“My bedroom is my sanctuary,” Vera Wang once said, and I couldn’t agree more! I love my bedroom, I enjoy every minute I spend there, and I like to keep it clean and fresh, so I can always pick up that lovely glow a good rest brings. One of the things I take extra-care of is my mattress: it helps me get an incredibly satisfying sleep, so I’d like to enjoy it for many years to come. If you also have a mattress you adore and want to keep as long as possible, here are a few simple and easy tips you can follow to preserve it:

Mattress Cleaning Tips to Keep your Bedroom Mattress Clean & Fresh 

1. Vacuum thoroughly

Dusting the mattress will keep it clean. The right way to do this is to take off the sheets and cover and then vacuum using the dedicated upholstery brush on the entire surface and the sides of the product. The process is the same for different companies, and you can do it, for instance, when you rotate your mattress. Also, consider protecting your mattress with a pad, which will absorb anything you might spill on it accidentally.

2. Clean the stains

There is an entire science on how to clean mattress stains correctly. The easiest way to do it is to ask the experts for help – that is, take the mattress to a professional cleaner. But you can remove them at home as well; just use a special upholstery shampoo. A DIY solution involves mixing liquid dishwashing detergent with water in a mixer bowl. The process will create a foam which you can use to rub the stained area on the mattress, with a sponge or a soft brush. When you’re done, make sure you let the mattress dry properly before putting the bedding back on.

3. Keep the allergens away

Dust mites live anywhere we do and especially in places with humidity and high temperatures. Any mattress collects dust, so it will become a home for these creatures, which are a significant cause of allergies. The worse news is that they multiply inside the mattress! Here’s what you can do to fight them: keep humidity levels low; clean regularly all you have in the room, especially fabrics (curtains, carpets, anything that allows dust to accumulate). Wash your pillows every month and give up some of them if you have too many; change your sheets on a weekly basis. Also, you should keep the houseplants someplace else, not in the bedroom. They are lovely, but they bring in insects, pollen, dust, and microbes.

4. Deodorize and air it out

An old household trick is to sprinkle some baking soda on the entire surface of the mattress, after vacuuming it and let it stay there for a few hours. It will absorb any liquid from the stain cleaner, and it will freshen up the bed. Vacuum again carefully to clean the soda powder. Another important thing in keeping the mattress clean is to expose it to fresh air and sunlight. It’s a great natural way to get rid of all those nasty bacteria.

5. Don’t eat in bed!

Please don’t shoot the messenger, but having snacks in bed while watching a movie is, in fact, just another way of feeding bacteria and attracting insects into the bed. Besides, the less food or drinks you bring to bed, the less you’ll worry about cleaning stains.