Mattress cleaning starts at £35 a mattress, done on the bed in your own bedroom. Sweat marks and spills usually lighten a lot, though very old stains may stay. Allow a few hours of drying before anyone sleeps on it.
The only preparation is to strip the bed. Take off the sheets, the mattress protector and any topper before the cleaner arrives, and clear the floor on at least one side of the bed so there is room for the machine.
The mattress price and what goes with it
Each mattress is £35. The clean covers the sleeping surface and the sides, where hands push the mattress about when the bed is made. One-off visits start at £67, so most people add a second mattress, a headboard or the bedroom carpet. The full list is on the prices page. A fabric divan base or a padded headboard is priced on the call.
When you ring, give the size and type of each mattress and describe the marks you most want looked at.
Sweat stains, spills and old marks
Yellow patches where a head or body has lain for years are the most common reason people book. A clean usually lightens them a good deal. Very old yellowing, where the fabric itself has changed colour, can stay.
Fresh spills of tea, juice or milk usually lift well. Blood that has dried in, ink, make-up and anything that has had bleach or a stain remover on it may not come out. If a child or a pet has wet the bed, the clean deals with the cover and the layer just beneath it; liquid that has soaked deep into the filling can leave a mark or a smell behind, and no cleaner can promise either will go. Tell the cleaner what happened and roughly when.
Memory foam, pocket sprung and one side or two
Memory foam holds water like a sponge and gives it up slowly, so the cleaner uses as little moisture as the job allows and the foam takes longer to dry than a sprung mattress. Pocket sprung mattresses usually have a quilted or tufted top, and dirt collects in the dips round each tuft, which get extra work.
Many mattresses sold now are one-sided, with the comfort layers on top only, and only the top is cleaned. An older two-sided mattress can be turned and done on both faces if someone can help lift it, so mention it when you book.
Drying before you sleep on it
A cleaned mattress needs a few hours before it can be made up again. Book a morning visit if it is the only bed in the house. Leave the window open or the heating on, keep the bedroom door ajar for air and wait until the surface feels dry and no longer cool to the hand. Putting a waterproof protector straight back on traps moisture inside, so leave the bed bare until the end of the day if you can.
Mattresses between tenancies
Landlords who let a furnished flat often have the mattresses cleaned after one tenant leaves and before the next arrives. It fits into the move-out booking: the end of tenancy clean covers the kitchen, bathroom and rooms, and the mattresses and carpets can be done on that visit. Leave time for drying before the new tenant moves in, and mention any marks the outgoing tenant has left so you know before the visit which may stay. If the flat is being relet quickly, ask for the mattresses to be done early in the visit so they have the longest time to dry.
Questions about mattress cleaning
Does the mattress have to leave the house?
No. Your mattress is cleaned on its bed frame and never leaves the room.
Can the bedroom carpet be cleaned at the same visit?
Yes, and it is a common pairing. The cleaner usually does the mattress first, then the carpet, and both dry together with the window open. Carpets are priced room by room on the carpet cleaning page.
Can the mattress and the upholstery be cleaned together?
Yes. Book the sofa, armchairs or headboard with the mattress and all of it is done on one visit. Fabric checks for each piece are described under upholstery cleaning.