Most people wouldn’t dream of wearing the same clothes for weeks without washing them. Yet many sleep on the same mattress for years without ever cleaning it. You spend nearly a third of your life in bed, and what’s under your sheets collects far more than you’d expect: dead skin cells, sweat, body oils, dust mites, bacteria, and allergens. Over time, your mattress picks up more than you think — sweat, dust, skin, all of it. It’s not just about smells or stains. If it’s not cleaned regularly, it can disrupt your sleep and wear out more quickly than it should.
So, how often should you clean your mattress? The answer depends on several factors, including your lifestyle, health, and how you use your mattress. This guide walks you through what matters and helps you build a cleaning routine that fits your life and sticks.
Why Cleaning Your Mattress Isn’t Optional
Let’s get one thing straight: vacuuming your bedroom or washing your sheets doesn’t keep your mattress clean. Every night, your body sheds dead skin and releases moisture through sweat. That creates the perfect breeding ground for dust mites, bacteria, and even mould. If you have allergies, asthma, eczema, or sinus problems, a dirty mattress can exacerbate these conditions, even if you can’t see what’s irritating.
And it doesn’t stop at health. A mattress that isn’t cleaned regularly will degrade faster. Stains, odours, and built-up grime gradually erode the comfort and support of your mattress.
The General Rule: How Often Should You Clean It?
There’s no perfect rule for everyone, but most people do fine following a simple routine. Give the surface a quick vacuum every week or two — it clears out dust and skin buildup before it has a chance to settle in. Once a month, sprinkle some baking soda on. It helps with odours and keeps things fresh with minimal effort. Just sprinkle it on, let it sit for 15 minutes, then vacuum it off.
Spot clean stains as soon as they happen. Waiting too long allows them to set and increases the risk of mould and bacteria forming underneath the surface.
Deep clean your mattress every six months to maintain its freshness and extend its lifespan. It involves a thorough process that includes vacuuming, stain removal, deodorising, and possibly steam cleaning.
Professional cleaning is recommended at least once a year, especially if your mattress receives heavy use or if anyone in your household has respiratory issues.
What Affects How Often You Should Clean?
Here’s where things get more specific. Your mattress isn’t like anyone else’s. The cleaning schedule that works for a guest room won’t work for a bed shared with a child and two pets. Let’s look at what makes a difference.
1. Who Sleeps on the mattress?
If you’re the only one sleeping in your bed, you might get away with a lighter cleaning routine. However, adding a partner, children, or pets can increase the frequency of cleaning.
Pets introduce fur, dander, dirt, and occasionally, accidents. Children may spill drinks, wet the bed, or bring germs home from school. If anyone has allergies or respiratory conditions, the mattress should be cleaned more often to remove allergens and irritants.
2. How Often the Bed Is Used
The main bedroom mattresses receive daily use, which means they are exposed to more skin cells, sweat, and general wear and tear. These should follow a minimum of a six-month deep clean and yearly professional clean schedule.
Guest beds, on the other hand, are often used only occasionally. In that case, a thorough cleaning every 12 months should be sufficient, unless the room is particularly dusty or humid.
3. The Environment You Live In
If you live in a humid area, your mattress is more prone to mould and mildew. In dry areas, dust accumulates more quickly. Homes in urban settings may have higher air pollution levels, while rural homes may be more exposed to pollen and pet dander. In any of these cases, cleaning your mattress more often isn’t overkill — it’s necessary.
4. Bedding and Mattress Protection
When you have a proper waterproof mattress protector and wash it regularly, that already reduces the amount of dirt your mattress accumulates. It stops most sweat, spills, and dust from seeping through, so you don’t have to deep clean it as often.
However, if you sleep directly on your mattress or use thin covers that don’t provide proper protection, you’ll need to clean more frequently to compensate.
Mattress Cleaning Methods That Work
Vacuuming is your first line of defence. Use an upholstery attachment and go over the entire surface slowly. Pay special attention to seams and crevices. These areas trap the most dirt.
For deodorising, baking soda does the job. It neutralises odours without adding any chemicals or perfumes. Let it sit for 15–30 minutes, then vacuum thoroughly.
Spot cleaning is essential for stains. Use a mild dish soap or an enzyme cleaner for organic stains, such as sweat or urine. Don’t soak the mattress; a lightly damp cloth is enough. Always blot, rather than rub, to prevent pushing the stain deeper into the fabric.
Steam cleaning can be effective, but it’s not suitable for all mattresses. Too much moisture can cause mould. Check your mattress label first, or better yet, let the professionals handle it.
And yes, you should consider professional mattress cleaning. Total Cleanz utilises powerful, professional-grade tools and safe cleaning solutions to thoroughly clean your mattress, removing dirt, bacteria, and allergens. There’s no chemical smell, and we never leave it damp. Just a clean, fresh bed that’s ready when you are.
Health Problems Linked to Dirty Mattresses
It’s not just about keeping things clean — a dirty mattress can hurt your health. Warm, humid conditions inside the mattress are ideal for dust mites, which feed on skin flakes and leave behind droppings that can trigger allergies or asthma. And if sweat or spills soak in, bacteria and mould can grow over time. That’s when you start seeing issues such as skin irritation, breathing problems, and, in some cases, infections.
If you’ve been waking up congested, itchy, or sneezing, your mattress could be part of the problem, not your pillow or blanket, but what’s hiding underneath it all.
Do Mattress Protectors Help?
Yes, they do — if you’re using the right kind. A zippered, waterproof mattress protector offers full surface coverage and acts as a barrier against allergens, spills, and dust mites. It’s washable, breathable, and significantly extends the life of your mattress.
Still, even with a protector, you’ll need to clean the mattress. Protectors trap a lot, but they don’t stop everything. Wash the protector every 2 to 4 weeks, depending on usage.
When to Call in the Pros
You can only do so much with a vacuum and some baking soda. If your mattress has deep stains, persistent odours, or hasn’t been cleaned in over a year, professional help is the smart move.
Also consider professional cleaning if:
- You’ve recently been unwell, especially with viral or respiratory infections.
- You suffer from allergies or breathing problems.
- You sleep with pets or young children.
- Your mattress feels or smells “off” despite regular surface cleaning.
At Total Cleanz, we handle mattress cleaning with care and precision. Our process gets deep into the layers, removing bacteria, allergens, and grime you can’t see. You’re left with a mattress that’s fresh, dry, and ready to sleep on — without any harsh chemical smell.
Build a Mattress Cleaning Routine That Works
Give your mattress a vacuum every couple of weeks — especially if you have pets or live in a dusty area. Use baking soda once a month to keep it smelling fresh. Deal with stains straight away. Do a proper deep clean every six months. And at least once a year, bring in the pros. That’s all it takes.
It sounds like a bit of effort, though. Think about it — you wash your sheets every week, but the mattress underneath? That’s where all the sweat, dust, and skin ends up. If you don’t clean it, all of that builds up fast. Stay on top of it, and you’ll sleep cleaner, feel better, and get more years out of your mattress.
Conclusion
Your mattress isn’t just where you sleep; it’s where you recover, relax, and reset. Maintaining cleanliness is essential if you care about your health and comfort.
The right cleaning frequency depends on your lifestyle, but the principle is the same for everyone: stay consistent, act quickly with stains, and don’t ignore what you can’t see.
If you want to make it effortless, we’ve got your back. Total Cleanz offers professional mattress cleaning services that keep your bed fresh, safe, and sleep-ready throughout the year.
