Removing urine stains from your mattress

Accidents happen quickly, especially with young children or pets. A urine stain in your mattress not only looks unpleasant, but can also leave a nasty smell if you don't act fast.

Luckily, you can clean a mattress properly with simple products. And if needed, you can give it a thorough treatment with steam or hot water.

Why urine stains are tricky

Urine contains salts, acids and ammonia. These substances soak deep into the fibres and can cause discolouration. Sweat stains or yellow rings often have the same cause: moisture and salts soaking into the foam.

You can read how to prevent that in our guide on removing sweat stains from your mattress.

On top of that, the smell can cling to the mattress foam if it doesn't dry properly. That's why it's important to start cleaning straight away: the fresher the stain, the better the result.

What you need to remove urine stains

For a fresh stain, household remedies will get you a long way:

Lukewarm water
White vinegar or a mild solution with gentle soap
Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) to absorb odours
Clean microfibre cloths or kitchen paper
For deep cleaning, a spot cleaner or steam cleaner

Pro tip: with dried-in or old stains, heat can help. A cleaner such as the Achaté Spot Cleaner not only cleans the surface, but also removes stubborn odour residue deep in the fabric.

How to remove a urine stain from your mattress

1. Dab immediately
Dab up as much of the moisture as possible with kitchen paper or a dry cloth. Don't rub! That pushes the liquid further into the foam.

2. Neutralise with vinegar
Mix equal parts lukewarm water and white vinegar. Dab this onto the stain. Vinegar neutralises the acids and helps reduce the smell. Let it soak in for a few minutes and then dab again with a clean, damp cloth.

3. Treat with baking soda
Sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda over the damp spot. Let it soak in for at least a few hours (longer is fine too) so the moisture and smell are absorbed. Then carefully vacuum up the powder.

4. Deep cleaning for old stains
If the stain has already dried or you can still smell ammonia, use a steam cleaner or spot cleaner.

The heat opens up the fibres, dissolves remaining salt and ammonia residue and sucks it straight back up. Don't use excessive heat; lukewarm steam is enough to clean thoroughly without damaging the mattress.

5. Let it dry well
Make sure the mattress is completely dry before you sleep on it again. Stand it upright near an open window or use a fan to speed up drying.

How do you remove old urine stains from a mattress?

For old or yellowed stains, it helps to repeat the process a few times.
First dab with vinegar water, then sprinkle baking soda and, if needed, finish with a steam treatment. The combination of acid (vinegar), alkaline (soda) and heat works effectively against dried-in dirt and odour.

Want to remove blood stains from your mattress? Read here how to do that. The approach differs per type of stain.

Removing odour from your mattress

If a smell still lingers after cleaning, it's often due to moisture that has soaked deep into the foam.

In that case, use a steam cleaner or a device that works with hot water. The steam evaporates the remaining moisture and kills bacteria.
Then let the mattress air out properly. After one day it's usually fresh again.

Preventing urine stains

You can't prevent all stains in your mattress. Still, there are a number of measures you can take as prevention.

Use a waterproof mattress protector or molton cover.
Air your bed regularly, so moisture evaporates faster.
Clean the mattress at least once every six months with a gentle steam treatment for lasting freshness.