How to Clean Urine From a Memory Foam Mattress

Accidents happen, especially if you have little ones sneaking into your bed in the middle of the night. It can be tough to clean a memory foam mattress because it isn’t something you can easily stuff into a washing machine or hose down (not without damaging it, at least).

In this guide, we’ll be sharing some great tips on how to clean urine from a memory foam mattress.

Cleaning Fresh Urine Stains From a Memory Foam Mattress

It’s always best to clean urine accidents as soon as they happen and before they dry off. That way, you can remove the urine without any harsh chemicals. An efficient and chemical-free way to treat fresh urine stains is with the vinegar and baking soda method. 

Vinegar and baking soda are natural cleaners that will neutralize the ammonia smell of urine. Vinegar also assists in breaking down the uric acid in urine so it will be easier to clean from your mattress. 

What You’ll Need

• An empty spray bottle
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Dry cleaning rags or paper towels
• A vacuum with an upholstery attachment

Steps

1. Start by adding pure vinegar to your spray bottle. Spray the stained areas until they’re thoroughly saturated, and allow the vinegar to sit for 10 minutes.
2. Use your dry rags or paper towels and place them over the stains. Blot out as much excess vinegar and urine as you can.
3. Sprinkle baking soda liberally over the stains and spread it to surround the wet area. You can leave the baking soda to sit for a full day, but at least let it rest for a couple of hours. The baking soda should start to form clumps as it absorbs the vinegar.
4. Once the baking soda is dried out, use your vacuum to suck up the baking soda. 

Cleaning Dry Urine Stains From a Memory Foam Mattress

Sometimes accidents go unnoticed and urine is left with time to dry. If you want to clear dried urine spots from your mattress, you’ll need to use a stronger cleaning product. We recommend 3% hydrogen peroxide because it’s an oxidizer that will eliminate bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide also assists in neutralizing urine odors.

It’s important not to use hydrogen peroxide on your linens, as it can bleach colored fabrics. Remove all your linens and place them in the washing machine before you get to work on the dried stains.  

What You’ll Need

• An empty spray bottle
• 8-10 Ounces of 3% hydrogen peroxide
• 3 Tablespoons of baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon of dish soap
• A damp rag
• A dry rag

Steps

1. Create a mixture of dish soap, baking soda, and 3% hydrogen peroxide and add it to your spray bottle. Avoid shaking the bottle or the mixture will froth and block the spray nozzle.
2. Spray all of the dry stains on the mattress until the area is properly saturated. Allow the mixture to sit for one hour.
3. Take a damp cloth and rinse the area. You can rinse the damp cloth several times, wring it out and keep rubbing the area until the soapy mixture has been cleared away.
4. Finally, take a dry cloth and dry the area as much as possible. 

How to Eliminate Stubborn Odors From a Memory Foam Mattress  

If you still notice a urine smell after trying one of the previous remedies, then it might be time for something more powerful. Get an enzymatic cleaning product like Oxyclean or make your own enzymatic cleaner that contains strong chemical ingredients designed to break down stains and eliminate odors. 

Cleaning products with protease enzymes are especially good at eliminating urine odors because the formula is designed to break down nutrients and salts found in urine. 

What You’ll Need

• An empty spray bottle
• Baking Soda
• Enzymatic cleaner
• Dry rag or paper towels
• Vacuum with an upholstery attachment

Steps

1. If the enzymatic cleaner isn’t already in a spray bottle, pour it into an empty spray bottle. Then, spray the cleaner onto the stains until the area is saturated. 
2. If the enzymatic cleaner you’re using is in powder form, first create a paste by mixing it with water. Place the paste over the stain.
3. Allow the cleaning product to sit on the stains for about five minutes, or according to the product instructions.
4. Grab your dry rag or paper towels and blot the area to remove excess product and urine.
5. Take baking soda and sprinkle it over the area. Cover the entire stain and allow to sit for a full day or for several hours.
6. Once the baking soda is dry, use your vacuum to remove the baking soda clumps that have formed on the surface of the mattress. 

For extremely stubborn stains, old urine marks, or particularly smelly spots, you might need to repeat these cleaning strategies more than once before the stain and odor will be completely removed. 

Other Methods for Cleaning Urine Stains From a Memory Foam Mattress

If these methods for how to clean urine from a memory foam mattress don’t remove the stains, then you only have two other options:

Hire Professional Cleaners

If all else fails, you can call a professional upholstery or carpet cleaning company to clean the mattress. These deep-cleaning machines push steam into the mattress to kill germs and bacteria and extract moisture, dirt and grime from the mattress.

After steam cleaning the mattress, the mattress will be properly dried. This can be achieved by using industrial fans or by placing the mattress in direct sunlight.

Get a New Mattress

Another alternative is to buy a new memory foam mattress. These mattresses typically only last about seven to eight years and it might be time to get a new one anyway. 

Tips for Preventing Future Stains on Your Mattress

If you do opt for getting a new memory foam mattress, you’ll want to take measures to avoid ruining it. It’s much better to keep your mattress protected from urine stains and other spills before these accidents happen. 

Here’s a quick look at two great ways to keep your mattress clean and protected:

Get a Mattress Protector

Mattress protectors are affordable for most consumers and perfect for protecting your mattress. With a quality waterproof mattress protector, your bed will be protected from stains, bed bugs, dust mites, and allergens. 

There are different types of mattress protectors, and depending on the one you choose, the top of the mattress protector can be luxuriously soft for comfort. When the mattress protector gets dirty, you can easily remove it and wash it in the washing machine.

Get Waterproof Sheets

Waterproof sheets can also be a good alternative if you want to preserve your mattress or mattress protector for longer. This type of sheet usually has a soft top and a plastic base that keeps moisture from reaching your mattress. 

Waterproof sheets can sometimes be hard and can create a crinkly sound which is why people often prefer just using the best mattress protector they can find. 

Bottom Line

We hope that our guide for how to clean urine from a memory foam mattress has helped you find a good solution to get rid of unsightly urine stains and bad mattress odor.