Life Hack: How to clean stains like coffee, pee and blood from a mattress

Four common mattress stains and how to remove them

Just one wrong move could see your breakfast in bed turn into a nightmare cleaning situation.

COFFEE 

Sunday mornings in bed with a fresh coffee are blissful until you move awkwardly and splash that caffeine all over your sheets. To remove the brown mark, first soak up the excess liquid- remember: blot, don’t rub. Next, make a paste of baking soda/bicarbonate of soda, water, and salt and rub it into the stain. Let it sit for half an hour before wiping away. Repeat if necessary. Alternatively, regular shaving foam contains cleaning agents that can tackle coffee stains. Rub the shaving foam into the stain, rinse with water and repeat.

URINE 

Whether it’s a potty-training toddler or a territorial dog, chances are you’ll have to clean someone else’s pee from a mattress at one stage or another. Begin by stripping the bed and getting those clothes into the washing machine. The quicker this is done, the easier it is to get rid of the smell of urine from the fabric. Add a cup of white vinegar to the wash to ensure the scent is removed. Next, blot the mattress to remove excess liquid. Make a solution to spray on the area: two parts cold water, one part white vinegar and add a few tablespoons of laundry detergent. Spray generously on the stain and allow it to soak in for at least 15 minutes. Then cover the soiled surface with bicarbonate of soda and let it sit for up to 10 hours if possible to soak up the smell. Finally, vacuum the dry baking soda from the mattress.

BLOOD 

A particularly useful piece of knowledge for anyone menstruating is how to get blood stains out of a tricky surface like a mattress and luckily it is a simple method that uses household ingredients. Apply bicarbonate of soda directly to the stain and spray it with white vinegar. This mixture will start bubbling. Let it sit on the stain for half an hour. Dab the solution away with a clean cloth followed by a cloth with cold water, or use a vacuum to remove it. Alternatively, make a thick paste with talcum powder and water, apply it to the stain and leave it until dry before brushing the paste away.

VOMIT 

We all get sick, and quite often we take to bed when we feel under the weather. If your upset stomach lurches before you can get out from under the covers, scoop the vomit off the bed and throw or flush it away. Dab the mattress to soak up the excess. Dilute a mild detergent in warm water and dab this onto the stain with a clean cloth. Spray a solution of water and vinegar onto the stain next to deodorise. For stubborn stains, add a teaspoon of liquid dish soap to the spray solution. If it dries and an odour remains, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda and allow it to sit for some time before vacuuming it up.