Cleaning Urine From Mattress
Cleaning Urine From A Mattress
Cleaning urine from a mattress is not the ideal way to spend a morning but there are times that circumstances result in this chore needing to be completed. While you would think that this is only a task for a parent of a child, bed wetting can also be quite common in the elderly, individuals who are ill or spouses who drank too much alcohol the night before. Luckily, even though it is a pain and the last thing that you want to do, there are actually quite a few fairly easy remedies that work quite well.
The Natural Method
If you are concerned about the environment and also do not invite harsh chemicals into your home there is a way you can still go about cleaning urine from a mattress with simple ingredients that you would find in your kitchen.
Strip all blankets, sheets and mattress covers (if applicable) from the bed and throw them in the washing machine. Once the mattress is completely exposed and you can identify the entire perimeter of the stain, grab yourself a box of baking soda. Don't be concerned about the brand, for this purpose, a no name brand is just fine.
Using a generous amount of baking soda, sprinkle it on the entire stain. Baking soda is cheap so be liberal with it. After all, keep in mind that this is urine you are cleaning!
Allow the baking soda to soak into the stain for a few hours, the longer the better. As it absorbs the moisture, it will create crust. After a few hours, you will be able to remove this by using either a hand vacuum or an attachment on your full size unit. Once you do this, your mattress should feel dry to the touch. Go ahead and allow it a little extra time to air out before you put the clean sheets back on.
Other Methods
Cleaning urine from a mattress can be completed a few other ways as well, such as
- Hydrogen Peroxide – If there happens to be blood in addition to the urine, hydrogen peroxide is the best remedy. Simply pour a bit on and use a white towel to blot the stain from the outside toward the center. Bubbles should be forming. You will continue to do this until your towel remains clean while you are blotting. Keep in mind, this generally will not work if the blood has been allowed to sit there too long so the faster you attack the stain the better.
- Vinegar – White distilled vinegar is pretty much a magic potion around the home. You can clean nearly anything with it. Simply use the exact same method as you would the hydrogen peroxide.
- Upholstery Shampoo – A high quality upholstery cleaner actually works quite well for cleaning urine from a mattress. These can be purchased nearly anywhere. The trick is to use these immediately because once the urine has time to set a bit, you will need a different remedy.
- Steam Cleaner – Most homes today, especially those with pets have a steam cleaner handy, even if it's only a small device designed for small pet messes. The great thing about using these is that you can suction up any moisture to make sure that none is left behind to promote mold and mildew.
- Mattress Cleaners – Believe it or not, there actually are mattress cleaning products out there that are made specifically for cleaning urine from a mattress. Nature's Miracle is a top rated one and Bane-Clene and ProKlean are trusted brands as well. Simply follow the directions on the container for your mattress to be stain and odor free.
- Eggs – This may sound like a peculiar remedy but it really works. Mix about one cup of warm water with one quarter cup of mild powdered detergent. Then, beat an egg into the mixture using either an egg beater or a whisk. When suds from and it looks like whipped cream, apply it to the stain using a warm wet sponge. Continue to blot and wring the sponge out until the mattress is clean.