Deep-clean your mattress every six months, and every three to four months if you or anyone in the bed suffers from allergies or asthma. In between, wash your bedding weekly, use a washable mattress protector, rotate the mattress, and treat any spill or accident immediately rather than waiting. You spend roughly a third of your life on your mattress, and it steadily collects sweat, skin cells, dust and dust-mite waste, so a twice-yearly deep clean is what keeps that load down.
The baseline, and what shortens it
For most adults a professional deep clean every six months keeps a mattress hygienic and fresh. Several things argue for cleaning more often:
- Allergies and asthma. A mattress is the single biggest dust-mite reservoir in the home, and dust-mite waste is a leading trigger. Allergy and asthma households benefit from a deep clean every three to four months, see does cleaning help with allergies, asthma and dust.
- Children. Spills, accidents and more time spent in bed mean a child's mattress needs more frequent attention, see how to clean a baby or child's mattress safely.
- Pets on the bed. Hair, dander and the oils pets carry build up quickly.
- Heavy sweating or a warm room. More perspiration soaks into the mattress, feeding mites and causing odour.
- Any spill or accident. Treat it straight away, do not wait for the schedule, especially urine, see how to get urine and yellow stains out of a mattress.
Caring for your mattress between deep cleans
- Wash bedding weekly in the hottest wash the fabric allows, this is the most effective thing you can do against dust mites.
- Use a washable mattress protector and wash it regularly. It is the first barrier against sweat, spills and mites.
- Vacuum the mattress surface when you change the sheets to lift surface dust and skin flakes.
- Rotate the mattress every few months (and flip it, if it is double-sided) so wear and body impressions spread evenly.
- Air it out by pulling the covers back for an hour before remaking the bed, so overnight moisture can evaporate.
Why surface care is not enough on its own
Vacuuming and protectors manage the surface, but they cannot remove the load that settles into the upper layers of the mattress: the embedded skin cells, dust-mite waste and absorbed sweat. Professional extraction lifts that out, and a hypoallergenic rinse removes allergen proteins and leaves no residue behind. That is the difference a periodic deep clean makes, and the full method is in how to clean a mattress.
Common questions
How often should you deep clean a mattress?
Every six months for most homes, and every three to four months if anyone in the bed has allergies or asthma, or there are pets on the bed. Between deep cleans, wash bedding weekly, use a protector, vacuum the surface and rotate the mattress.
How often should a child's mattress be cleaned?
More often than an adult's, because of spills and accidents, treat any accident immediately and deep-clean every three to four months. Use a waterproof, washable protector and pet- and infant-safe cleaning.
Does cleaning a mattress help with allergies?
Yes. The mattress is the biggest dust-mite reservoir in the home, and professional extraction with a hypoallergenic rinse removes the dust-mite waste and allergen proteins that trigger symptoms, which surface cleaning leaves behind.
To set up a regular mattress clean, tick it on our quote form or contact us. See mattress cleaning costs in Johannesburg and our mattress cleaning page.