Mattress cleaning: the one nobody thinks about

You spend a third of your life on it, and it has probably never been cleaned. Here is what is in there and what comes out.

What’s in a mattress

Skin, sweat, dust and dust mites, years of it. If anyone in the house has eczema, asthma or hay fever that seems worse at night, the mattress is the first place to look.

Prices

• Single €45
• Double €90
• King €110
• Super king €130
• Headboard €30

A sofa plus a double mattress on the same visit is €155. The kids bundle, sofa plus rug plus a single mattress, is €165.

What the clean does

Deep vacuum, stains pre-treated, hot water extraction, then sanitised. Dust mites and allergens come out with the water. The result is a mattress that smells of nothing, which is what a mattress should smell of.

Drying: allow up to a day

A mattress is thick and holds more moisture than a sofa, so I won’t tell you four hours. Allow up to a day before making the bed. Booked in the morning with a window open, it’s usually fine by bedtime, but give it the time.

Stains, honestly

Sweat marks and general yellowing improve a lot. Children’s accidents that have been in there a while lighten but may not vanish. I’ll say so from the photo.

Before I arrive

Strip the bed. That’s it.