Title: My Eye-Opening Experience Vacuuming My Mattress
I consider myself a fairly clean individual. I make sure to wipe down my countertops every night and wash my towels regularly. However, I must admit a major oversight on my part—I had never attempted to vacuum my mattress. After seeing numerous videos stressing the importance of this task on my TikTok feed and armed with a new vacuum I was excited to try, I finally decided to give it a shot one morning in between laundry loads.
It was long overdue. According to April Mayer from Amerisleep, consistently vacuuming your mattress can greatly reduce the accumulation of allergens and irritants, leading to a cleaner and healthier sleep environment. Not only does a clean mattress enhance the air quality in your bedroom, but it also helps minimize the risk of allergic reactions and respiratory issues.
So, what exactly are these irritants and allergens? Dust is a major culprit, along with the shedding of skin cells—a natural part of our skin’s renewal process. With my extremely dry skin, shedding is quite prevalent, especially in winter when both the air and my skin are particularly dry. Despite running an air purifier, I was unaware that my mattress could harbor dust, debris, and allergens just like an area rug. Upon vacuuming my mattress with the new Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Cordless Handheld Vacuum, I was shocked to find the debris container filled with a fine powder composed of baking soda, dead skin cells, and dust—an unsettling yet satisfying revelation.
While there are specialized vacuum models for mattresses, I opted to use my Shark handheld vacuum for its convenience and efficiency. Following the advice of cleaning influencers, I sprinkled baking soda on the mattress surface before vacuuming to eliminate odors and ensure a longer-lasting clean. Even though some recommend leaving the powder on for a few hours, I found that just 20 minutes yielded a noticeably fresher scent in my bedroom.
When it came time to vacuum, I meticulously covered the entire mattress in long, thorough passes, exerting pressure to reach into the stitching lines. Focusing on the areas where I typically sleep, I worked from top to bottom, ensuring a comprehensive clean.
The shocking results of my first attempt prompted me to commit to vacuuming my mattress every time I changed my sheets (biweekly). This routine, combined with the baking soda treatment, is not only expected to extend my mattress’s lifespan but has also proven to be a worthwhile investment based on my personal experience and the advice gleaned from both experts and social media influencers.
Regular maintenance has greatly improved my sleep quality and helped reduce my persistent runny nose. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok for more inspiration. Check out these 15 home bar gifts for cocktail enthusiasts and discover 32 low light indoor plants that thrive in dark corners. Explore the 50 best paint colors for your living room.
