When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.

When it comes to a good night’s sleep, a clean mattress is essential.

But many of us are unknowingly making our mattresses dirty.

A woman sat on bed wearing white vest and orange shorts with a glass of water in hand, looking out of window with wooden frame and plants outside.

And that could be harming your sleep quality.

But the good news is that just a few routine switches can turn things around.

5 habits that are making your mattress dirty

1.

A woman lies on her bed beneath a duvet eating from a bowl of chips

Eating in Bed

Partial to a midnight snack?

You might want to rethink your mattress meals.

Snacking in bed is one of the quickest ways to compromise your mattresss cleanliness.

A dog sits on an Alaskan king mattress in a bedroom

The same goes for drinks.

This can result in stains, unpleasant smells and potentiallymattress mold.

And wearing the same socks to bed is also pretty bad news for your feet.

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

Bringing your phone to bed transfers that bacteria into your sleep space.

Pet dander can also cause problems, potentially heightening allergies and respiratory issues.

Finally, even a well-groomed pet might harbor fleas and mites.

A woman wearing blue and white stripy pyjamas lays on her side on the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress

These little hitchhikers work into your mattress and can be difficult to remove once established.

The moisture from wet hair seeps into your pillow and, eventually, your mattress.

Excess moisture can further damage your mattress by causing the materials to break down quicker.

Image shows a person in blue disposable gloves pointing to bed bugs on a mattress

5 ways to keep your mattress cleaner

1.

And this can also improve your sleep quality.

Clean any spills straight away

Life happens, and that means spills and accidents.

Vacuum cleaning a mattress

But its not the end of the world, as long as you take quick action.

Liquid can seep deep in to the mattress layers, where it becomes embedded and tough to remove.

This can be a particular problem with thebest memory foam mattresses, which feature multiple layers of dense foam.

An unmade bed with a white duvet bunched up and white pillows, mattress shows slight body impressions

If any spills happen, use a clean, absorbent cloth to blot the area and remove excess moisture.

Keep working the area until your cloth is no longer picking up damp.

All mattresses benefit from airing and its something that should be worked into a regularmattress maintenance routine.

Image shows a person wearing purple disposable gloves using a pink cloth to clean yellow stains from the top of a white mattress

Letting your mattress breathe improves airflow, helping moisture, bacteria, and dust to dissipate.

This simple act can greatlyhelp extend the lifespan of your mattress.

And it doesnt just feel good: it can also help keep your bed clean.

Bed bugs

This can introduce unwanted moisture to your mattress.

Not only will your mattress be cleaner, but your mind will feel cleaner too.

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

iPhone 16 Pro Max, Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro

A person holding a Nintendo Switch 2 playing Mario Kart World

2025 Rivian R1S Tri-Motor test drive review.

Samsung S95F OLED TV

ChatGPT generated image

Green skull on smartphone screen.