Remove mold from the mattress

Remove mold from the mattress

Mattresses are quite susceptible to mold. Especially on the underside often appear mildew stains caused by mold spores. We present some ways to treat the mold infestation and thus prevent the disposal of your mattress.

How to remove mold from the mattress?

First of all, examine how advanced the mold infestation already is. If your mattress is extensively infested with mold and black spots, you unfortunately have no choice but to dispose of the mattress directly. Otherwise, serious health problems may arise. However, if it is only small, superficial mold stains, you can remove them using various methods and means. Regardless of which application you choose, you should in any case first remove the bed linen and wash it at a minimum of 60°C.

After that, these means are available to you to remove the mold on the mattress:

Clean mattress with mold spray

The simplest means to remove superficial mold stains are commercially available mold sprays. The spray will kill the mold spores on the surface and to some extent in the mattress. Mold sprays that contain chlorine, while very effective against mold, have a bleaching effect that can cause discoloration and damage to the mattress surface. In addition, chlorine vapors are harmful to health. Therefore, in any case, use a mold spray that is gentle to health, free of chlorine and suitable for the treatment of textiles. These include mold sprays with ammonium compounds that have no bleaching effect. The application steps can be found on the label of the bottle. In most cases, the area affected by mold must be sprayed directly with the spray and removed from the mattress with water after a few minutes of exposure. Remember to wear gloves and a mouth guard when doing this, as even the chlorine-free sprays usually contain irritating ingredients. Ventilate the room thoroughly after application to get all the fumes out of the room.

Remove mold on mattress: home remedies

If rather smaller areas of your mattress are infested, you can use time-tested home remedies. These home remedies are suitable for combating mold on the mattress:

Lemon juice

Simply sprinkle the affected area with lemon juice. The citric acid destroys the cell walls of the mold spores and the mold dissolves. Then sprinkle with salt, baking soda or baking powder and place the mattress in the sun, if possible, and let it dry. The salt/baking soda/soda will soak up the excess lemon juice and help remove the discoloration in the mattress.

Vinegar/vinegar essence

Even easier to use is vinegar: Simply apply to the affected area of the mattress, let it sit for a short time and clean thoroughly with a wet cloth or sponge.

Alcohol/Breath alcohol

Alcohol (e.g. isopropanol) can also dissolve the cell walls of the mold spores. For this you need medical alcohol or isopropyl alcohol with at least 70% alcohol content. Apply the alcohol directly to the infested area of the mattress, let it soak in briefly, and then clean the area thoroughly with a wet cloth. However, since alcohol evaporates very quickly, we recommend repeating the application to completely destroy all mold spores.

Baking soda or baking powder

Other home remedies to combat mold spores include baking soda and baking powder, as both are disinfectants and fungicides. Mix baking soda or baking powder with dish soap and hot water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the mold stain and let it dry for about two hours. After that, you can brush off the paste. Alternatively, you can spread the baking soda or baking powder directly on the stain and rub it with a damp cloth, leave it for several hours and remove everything with a dry cloth.

Tea tree oil

This versatile essential oil is also suitable for destroying fungal threads. For this, you just need to mix two tablespoons of tea tree oil and 500 ml of water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and wet the stain on your mattress. The tea tree oil smell will automatically disappear after a few days.

Mattress cleaning

However, a common problem with home remedies is that they only kill the mold spores superficially. For mold infestation inside the mattress, they are usually not enough. In that case, you can take your mattress to professional mattress cleaning. There, the mold spores, bacteria and germs are killed with the help of UV irradiation.

Permanently remove mold from mattress

To prevent mold, we recommend the permanent use of a mattress carpet pad, e.g. our Matnext Airflow carpet pad. For more information on preventing moldy mattresses, see our guide “Preventing mold on the mattress – causes & tips”.