does not fade, photograph it and contact the seller instead of cleaning it.
Why is it important to clean your mattress?
Because sweat, skin oils and spills collect in it every night, and you cannot see them. Over time they show up as yellow patches and a smell, and a mattress that is never cleaned shows both. What cleaning changes is how the bed looks and smells.
Is mattress cleaning important for your health?
We make no health claims about cleaning. What cleaning does is visible: it takes out stains, sweat marks and odors. For a medical question, ask a doctor; for what is known about the home itself, the EPA's pages on indoor air are linked at the end of this guide.
Is it worth paying for mattress cleaning if the mattress looks fine?
Usually not: if it looks and smells fine and has had a protector on it, home care is enough. For mold or bed bugs, cleaning is not the answer either; see the guide to dust mites, bed bugs and mold.
It is worth paying for when there is:
- a smell that stays after the sheets and the protector are washed
- yellow sweat marks or a darkened sleeping area
- a urine, vomit or pet accident that soaked in
- a bed shared with children or pets, or no protector for years
How often should a mattress be cleaned?
Our advice: once a year for a mattress in daily use, every 6 months with pets or small children in the bed and every two years for a guest-room mattress. At home, a little and often; clean it sooner after a spill, a leak or an accident.
A schedule that works is below; the guide to cleaning a mattress at home goes through each type.
- wash the sheets often and the protector as its label says
- vacuum the mattress every few months, and blot spills at once
- rotate or flip it only if the maker's guide says it is designed for that
- have it cleaned professionally after an accident, for a smell or sweat marks that stay, or every 6 months for a bed shared with children or pets
Is it worth getting a mattress cleaned every year?
For some beds, not all. A yearly professional cleaning is worth it for a bed shared with children or pets, a mattress used without a protector or a sleeper who sweats at night. A protected mattress in an adult's bed usually does well with home care and a cleaning only when something happens to it.
Can you clean a mattress too often?
Frequent wet cleaning is unnecessary, because each one puts water into the mattress and it has to dry out. Cleaning once a year or after a particular accident is enough for most beds; a protector takes most of the daily load.
When should I book mattress cleaning?
On a dry day, when you can leave the bed unmade and the windows open while it dries. Book it before guests arrive or after a move, and leave a request on the site or text (747) 214-6199; we contact you to confirm the date and the details. Cities we serve are on the areas page.
What does cleaning look like before and after?
An upholstered headboard from one of WATERFALL's own jobs, before and after one cleaning. More pairs are on the before and after page. Results depend on the fabric and the mark, and no cleaner can promise that a particular stain comes out.
An upholstered bed headboard with marks, before and after one cleaning.
Questions and answers
Is professional mattress cleaning worth it?
Yes, if the mattress is one you would keep and the problem is stains, sweat marks or a smell. It costs less than a new mattress.
Is it worth getting a mattress cleaned?
When sweat and oils have darkened the top layer or a smell stays after laundering the sheets, yes. It does not fix a sagging mattress.
How often should you get a mattress cleaned?
Our advice: once a year for a mattress in daily use, every 6 months with pets or small children in the bed and every two years for a guest-room mattress. Sooner after a spill or accident.
Can a mattress be professionally cleaned?
Yes. WATERFALL shampoos and extracts the mattress at your home.
What are the benefits of professional mattress cleaning?
A cleaner-looking, fresher-smelling bed, because sweat, oils and marks are taken out of the top layers. It also costs less than replacing a mattress that is otherwise sound.
Do I need to hire a mattress cleaning specialist?
Not for light surface marks, which you can blot yourself. A smell that persists or a stain that soaked in is where extraction helps.
What happens if you never clean your mattress?
Sweat, skin oil and spills build up in the top layers and show up as yellow patches and a smell. A protector slows it down.
Why does mattress cleaning matter?
Because the soil collects every night and you cannot see it. What cleaning changes is how the bed looks and smells.
What can professional mattress cleaning remove?
Sweat marks, many stains and the smell that lives in the top layers. An old, deep or dyed stain may only lighten.
Prices and booking
More guides
- Mattress care: all guides
- Can you steam clean a mattress? — Strip the bed, work in a shampoo, extract it with the dirt and let the mattress dry before it is made up again.
- 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.
- 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.
Sources: IICRC (The cleaning and restoration industry's standards body, for how professionals clean fabrics and carpet.); EPA indoor air quality (General guidance from the US Environmental Protection Agency on keeping the inside of a home clean and ventilated.)