How to extend the life of your mattress with cleaning and other tips

How often do you rotate or clean your mattress?

Taking care of our sleep surface can help us get a good night's rest and ensure we don't need to spend money replacing it sooner than is necessary.

We asked the experts how we can extend the life of a mattress, including dealing with accidents and stains, and when it might be time to upgrade.

How long do mattresses last?

With proper care a mattress should last about eight to 10 years, says Matt Steen, director of reviews and testing at consumer group Choice.

Because we are sweating and shedding dead skin while we sleep — and sometimes having accidents, such as children wetting the bed — mattresses can become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Thankfully, it's generally not something to worry about, experts say, unless you can see mould growing.

Dust mites, which also love to spend time in our bed, are too small to see with the naked eye. They can trigger asthma, eczema and other health issues for some people.

Without those symptoms, experts say there's again no reason for real concern.

The biggest problem with mattresses ageing is the quality of sleep you will get, explains Mr Steen.

"You might get to the point of thinking about a new mattress if it's causing you or your partner discomfort, [for example] every time you move, they wake up.

"Or it might be signs of sagging, where you roll into each other."

Rotating your mattress

If your mattress doesn't have a built-in pillow top, you will be able to flip and rotate it to extend its life.

For those with a built-in top, you are limited to rotating only, but it will still help, says Mr Steen.

"You should take the opportunity to do this at least every six months."

Cleaning your mattress

Jack Croukamp owns a cleaning business offering mattress, upholstery and carpet steam cleaning on the Gold Coast/Yugambeh language region.

He says most mattresses he observes aren't being cleaned as often as needed.

"If you don't clean it often enough, they go brown [from perspiration], and once that is set into a mattress, there is no way you are cleaning that off," he says.

Mr Croukamp says we should be cleaning our mattresses at least every six months.

Regularly changing and washing bed sheets and mattress protectors will help prevent build-up of dirt and grime on the mattress, says Mr Steen.

He recommends a regular vacuum of all sides of a mattress to help stay on top of dust mites.

An upholstery attachment will get best results.

To deal with general stains, he recommends dabbing stain remover or A small amount of dishwashing liquid in a cup of water, and then blotting it away with a dry cloth.

"You want to keep it as dry as possible," Mr Steen says.

For smells that can develop in our mattresses, he suggests spreading bicarb soda onto the mattress and leave for up to 24 hours before vacuuming off.

Sun is also a great deodoriser if you can move the mattress into a sunlit area.

For a more thorough clean, you could use a steam cleaner yourself, or hire a professional.

"It's doable [with a home machine] but you will really need to take your time," Mr Croukamp says.

"The difference between the home steam-clean machines and the professional machines is the suction power, the water pressure and the high temperature."

You can also hire heavier-duty machines if you want to tackle the clean yourself.

Urine and other fluids

Fluids such as urine and vomit will require immediate attention, Mr Steen says.

They are best dealt with by absorbing as much as possible before dealing with stains a similar way to above.

"Gently dabbing the area, cleaning that cloth on a regular basis, and letting it dry and applying bicarb soda and vacuuming it back off," says Mr Steen.

"That can take a long time, it's just patience that you need."

If you can't move the mattress outside to air, Mr Croukamp says running a fan or air con in the room will help dry it out.

Affordable replacement options

If your mattress is making sleep uncomfortable, that usually means it's time to consider a new one, says Mr Steen.

But you don't have to spend a lot of money to get something "decent".

"There are some cheaper ones on the market that don't perform as badly as you think," Mr Steen says.

He also encourages people to negotiate at stores with higher prices.

"Sometimes you can get between 40 to 60 per cent off."

Mr Croukamp says if a mattress purchase is out of the question, you might be able to buy a thick mattress topper to get by.