Memory foam mattresses evenly distribute your body weight while you sleep, enabling an eighty percent reduction in pressure points.
However, body fluids such as oil, sweat, and the like result in the mattresses staining with time. If you notice your memory foam mattress has such stains, you need to clean it.
However, when it comes to cleaning your memory foam mattress, steam cleaning is arguably the best way to go about it. In this article, you will learn the specific method to steam clean your memory foam mattress.
Benefits of Steaming Your Memory Foam Mattress
Compared to other forms of cleaning Memory Foam Mattresses, steam cleaning has numerous benefits, as you will see below:
1. Steam cleaning of memory foam mattresses helps preserve their elasticity enabling the memory foam mattress to better support your weight, as you will recall from the introduction.
2. Steam cleaning subjects the mattress at high temperatures that kill nearly all types of odor-causing bacteria enabling your memory foam mattress to remain freshly scented.
3. As with odor-causing bacteria, steaming will also kill bed bugs, dust mites, and numerous other insects that may have found their way to your mattress.
4. Steam cleaning will enable you to kill mold spores before they have time to grow. Steam cleaning enables you to remove dust from all the layers in your mattress, increasing its life span.
5. Steam cleaning results in healthier air quality in your bedroom as the steam typically gets rid of the dust you would have otherwise inhaled while sleeping.
6. Most importantly, steam cleaning results in one of the most inestimable cleanings you can find from any mattress cleaning method.
How to Steam Clean a Memory Foam Mattress at Home?
Steam cleaning your memory foam mattress is not as complicated as you might think. Before you start the cleaning, collect the following items:
- Tools
A steam cleaner, a sturdy table, a vacuum
Clean, dry towels and a tarp
A soft-bristled brush, mild detergent
Warm water, hairdryer
To clean your memory foam mattress, follow the below steps:
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Step 1: Strip your memory foam mattress bare
Take all your bedding off the mattress. If you have waterproof bed liners, remove them also, ensuring the mattress remains bare.
Moreover, you will want to plug your steam cleaner during this period so that it has sufficient time to heat and build adequate steam.
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Step 2: Vacuum your memory foam mattress
Whether you are using a full-sized or handheld vacuum, use the upholstery attachments to run the vacuum over your mattress following the below procedure.
Use a soft-bristled brush to go over the entire mattress and loosen any debris embedded on your mattress’s surface.
If you find large debris such as pieces of toys, oil containers, and other particles of the kind that may clog your vacuum, handpick them.
Take your vacuum and use it to vacuum the entire mattress and bedsides. Ensure you pay special attention to the corners and seams.
Double-check to ensure your job is thorough. If you missed any debris, follow the appropriate steps in the above procedure.
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Step 3: Spot clean stubborn stains
With all the debris vacuumed off, now you can see all the spots on your mattress.
To spot-treat these stains, ensure you use a mild detergent because, unlike other mattress types, memory foam mattresses are very delicate. As such, the application of heavy-duty detergents will ruin them.
With your mild detergent in hand, follow the below procedure:
Use your collected warm water and mild detergent to make a solution as you would with dish cleaning solutions in the kitchen.
Take a clean piece of cloth and damp it using the solution.
Rub the solution into the spot you are spot treating and let it sit for about seven minutes.
Use a clean piece of towel to dry the spot and move on to a new area.
While applying the solution, do not be in a hurry. Take your time to ensure you use the least possible quantity of the solution to avoid watermarks formation on your mattress.
If the stains are stubborn, mix equal amounts of water and white vinegar and use the solution to spot clean the blemish, as in the earlier case with water and mild detergent.
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Step 4: Steam clean your memory foam mattress
There are typically two steam cleaner designs; a steam mop and the regular steam cleaning systems.
- If you are using a steam mop:
Turn on the steam. Use your steam mop to steam clean the mattress in an up and down way or left to right manner. Pay special attention to the seams.
Check on your steam mop to see if it is dirty. If so, change it and continue with the cleaning process as you were earlier doing.
- If you are using the ordinary steam cleaner:
Turn on the steam. Place the steam cleaner’s nozzle six to seven inches from your memory foam mattress surface.
Use circular motions to steam clean the bed.
However, if you find circular motions hard on your wrists, you can try cleaning in an up and down manner. You can also try the left to right movement.
Whether you use a steam mop or a regular steam cleaning model, one thing is for sure, never spend more than ten seconds at one spot because too much steam may result in moisture build-up in the mattress, creating the perfect conditions for mold growth.
Moreover, if the table or bed you have placed your mattress on contains fibers derived from plastic, excess steam might melt them.
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Step 5: Dry your memory foam mattress
Memory foam mattresses absorb large amounts of liquid. To dry them, you can use a blow dryer as in the cleaning process. Using a blow dryer is applicable since the above cleaning process does not allow too much water to seep through it.
Turn on the dryer. Set the heat setting to a moderate temperature to avoid damaging the mattress.
Hold the dryer five or six inches above the mattress surface
Use circular motions to dry the mattress. If it is tough on your wrists, try the up and down or left to right methods.
If you do not have a dryer in hand, use a fan as follows:
Place the mattress in an open area.
Set your fan alongside it and turn the fan speed as high as possible.
Let the fan run till the mattress dries.
Note that putting the mattress out in the sun will aid in its faster drying.
How to Care for Your Memory Foam Mattress?
How you care for your mattress will determine how long you will comfortably use it. Therefore, to ensure you get as much comfort out of your memory foam mattress for long, use the following tips to care for your memory foam mattress:
1. Ensure the box spring or mattress foundation you have provides sufficient support.
2. Whenever you change your beddings, have a vacuum with you to remove any loose debris before they embed in your mattress. Do not use the same mattress face all year round. Rotate it twice or thrice a year.
3. When washing your mattress, do so in direct sunlight so that you can spot any defect easily.
4. Never use harsh chemicals or heavy-duty detergents on them.
5. Before any cleaning process, ensure you read the manufacturer’s user guide availed when you purchase your mattress.
6. Ensure you wash your antimicrobial cover each time you change your beddings. As such, it might be recommendable to have at least two with you.
7. If you get any liquid on your mattress, take it to dry outside in the sun, ensuring you turn it periodically to attain sufficient dryness.
8. Never place your memory foam mattress near high heat sources as they are highly vulnerable to heat. The heat tends to damage the foam, interfering with the memory foam mattress’s performance and structure. Consequently, this reduces the mattresses’ life span.
9. Never make your bed immediately when you get up in the morning. Let the bed stay for about half an hour so that the foam mattress gets sufficient time to breathe, and any moisture left behind due to sweat can also evaporate.
10. Ensure you do not lie directly on the mattress when you are sweaty. Take a bath and spread the bed before you lie on it.
Following the above memory, mattress care tips will help your memory foam mattress to continue providing you with comfort for up to 15 years.
FAQs
1. Can memory foam be steam cleaned?
Yes, memory foam mattresses can be steam cleaned.
The process results in a deep clean nearly incomparable to any you will ever see. Follow the process mentioned earlier, and you will have a clean mattress in no time.
However, you should follow the process directly as possible because it involves using steam which can be easily absorbed by memory foam mattresses. If your mattress absorbs too much water, there is a slight chance it might develop molds.
However, proper drying will guarantee such does not occur.
2. Should I rotate my mattress after cleaning?
Unlike other mattress types, memory foam mattresses have an upper layer whose suitable design of this upper layer provides you with comfort.
They also incorporate lower layers designed to provide support to the upper layer. The bottom layers will consequently not be as comfortable as the top layer.
You should not only rotate your mattress after cleaning it. Do it at least twice a year because this will prolong the mattress’s lifespan by evening out the wear. Moreover, the comfort trade-off is hardly noticeable.
3. How often should I clean my foam mattress?
When it comes to mattress cleaning, there is dusting to remove surface dirt, which is the quicker option, and then we have deep cleaning the mattress.
On the other hand, deep cleaning the mattress is something you should consider doing at least twice a year.
Conclusion
Memory foam mattresses provide us with a high-quality sleeping experience by adequately distributing our body weight by minimizing pressure point formation.
However, when they become dirty, follow the above guidelines to the latter to ensure they remain clean. Keep in mind that memory foam mattresses tend to absorb moisture, so never use too much steam while cleaning them.
Moreover, if you find the steaming process challenging, contact professional mattress cleaners to avoid any damage to the mattress.