How to clean a mattress with baking soda – a step-by-step guide from cleaning experts

If you want to give your mattress a quick refresh then you might have come across the advice to use baking soda. But is this hack an old wives tale, or does it actually work? And if it does work, how do you clean a mattress with baking soda, exactly?

Not so long ago, Sophie Hinchcliffe, or as we know and love her, Mrs Hinch, the queen of cleaning, demonstrated this hack for how to clean a mattress on her Instagram stories. After stripping the bed, she sprinkled bicarbonate of soda over her mattress. She then left the bicarbonate of soda (also known as baking soda) on the mattress for an hour before vacuuming up the powder.

Why? 'For those asking why I use bicarb and what does it do, it's an odour eliminator,' Mrs Hinch told fans. 'So any odours that may be lingering in the mattress, it just soaks them up and absorbs them. It works really, really well.'

But if you've just invested in the best mattress what is the best way to freshen it up? We rounded up several cleaning experts to find out once and for all.

Is baking soda good for cleaning a mattress?

First up, the million dollar question, is baking soda actually good for cleaning a mattress?

'Yes', says, Henrique Conceicao, Area Manager at cleaning company Total Clean. ‘In my experience, bicarbonate of soda is the perfect natural cleaning agent for mattresses. Its absorbent qualities are great for neutralising smells and eliminating dampness’.

Yordan Yordanov, mattress and upholstery cleaning expert at Fantastic Services agrees. 'Yes, baking soda is a good kitchen staple ingredient for cleaning mattresses for several reasons’ says Yordan. ‘For example, it has great natural deodorising and absorbing properties, it’s cost-effective, eco-friendly and non-toxic, and it reduces the need for harsh chemicals, which will turn your living space a safer sleeping environment for you, the rest of the people in your household and any pets you have’.

And it’s a third vote in favour from Nigel Bearman, Cleaning Expert at cleaning service Daily Poppins, saying ‘yes, cleaning a mattress with baking soda is a cost efficient way to keep your mattress fresh and clean’.

Well, we’re convinced. So now we just need to know how to clean a mattress with baking soda. Did Mrs Hinch go about it the right way? We asked the experts for a step-by-step guide.

What you'll need

• Baking soda (if you don't have any in the kitchen cupboard you can buy baking soda at Amazon, or any supermarket)
• Vacuum
• Optional extras: seive, water, essential oils, vinegar, a spray bottle and a cloth
  

How to clean a mattress with baking soda: step-by-step instructions

1. Strip the bed

First, remove all bedding from the bed including the duvet, pillows, sheets, and mattress protectors.

At this point, Nigel Bearman, Cleaning Expert at Daily Poppins advises taking the opportunity to pop your bedding in the washing machine if appropriate. As long as the manufacturer’s washing instructions agree, Nigel advises ‘40-60 degrees is the best temperature for killing germs and bacteria’.

2. Vacuum the mattress

‘Using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum, thoroughly vacuum the whole mattress and pay close attention to seams and crevices where dust and debris can accumulate’ says Nigel.

Yordan Yordanov of Fantastic Services recommends using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter if possible, as these have finer filters that are able to capture dust, pollen, mould spores, bacteria, and pet dander.

We asked Ideal Home’s vacuum cleaner expert Jullia Joson for some recommendations, and she advised the premium Dyson Gen5detect Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is one of the best-in-class, or the Henry Allergy HVA 160-11 Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner is a good budget option.

3. Sprinkle the baking powder

‘Using a sieve, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the entire surface of your mattress’ says Nigel. Although, if you don’t have a sieve on hand, you could just sprinkle straight from the container and use your hand to brush the powder over the mattress surface..

‘For added freshness, you can mix a few drops of your favourite essential oils (lavender or tea tree are popular choices) with the baking powder before sprinkling’ suggests Nigel.

4. Let it sit

‘Leave the baking soda to sit on the mattress for a few hours, and if possible overnight’ says Nigel. ‘This will allow the baking soda to absorb moisture, odours and any dirt’.

This method is great for general deodorisation of the mattress continues Yordan, who advises letting the baking soda sit for a few hours so it can absorb any unpleasant smells from your bed and leave it smelling fresh and clean. ‘This is specifically very helpful if you're cleaning pet smells or sweat stains that have built up over time’ says Yordan.

5. Vacuum the baking soda

‘After the baking soda has been left to sit, hoover the mattress again to remove all of the baking soda off of your mattress’ advises Nigel. ‘Make sure to hoover thoroughly to ensure no baking soda is left behind’.

6. Spot clean any stains

For any stubborn stains, Nigel recommends creating a paste of baking soda and a small amount of water. ‘Apply the paste to any stains and leave it to sit for 30 minutes, then gently scrub with a cloth. Wipe with a damp cloth and leave the area to dry’.

‘Baking soda paste also works quite well as a quick treatment for accidental stains caused by beverage spills and nosebleeds’ agrees Yordan.

However, Yordan also says that adding some vinegar to the mix can be another great way to spot clean or deep clean your mattress. In this case Yordan suggests creating ‘a solution from baking soda, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. It should consist of equal parts baking soda and vinegar and just a small amount of hydrogen peroxide’.

‘Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray the mattress with it’, says Yordan. ‘To make the mattress smell even fresher, you can also add a few drops of essential oil. I recommend lavender for this purpose’.

‘Allow the solution to sit for around 30 minutes or even 1 hour for better results, so it can remove any stains and unpleasant smells and kill bacteria, and then finish by vacuuming the mattress to remove the residue from the cleaning solution’.

7. Air out the mattress

Once these steps are complete, ‘if possible, leave your mattress to air out for a few hours to help it dry fully and freshen up’ recommends Nigel. ‘Once your mattress is clean and dry, replace the bedding as normal’.

Yordan adds that now is a great time to flip or rotate your mattress to ensure even wear and tear on it. ‘This is a simple finishing step that most people forget but it can significantly prolong the lifespan of the mattress’.

Things to bear in mind

So there we go, seven simple steps to help you clean a mattress with baking soda. But, do our experts have any other advice?

‘Keep in mind that if you’re cleaning a memory foam mattress using this method, you’ll need to be extra gentle, specifically when vacuuming and rubbing, to avoid damaging the material, as it’s generally more delicate than other mattress types’ warns Yordan. Our guide to how to clean a memory foam mattress has more information.

Michael Buckle, Senior Buyer at bed and mattress retailer Dreams agrees, saying, 'Baking soda is a popular choice for cleaning mattresses due to its ability to absorb odours and moisture. However, it’s important to be aware that its mildly abrasive nature could potentially damage and affect the mattress performance, especially with frequent use. For regular maintenance, a soft brush can effectively remove dust and keep your mattress fresh. For tougher stains and spills, using a dry cloth or paper towels with a very mild detergent is a gentler alternative that helps protect your mattress'.

‘Baking soda is a kitchen ingredient and mildly abrasive and absorbent cleaning agent that works best for deodorising mattresses and removing stains from them. It’s not a product that should be used for holistic mattress cleaning’ adds Nigel Bearman, Cleaning Expert at Daily Poppins. ‘Sometimes, you’ll need more powerful products. With that said, it’s a cost-effective alternative to harsh chemical cleaners that’s safe to use on almost any type of mattress’.

And finally, Nigel advises that prevention is often better than cure, ‘use a mattress protector to prevent future stains and odours’ he says. After all, even the best mattress protectors are pretty cheap, and it’s far simpler to stick a mattress protector in the washing machine than it is to spot clean a mattress.

FAQs

Is baking soda the same as bicarbonate of soda?

‘Bicarbonate of soda and baking soda are interchangeable terms for the same product, with bicarbonate of soda being the British designation’, says Henrique Conceicao of Total Clean.

‘Yes, it is the same’ agrees Yordan from Fantastic Services. ‘Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which is a fine white powder. Bicarbonate of soda and baking soda are just alternate terms used for the same ingredient, and if you’re working with a recipe that calls for bicarbonate of soda, it refers to baking soda’.

How long should you let baking soda sit on a mattress?

‘For effective cleaning and deodorising results, you’ll need to allow the baking soda to sit on the mattress for at least 30 minutes', says Yordan. 'However, I’d recommend preferably leaving it on overnight. This will allow the ingredient to absorb any moisture, bad smells and loosen dirt particles which have been trapped deeply in the mattress fibers’.

‘The longer you leave the bicarbonate of soda on the mattress, the better the end result will be’ agrees Henrique. ‘Ideally, you would leave it on for a few hours, or better yet, overnight’.

How do you clean a mattress with baking soda without a vacuum?

‘Ideally, I’d always recommend using a vacuum cleaner at the beginning and end of the mattress cleaning process’ advises Yordan. ‘One that has a HEPA filter, as it’ll be most effective at removing any allergens. However, if you don’t have a vacuum cleaner, you can also use a clean brush to vigorously scrub off the baking soda residue. You can also use a broom or even a hand towel, but you’ll need to be very careful not to push the baking soda deeper into the mattress’.

‘If a vacuum cleaner is unavailable, a brush or handheld vacuum can be used to eliminate the bicarbonate of soda after its allotted time’, agrees Henrique.

How do you deep clean a mattress with vinegar and baking soda?

‘For a thorough clean using vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, start by sprinkling the bicarbonate of soda onto the mattress surface. You should then let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before spritzing a solution of water and white vinegar over the bicarbonate of soda. Once the mixture has had 15-20 minutes to bubble and penetrate the mattress fabric, you can begin to scrub away any lingering stains’ suggests Henrique Conceicao, Area Manager at Total Clean.