Ensuring that you get the most life out of your mattress is an important aspect of enjoying your sleep for years to come. These helpful mattress care tips should help prolong the life of your mattress.

• Invest in a Mattress Pad: A quality mattress pad serves several functions in prolonging the life of your mattress. A good mattress pad will bear the brunt of your weight and use of the mattress, which will help reduce the wear and tear on your mattress. Mattress pads will also catch stains before they reach your mattress. Replacing a stained mattress pad is much less expensive and much more convenient than replacing a quality mattress.
• Turn Your Mattress Regularly: To help prevent sagging springs and unsightly sags, turn your mattress on a regular basis. Be sure to flip both vertically and horizontally.
• Provide Support: Old, busted foundations and box spring sets may not be firm enough to provide adequate support for a high-quality mattress. When you replace your mattress, also consider replacing your foundation.
• Carry Your Mattress On It’s Side: Instead of using the handles on the side of your mattress when you are carrying it, be sure to always carry the mattress upright on its side. The handles should only be used for positioning the mattress on the foundation, and can create sags in the mattress if carried by the handles.
• Avoiding Smoking, Eating, & Drinking on the Mattress: Although it sounds comfortable, avoid eating & drinking on the mattress. If the mattress does get wet, be sure to quickly dry the mattress using a hair dryer or by air drying. Keeping the mattress away from smoke can also help to prolong the life of the mattress.
• Keep Jumping to the Trampoline: Although it’s tempting, avoid jumping on the mattress and avoid letting others jump on the bed. Mattresses are not designed to withstand the weight of a person jumping on the bed.

Unfortunately, a urine stained mattress is not an uncommon sight. Young children and pets often have accidents in the most inconvenient places imaginable, and those accidents can leave behind unsightly stains and unpleasant smells.

Urine on a Mattress

Most parents and pet owners have at one time or another been faced with the unpleasant task of trying to remove urine from a mattress. It’s important to keep in mind that actually cleaning the urine stain is important. Since bacteria is found in urine, leaving a stain untreated for an extended period can result in the growth of fungus and mold in the mattress. In some cases, this can completely ruin a mattress.

Tips & Tricks to Remove Urine from a Mattress

While some products sold commercially are designed for removing urine smells from most furniture, there are several household tips and products that can work just as effectively as those expensive sprays and products.

1. Vinegar:

Many parents and pet owners report that vinegar works wonders in removing the smell of urine from a mattress. Pour a moderate amount of vinegar on the soiled area, and absorb excess liquid with a large towel or wet vacuum. Keep in mind that this method is designed to remove the smell and kill bacteria, so spot treating the actual stain will be necessary to lift or fade the urine stain.

2. Alcohol:

Rubbing alcohol and other grain alcohols often have the same effect as vinegar. Like vinegar, though, alcohol may not remove the stain, so other methods for stain fighting should be used.

3. Shampoo:

Liquid Laundry Detergent: For new urine stains, many mattress owners have found that simply using detergent or shampoo and a small amount of water will remove the stain. This is often less effective for stains that have set for some period of time, and may not be completely effective in removing the smells.

4. Steam Cleaning:

Whenever possible, consider using a hot steam cleaner on mattresses with urine stains. Used with a cleansing agent, steam cleaning is usually quite effective at removing the physical stain, eliminating the smell of urine, and killing bacteria that may otherwise grow and spread.

Caring for your mattress is just as important as caring for your car or anything else that you use on a daily basis. When a person spends most of their life in their bed, it is important to do everything you can to keep your mattress is good condition so you can keep it as long as possible. Although these cleaning tips are readily available to you on and offline, the fact is many people do not take the time to care for their mattress properly. This lack of care causes people to purchase a new mattress more frequently than necessary.

Regular Mattress Cleaning Care

Below are some necessary steps to take every 6 months at least.

• Flip the mattress every 6 months
• Use a mattress cover at all times
• Remove dust from the mattress surface via vacuum
• Use upholstery shampoo if the mattress becomes soiled or dry
• Do not allow the mattress to get damp

Cleaning Your Mattress

These are a few simple things you can do twice a year to ensure your mattress has a long and vibrant life. By taking the time to vacuum, wash and care for your mattress you are literally prolonging its life by several years. Once a mattress is damp or soiled and not cleaned properly it will need immediate replacing and this is something no one wants to do on a regular basis.

When you have children or someone who has a health condition that may cause them to wet the bed on occasion it becomes that much more important to follow these cleaning tips in order to keep your mattress in great shape. Don’t think that every 10 years or less you need to buy a new mattress when it can last you 15 years or more. Enjoy the mattress you love for as long as possible by taking an hour out of your day only twice a year to maintain and care for it properly.