RestorationsSOS.com - Fire and Water Damage Restoration

Clean, Dry, Repair and Disinfect Mattresses

By Leo Nov
Published: June 19, 2006

Water damaged mattresses and pillows are usually hard to clean and disinfect. If the damage is determined extensive and your mattresses and pillows were submerged in water for more than 24 hours, consider discarding them.

Mattresses

Generally, cotton or foam rubber mattresses are not worth reconditioning and restoring if soaked by flood water. Restoring a mattress cannot be done with much success at home and will require professional restoring and sanitizing.

Another reason professionals recommend to discard a water damaged mattress is the fact that due to the thickness of a mattress, mold may penetrate and grow in the mattress where it cannot be removed.

Deciding whether to keep a mattress or discard it depends on two factors:

1. The Mattress Price
   If the mattress is not a new high-end mattress, restoring it will most likely be more expensive than buying a new one. Even if restoring the mattress is a little cheaper, consider your family's safety and spend a little more to replace it.
2. The Extent of the Damage
   If your mattress is lightly damaged, it might be salvageable. A lightly water damaged mattress is a mattress that is slightly damp from clean rainwater.

Restoring and Reconditioning a Water Damaged Mattress

If your damaged mattress is a new, good-quality mattress, you may want to try and dry and disinfect it. Contact a water damage restoration company or wish to go to a mattress-renovating company and ask of a price quote.

If the price is cheaper than replacing the mattress, hire the company to restore your mattress. Your mattress will be picked up or shipped to the company's facility where it will be thoroughly dried, cleaned, and sterilized at a sterilizing plant.

Do It Yourself

As mentioned before, reconditioning a mattress at home is extremely hard and more often than not, the mattress cannot be adequately dried, cleaned, and disinfected.

Follow these steps to try and salvage your mattress at home:

1. Treat the mattress within 24 hours to prevent mold growth.
2. Dry the mattress completely. If the weather allows it, dry your mattress outdoors in direct sunlight. You may want to consider using fans to speed up the process.
3. Brush off any surface soil and debris.
4. Deep a clean cloth in a solution of one cup rubbing alcohol and one cup water to prevent mold.
5. Wring out the cloth and wipe the mattress.
6. Dry using a fan to speed the drying process.

Box Springs

Much like mattresses, upholstered box springs may not be worth the cost of new covering and padding materials. If lightly damaged, dry it thoroughly and replace the padding. If the wood frame is wet or damaged, be sure to dry it before applying new padding.

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