Waking up to a fresh accident on your mattress is a stressful race against the clock.
Unlike a hard floor or even a thin carpet, a mattress acts like a giant sponge, pulling liquid deep into the foam and springs where it can become a permanent source of odor and bacteria.
If treated incorrectly, urine can lead to mold growth and a lingering "musty" smell that reactivates every time you lie down.
To save your bed, you have to move beyond simple surface cleaning and use a biological approach that reaches the deepest layers of the mattress.
In this post, we will explore 5 tips to clean urine out of a mattress.
Let's dive in!
Why Mattress Accidents are Harder to Clean
A mattress presents a unique challenge because it is designed to be absorbent and "breathable," which unfortunately allows urine to travel vertically into the core of the bed.
The primary obstacles to a clean mattress include:
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Vertical Seepage: Gravity pulls the urine through the top fabric and into the padding or memory foam. Once it is several inches deep, it is nearly impossible to reach with a standard scrub brush.
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The "Concentration" Effect: As the water in the urine evaporates, the urea and uric acid salts become more concentrated. This creates a pungent ammonia smell that bonds to the internal structure of the bed.
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Microbial Growth: The dark, warm environment inside a mattress is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to feed on the organic material in urine, leading to long-term hygiene issues.
5 Tips to Clean Urine Out of a Mattress
Successful removal requires a combination of rapid absorption and molecular breakdown of the urine.
1. Enzymatic Cleaner for Urine
The absolute most critical tool in your arsenal is a high-quality Enzymatic Cleaner.
Standard household soaps or upholstery cleaners only "mask" the scent; they cannot break down the non-water-soluble uric acid crystals that cause the lingering smell.
An enzymatic cleaner contains biological catalysts that literally "eat" the organic proteins and salts in the urine.
To be effective on a mattress, you must use enough cleaner to mimic the volume of the original accident.
Let it sit for at least 15–30 minutes to allow the biological breakdown to occur.
Our Enzyme Powder Concentrate is the ultimate solution for mattress accidents because its dormant enzymes activate at 100% strength the moment you mix them, ensuring they can deep-penetrate foam layers to "eat" uric acid and organic proteins.
Since it makes up to 86 gallons, you can afford to generously saturate the area to match the depth of the accident, providing a professional-grade biological breakdown that ready-to-use sprays simply can't match.
Simply follow the directions on the back, and you're good to go!
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2. The "Deep Pressure" Blot
Before applying any cleaner, you must remove as much liquid as possible.
Do not rub, as this pushes the liquid deeper.
Instead, place several thick, dry towels over the spot and use your full body weight (or even stand on the towels) to create a suction effect.
This pulls the urine out of the foam and into the towels.
The more "raw" urine you can extract through this deep pressure blotting, the less work your enzymatic cleaner will have to do.
3. Vacuum Extraction
If you have access to a wet/dry vacuum (Shop-Vac), use it to pull moisture out of the mattress after you’ve applied your enzymatic treatment.
The vacuum provides a much stronger upward pull than manual blotting can achieve.
By extracting the solution through the top of the mattress, you prevent the liquid from settling into the bottom layers, where it can cause mold.
Pro tip: Avoid using a steam cleaner, as the high heat can "cook" the proteins and permanently bond the smell to the mattress fibers.
4. Neutralize and Dry with Baking Soda
Once you have blotted and treated the area, cover the damp spot with a thick layer of Baking Soda.
Baking soda is a natural desiccant and odor neutralizer.
It will draw out the remaining moisture from the deep layers of the foam and trap the volatile organic compounds that cause the smell.
Leave the baking soda on the mattress for at least 8–10 hours (or until completely dry), then vacuum it off.
This "pulling" action is essential for ensuring the mattress is dry all the way through.
5. Use High-Velocity Airflow
A mattress can take a long time to dry, and a damp mattress is an invitation for mildew.
To speed up the process, set up high-velocity fans blowing directly across the surface of the bed and, if possible, open the windows to lower the humidity in the room.
If the mattress is small enough, propping it up on its side can help air circulate through both the top and bottom, ensuring the core dries completely before you put the sheets back on.
Cleaning Urine Out of Your Mattress
Cleaning a mattress takes patience and the right chemistry.
By prioritizing an enzymatic cleaner to digest the uric acid and using deep pressure to extract the liquid, you can eliminate the odor and keep your bed sanitary.
Thank you for reading, and here is to a clean, fresh night's sleep!
