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5 reasons your mattress and pillows smell

Over time mattresses and pillows can start to smell.

Here are just some reasons why your mattress or pillows may smell a little funky.

The image shows a bare mattress and pillows and a crumpled white duvet on top of a black bed frame

Accumulation of body oils or sweat

The average adult releases between 500 and 700ml of sweat during sleep.

Mold or mildew

High humidity, accidental spills or accidents can lead excess moisture within your mattress.

If your mattress or pillow has mold growth youll notice a distinct musty, damp or earthy odor.

Vector of dust mites eating dead skin on a dirty mattress

Heres a step-by-step guide to deodorizing your mattress and pillows for a more hygienic sleep surface.

Step 1.

Using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum get right in to the seams and crevices.

The image shows a large dog sleeping on an unmade bed

This step will remove any loose dirt, debris and dust that may be on your mattress.

Dont forget to vacuum the sides too.

Step 2.

Image shows a person vacuuming a white mattress before cleaning mold off of it

Step 3.

How to deodorize your pillows in 3 steps

Pillows can easily gather stains and smells.

But in the meantime, heres how to deodorize your pillows in three easy steps.

A bottle of white vinegar next to a sponge and a spray bottle

Step 1.

Step 2.

This will help to deodorize any nasty smells and works well with stains too.

A person wearing pink disposable gloves cleans yellow stains from a white pillow and mattress

If you’re washing a foam pillow then spot clean with a mixture of mild detergent and water.

Step 3.

Dry thoroughly

Pillows are not the easiest thing to dry.

Image shows a white pillow and mattress covered in yellow stains

A woman with dark hair sleeps on a memory foam mattress dressed with white pillows and sheets

Bed linens crumpled on a white mattress

A person wearing rubber gloves uses a spray bottle and a clean cloth to clean the surface of the Emma Elite mattress.

Bed bugs

Blue Jimmy BX7 Pro mattress vacuum on white mattress

A woman with brown hair lies on her stomach on a grey colour Japanese floor mattress

A mattress we tested is dressed with neutral colour bed linens and pillows

A woman�s hand holding a magnifying glass magnifying bed bugs on a mattress

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