Vacuuming your mattress: why you should and how to do it right

You wash your sheets, air your duvet and flip your pillow. But how often do you look at the base you lie on every night? Your mattress is probably the thing that's most easily forgotten during a big clean. And that's a shame, because a fresh mattress doesn't just sleep better, it's also crucial for your health and the lifespan of your bed.

Are you wondering whether vacuuming your mattress is really worth it? The answer is yes. In this article you'll read why this job belongs on your to-do list, how to tackle it without damaging the fabric and which tools you need.

Why your mattress is a dust trap

It doesn't sound fresh, but the average mattress is a collection point for all kinds of things you'd rather not have in your bed.

Skin flakes: You shed millions of skin flakes every night. They sink through your fitted sheet into the mattress cover.
Dust mites: These microscopic creatures feed on your skin flakes. An uncleaned mattress can contain millions of mites. Their droppings cause allergic reactions in many people, such as sneezing, itchy eyes or shortness of breath.
Fine dust: Dust from the air settles and soaks into the fabric.

By vacuuming your mattress, you remove the food source for dust mites and keep your airways clear. The result? A cleaner sleeping environment and fewer allergy symptoms.

Step-by-step plan: How should you vacuum a mattress?

Don't just run the vacuum cleaner wand over your bed. For effective cleaning, follow these steps.

Step 1: Strip the bed completely

Remove all the bedding, including the mattress protector. This is the perfect moment to wash your bedding at 60 degrees, because that kills the mites.

Step 2: Choose the right vacuum cleaner (and attachment!)

This is where it often goes wrong. Never use the brush you also use to vacuum the floor. That just smears street dirt and bacteria into your bed. The handiest option is a powerful stick vacuum that converts into a handheld vacuum, such as the Achaté Stick Vacuum PRO. Why?

Easy to handle: You can easily lift it onto the bed without wrestling with a heavy machine.
Clean: It has a special mattress attachment (upholstery brush). This nozzle is designed to pull dust out of textiles without damaging the fibres or making them 'pill'.

Step 3: Work in lanes

Set the mattress vacuum to a suction level that isn't too high (to avoid pulling the filling loose). Work systematically:

Start at the top and work in lanes downwards.
Work from left to right.
Don't forget the edges and seams (the piping)! Dust often builds up here. Press the nozzle in firmly here for a moment.

Step 4: Air it out

Vacuumed everything? Then leave the mattress 'naked' for a while with the window open. UV light and fresh air help kill the last bacteria and let moisture evaporate.

Can I wet-vacuum my mattress?

Some people wonder whether they can use a wet and dry vacuum. Only do this if you want to remove specific stains (such as urine) and have a machine that also powerfully sucks the water back up. For regular maintenance (dust and mites), dry vacuuming your mattress is much safer. Moisture left behind in the mattress can cause mould.

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