You can use Chemical Guys Foaming Citrus Fabric Clean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner to clean stains out of a mattress.

Top products to spot-clean a mattress:

You may not have thought about it before, but you’ll spend a significant percentage of your lifetime asleep in your bed. Naturally, that means it’s going to get dirty as it collects dirt, dead skin cells, and bodily fluids over time, even if you don’t notice it on a daily basis. But a dirty mattress will eventually become unpleasant to sleep on, especially if accompanied by stains and odors.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to remove stubborn stains and smells to allow you to rest more peacefully.

While cleaning a mattress can be fairly straightforward, it’s a process you may want to plan to take a few hours out of your day for. Below we’ll outline two natural methods using baking soda and vinegar, but the below products are also useful for removing stubborn stains and smells.

Resolve Multi-Fabric Cleaner and Upholstery Stain Remover

This powerful formula works to lift stubborn dirt and stains from mattresses, receiving rave reviews for this use on Amazon.

Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator for Strong Odor

If urine stains and smells are your main issue, Derek Hales, founder and editor-in-chief of sleep health platform NapLab, recommends this professional-strength bio-enzymatic cleaner to treat this issue and hopefully salvage your mattress.

Chemical Guys Foaming Citrus Fabric Clean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner

This concentrated, sudsy, foaming cleaner will work to break down and remove stubborn stains and odors from your mattress, thanks to a biodegradable degreaser with an enzymatic odor eliminator, without harsh chemicals. It’ll also leave a fresh citrus scent when you’re done cleaning.

Bissell SteamShot Hard Surface Steam Cleaner with Natural Sanitization

Sometimes it’s time to bring out the heavy-duty tools for deep, set-in odors and stains. This powerful, high-pressure steam cleaner is a great solution for a thorough cleaning without harsh chemicals.

If you haven’t already been using one, consider protecting your mattress with a mattress cover to make the cleaning process easier in the future.

Unfortunately, removing urine from a mattress can be a major challenge, Hales says. 

“The earlier you can find it, the better, so don't waste any time getting to work on the cleanup,” he says.

Here’s how to do it:

“Urine stain prevention is far easier and effective [than cleaning the aftermath],” Hales says. “Always use a waterproof mattress protector if there is any chance of a urine stain in your future.” 

According to Hales, removing bed bugs from a mattress requires a professional to get the job done right because if you have bedbugs on your mattress there is a good chance they are elsewhere in your home.

“The problem with trying to do it yourself is that there are so many places for bedbugs to hide out in your mattress, clothing, rugs, towels, bed frame, luggage, backpack, and numerous other surfaces in your home,” he explains. “A professional bed bug specialist knows where to look and how to remove them to ensure they are 100% gone. If you don't remove them 100%, then there is a good chance they will simply multiply and come back again.”

With that in mind, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. A full encasement mattress protector will ensure that bed bugs never have a chance to touch your mattress. A full encasement protector covers all sides of the mattress, including the bottom, and has a zipper to ensure complete coverage. 

With the above recommendation in mind, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, Hales says. He recommends using a full encasement mattress protector to ensure that bed bugs never have a chance to touch your mattress.

“A full encasement protector covers all sides of the mattress, including the bottom, and has a zipper to ensure complete coverage,” he says. “Simply drop the encasement protector in your washer and dryer once a month or so and you can be assured bed bugs will never find a home in your mattress.”

In addition to using a mattress protector, there are other steps you can take to prevent bedbugs from making an appearance in your sleeping space. Keep your room clean and clear of clutter, regularly dusting and disinfecting all spaces. Avoid buying second-hand mattresses and furniture whenever possible as well.