How to clean and protect your mattress

A good mattress can last you up to 10 years. That adds up to more than 3,000 nights you’re laying on, often sweating on and most likely drooling on that surface you’re sleeping on. It doesn’t take long for dead skin, stains and dust to accumulate, creating the perfect conditions for more allergens and eew to build up too - like odours, bacteria, mite faeces and mould spores.

A quick and simple regular clean will extend the life of your mattress, reduce allergens and improve your nights’ sleep too . Fortunately, cleaning a mattress doesn’t need to be complex. Keep reading to learn how to clean a mattress properly.

Generally, we recommend cleaning your mattress once every six months or so. But be sure to leave the regular turbo head off the bed. A regular turbo head that you use on carpet isn't very effective on mattresses and may damage the surface.

Made-for-the-job mattress attachments, such as MR7 and MP7, are the perfect cleaning set to rid mattresses of microparticles and allergens. Even if your mattress has a thick pillow top or a design or pattern with lots of grooves and indentations, it’ll get right in there and get those nasties out.

Including the mattress protector or mattress topper (they’re ideal for protecting your mattress from stains) and any mattress covers, if they can be removed.

Pop on the upholstery attachment and vacuum the top and sides of the mattress. This will help get rid of any dust mites. If your bed is on a base, tilt it to the side and clean in there too.

We recommend using Lavenia for deep-cleaning and freshening up mattresses fast. It’s cleverly designed to bond with allergenic substances that build up in mattresses – such as house dust, dust mite faeces, bacteria and fungal spores – and is TÜV NORD certified as suitable for allergies.

Take one sachet of Lavenia Mattress Cleaning Powder and sprinkle the contents evenly across the surface of your mattress, switch to the round MP100 Mattress Attachment and use the rotating head to gently massage it all in.

Leave the Lavinia to dry for 30 minutes – enough time for the powder to work its magic on grabbing all the allergenic substances such as house dust mite excrement and fungal spores – then Vacuum the mattress with Mattress Attachment – the Lavenia powder, together with the bonded dirt will be completely vacuumed up.

Reattach the MR100 mattress deep cleaning attachment and vacuum up the Lavenia - suction ensures thorough and hygienic deep cleaning thanks to its efficient knock-suction technique.

Flip to the other side and repeat steps 2 to 5. If your mattress is not designed to be flippable, you can still clean the underside, but be cautious when flipping it over, and do not apply too much pressure.

Most manufacturers agree that you should rotate your mattress at least every three to six months for spring (coil and pocket) mattresses, and every six months for foam, memory foam, hybrid and latex mattresses. This extends the life of the mattress as it evens out wear and tear. It can also help keep your body aligned while you sleep as it stops a single sagging point from forming over time.

Maintaining your mattress starts by properly protecting it. In most cases, we recommend using a waterproof mattress protector, or at the very least a quality mattress pad. These products will help prevent the buildup of dust and other allergens, while also protecting your mattress from stains.

Regularly washing your sheets (around once per week) can also help. By proactively washing your bedding, you can reduce the buildup of allergens on your actual mattress. Lastly, avoiding eating and drinking in bed is the best way to reduce the risk of accidental stains.