4 Tips for Cleaning Pee Out of a Mattress

In young children and incontinent elderly people, urine leaks are frequent during sleep. Discover how to clean urine from a mattress, remove stains, and dry it thoroughly in 4 lessons.

Tip 1: wash thoroughly

To properly clean urine from a mattress, act quickly, as soon as you notice the damage:

• Remove fitted sheets, blankets, and pillows, and open the windows wide.
• Use baking soda, a bowl of warm water, and a washcloth.
• Sprinkle the urine stains with baking soda. Let it sit for a few minutes, then vacuum it up.
• Repeat the process several times.
• Rinse thoroughly with the washcloth.
• Let it air dry.
  
  

Tip 2: bring out the big guns

Sometimes, certain urine stains are stubborn and baking soda alone is not enough. In this case:

• With a steam cleaner, spray a mixture of baking soda, peroxide, and lukewarm water onto the mattress.
• Rinse with white vinegar, then with clear water. To eliminate odors, you can also use ammonia.
  
  

Tip 3: remove water marks

Cleaning urine from a mattress is good, but removing the water marks is even better! Here is how to eliminate urine stains:

• If the stain is fresh, add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to prevent the fabric from yellowing as it dries.
• For an old water mark, use a mixture of ammonia, lukewarm water, and Marseille soap.
• For baby mattresses, use dish soap. Scrub, rinse thoroughly, then dry with a hairdryer and let air dry.

Tip 4: remove bad odors

If a cat is the culprit, removing the smell of urine can be more difficult. Here are our tips to achieve this:

• Clean the mattress quickly. The faster you act, the easier it will be. Rub the stain with a mixture of lukewarm water and baking soda. Rinse well.
• After removing the stain, eliminate the urine odor. Fill a bucket with lukewarm water and add 20 drops of lemon essential oil. Spread the solution with a brush to make sure it penetrates well.
• If that is not enough, consult our additional tips for removing cat urine odor.

Protect your mattress well

Knowing how to clean a mattress also implies knowing how to protect it. You won't have to clean it often if you ensure good protection for it:

• For a young child, opt for a soft and absorbent fleece mattress protector. If leaks are frequent, prefer cotton lined with polyurethane, which is waterproof.
• For a sick or elderly person, buy a looped-fabric underpad to regulate perspiration, with an anti-perspirant and waterproof PVC coating. In the form of a cover, it will stay securely in place.
• For an allergy sufferer, young or old, choose a protector treated to be anti-dust mite and antibacterial for healthy and easy-to-maintain bedding.

A few final tips

These tips will help you not only to clean urine from a mattress but also to prevent or limit damage:

• If you deal with urinary incontinence episodes regularly, protect the mattress with a natural fiber underpad.
• For a mattress that is always clean and fragrant, add a few drops of lemon or lavender essential oil.
• No baking soda on hand? Use talcum powder instead.
• For deep drying, use a hairdryer.