Late summer is when Fulham flats change hands, and plenty of new sharers move into a furnished room with somebody else’s mattress in it. A clean won’t make a mattress new. It does lift the skin flakes and dust that settle in the top layers, and it lightens most marks.
The morning of the clean
Take everything off the bed, the protector as well, before the van turns up. We begin with a slow vacuum over both faces if the mattress turns, working along the seams and round the buttons, since that is where the debris collects. Each mark is then pre-treated for what it is. Sweat and body oil take one product; urine takes an enzyme cleaner that breaks down what causes the smell.
Blood comes out best cold, with an enzyme product and patience, because hot water cooks it into the ticking. The yellow patches at the pillow end are body oil and salt, and they fade well but seldom vanish.
The clean itself is a low-moisture pass with the upholstery tool. A mattress is thick and slow to dry, so we put in as little water as the job needs and pull back as much as the machine will lift. Pillow-top and one-sided mattresses get the sleeping side only. Memory foam gets the lightest touch of all, because foam holds water like a sponge.
Making the bed again
With a window open, a mattress is usually ready in two to four hours, so a morning booking means clean sheets on it by bedtime. A fan helps. Test it with the back of your hand, and only put the protector on once the top no longer feels cool.
A clean lowers the allergen load near the surface, which some people with allergies notice, though it isn’t a medical treatment and no mattress comes out sterile.
Fulham bedrooms
Many bedrooms here are at the top of a converted house, two or three flights up, and some are down in a lower ground floor. The top-floor ones dry quickly in warm weather. The basement ones don’t, and a mattress in a cool room below street level can stay damp well into the evening. If yours is down there, book an early start and put the heating on.
What it costs
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Two-seat settee | £57 |
| Armchair | £33 |
| Mattress | £35 |
| Dining chair (seat) | £13 |
| Curtains, short drop | £35 |
| Long curtains | £42 |
A mattress is £35. Booked alone it falls below our £67 floor, which is why people tend to pair it with the bedroom carpet (£36 and £35 make £71) or a sofa. A pair of mattresses comes to £70 and clears the floor by itself.
For the carpet in the same room, see carpet cleaning. Old marks on the mattress are covered in more detail on the stains page, headboards and sofas come under upholstery, and our contact page has the phone hours.
Questions we get asked
We’ve just moved into a furnished flat. Is it worth cleaning the mattress?
Usually, if you don’t know its history. A clean takes out the dust and skin in the top layers and freshens it. It won’t fix a sagging mattress or a broken spring, and a badly stained one will look better rather than new. If it is truly worn out, ask the landlord to replace it.
Can you get a urine smell out of a child’s mattress?
The smell usually improves a lot, because the enzyme treatment breaks down what causes it. The yellow ring round an old stain often stays, fainter but visible, since it has marked the ticking. A fresh accident treated within a day or two does best.
Is it safe with memory foam?
Yes, done with very little water. We keep the moisture low and extract hard. Soaking foam is the mistake to avoid, because it holds water deep inside and can take days to dry out.
Will it help with a dust mite allergy?
It lowers the allergen load in the top layers, which some people with allergies notice. It isn’t a cure, and mites deeper in the mattress build back up over time. A washable protector changed often does more between cleans than anything we can do on a visit.