Let’s face it; it’s normal for kids to pee in bed when they are young or if they have a problem controlling their urinary bladder. They do this in their early stages and continue to learn that they should avoid drinking any liquids before bedtime and empty their bladder before they sleep. It’s all part of their growth and development.
Sometimes their timing might be off, and they wake up all wet. I’m sure it worries you that the mattress might not be salvaged from constant urine, making stains get even more firm. Maybe you have tried baking soda, and it has not worked for you, or you don’t want to use it because it has effects.
If you are in this situation and you’re wondering of ways you can use to clean urine from your mattress without necessarily using baking soda, then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive right in.
Why Should You Not Use Baking Soda?
The first reason is that baking soda might not be at your disposal when you need to use it. You might find going to the store tiresome, and so you might opt for new methods.
It might not be possible to use baking soda because it’s harsh on the skin. To some people, it irritates their skin which makes them avoid the option of using it.
Baking soda is not worth it, especially when you know that your kids might end up getting a rash or feeling itchy. That’s why below, I’ve looked for other things and ways you can use to clean your mattress.
Ways to Clean Urine From a Mattress Without Using Baking Soda
1. Use Vinegar
One great replacement for baking soda is vinegar, which effectively helps your clean mattresses urinated on. Vinegar works in the same way as baking soda, but it doesn’t necessarily harm your skin. This is the main reason why a good number of people chose to go with vinegar over baking soda.
If you are to use vinegar, you’re going to need to get a spray bottle. The next thing is to fill the spray bottle with white vinegar so that you can efficiently spray the mattress area where the urine is present.
In case the urine has soaked into the mattress, you should let the white vinegar sit on it for some minutes until it dries off. But if there are significant urine stains, I highly recommend that you spray the white vinegar well until the urine area is wholly soaked with vinegar. I know it will take a long time to dry, but it is worth it.
You should also wipe the mattress thoroughly to remove the stains. In some instances, the stains will only start to come out when you wipe the mattress with vinegar and not when you spray. However, you should be aware that certain stains are hard to remove, which shows you have to work extra hard when wiping your mattress.
2. Water And Dish Soap
Many people might underestimate the power of dish soap and water when cleaning urine from your mattress because they haven’t tried it yet. It works, but like any other method, it has limitations that only clean minor urine stains.
Using dish soaps gives you a lot of confidence because you cannot harm your mattress. You should only apply the dish soap to the area of the mattress that has a urine stain.
After you have effectively applied the dish soap on the mattress’s stained area, you should then get a wet rag or cloth and start scrubbing the mattress’s stained areas until you notice the result. How hard or softly you scrub will be determined by the material of the mattress, but I suggest you be more careful, especially if you’re worried about ruining your mattress.
When you have scrubbed the mattress thoroughly and effectively, you should be able to do away with the urine smells present on the mattress entirely. It will take you time to perfect this method, but it is worth the gamble. However, this method might not serve you well when you are dealing with stubborn stains.
3. Making A Paste
You are sometimes making a paste that you can effectively scrub into the stained mattress might be what you need, mainly when you aim to obliterate the urine stain. The ingredients to make this perfect pest is salt and lemon juice. Why? Because they create a powerful enzyme cleaner that is meant to break down chemicals causing stains efficiently.
This paste also does a wonderful job of getting rid of the smell completely. Immediately after making a salt and lemon juice paste, you should begin applying it well in the stained area of the mattress. It’s advisable to let the paste sit on the stained areas for close to one hour.
Once time is up, then you need to get a towel and wipe the paste. You will see the stain coming off with the paste when you are wiping. However, if the stain had been on your mattress for long, then it might not be that effective.
4. Use A Vacuum
For those who might not have known, using a vacuum is another way many people use to get urine stains off their mattresses. The majority who use this method do so while also having a paste to do away with the satin for good. Using towels often works, but powerful vacuum cleaners are more effective in removing stains.
It is more practical and logical only to use vacuum cleaners to get the urine up. In case you have a wet-dry vacuum cleaner, you should use it well to do away with the urine so that you don’t have to spoil your towel.
The result will entirely depend on the type of vacuum cleaner you have. A good and powerful vacuum cleaner will not only help you deal with spills and urine stains but also on your bed. You can equally use the vacuum cleaner to clean both sides of your mattress regularly so that you keep it in top shape.
5. Bleach
For those who might not be bothered by how the mattress will look after cleaning the urine, the bleach is definitely for you. Bleach is a brilliant cleaning product that kills and does away with bacteria, germs, and odors very quickly. Yes, it is smelly and potent, but there’s no doubt that it can eliminate stains and smell on your mattress.
The only problem with using bleach is that it often leaves a bleach spot on your mattress. Even if you go ahead and use bleach that has been efficiently diluted by water, it will still discolor your mattress eventually.
This is why I only recommend this method for those who might not be bothered with how their mattress will look after the process. It will clean up your mattress entirely and destroy the smell if you use it well. Many people do not like it because of its effects, and this shows you that you should save it as your last resort.
6. Deodorizing Your Bed
It’s no doubt that commercial odor-removing products can do magic on your bed when it has urine stains and smell on it. You can find many products which neutralize odors so that you only focus on getting the stain up. If your mattress completely smells of pee, then you should try some of these products.
You only need to spray the odor-neutralizing product on the spot where there’s urine to neutralize the smell instantaneously. If you aim to get rid of pungent odors, then you should use more spray and give it time to settle in.
These products are excellent because they help get rid of all kinds of odors in your house. You can use them to spay away pet odors or offensive body odors. Note that the advantage of these odor-neutralizing products is that you can use them just about anywhere in the house instead of the other methods.
These products cannot be necessarily categorized under cleaners that can help you clean the bed effectively because you will still have to clean the bed using soap and the other methods I’ve mentioned. These products only take care of the small to not feel uncomfortable while cleaning the stains on your mattress.
7. Professional Cleaning Options
If none of the methods above are getting the job done effectively, you might need a little bit of assistance. It is not an awful idea to reach out to cleaning professionals; in fact, many people had got good results after seeking help when they needed it. You can have professionals come over to your place and see the problem (urine stains and smell) and try and fix it.
These professionals come to work ready and prepared with the right products and equipment they’ll need to leave your mattress sparkling clean. They have many cleaners which they use to remove urine stains on your mattress. If you want your mattress cleaned fast and efficiently, then I suggest you quickly find cleaning professionals.
It’s going to work out nicely if you want to quickly clean your mattress or your kid’s mattress, especially when you are a busy person. It saves you time and guarantees you that you will do good work on your mattress and that there will be no effects or spots left on your mattress.
The only challenge about using professional cleaners is that it will be costly, especially when you’re on a tight budget. You will have to spend a good amount of money to get top and quality services from cleaning professionals. This method will come down to you if you are comfortable spending and how much you are willing to let go.
However, putting the cost debate aside, you should consider the quality services you will get from professionals instead of spending hours and still not getting your mattress perfectly cleaned. If you put this argument forward, you will find it hard to lament the cost.
8. Air
The easiest way you can go around cleaning urine from your mattress is by simply airing it out. You can take your mattress out so that the wet urine parts efficiently dry in the sun. If taking it out is a no-brainer for you, you can air it in a well-ventilated, sunlit room.
Many people don’t know that the sun helps kill bacteria and dry out moisture accumulated in the mattress. This method’s time limit is at least 2 hours on one side of the mattress and another 2 hours on the other side. However, this method does not do away with the stains, which means you will also have to use the other methods above.
9. Washing Beddings Using Hot Water
You can also clean your mattress using hot water to kill germs and the air. Although it will take a long time to dry, it will be somehow worth it at the end of the day. It’s important to note that cleaning bedding is essential if you want to do away with the urine smell.
Similarly, you should use hot water so that you can eliminate stains and germs that have accumulated. You should know that you will need to use soap and some detergent to use this method effectively.
How To Keep Mattress Safe in Future?
To keep your mattress safe in the future, it means you will have to take some precautionary measures. If you know that your kids pee on the bed at night, it will help if you use rubber sheets. Rubber sheets prevent the urine from seeping through the mattress. You can also put the regular sheets on top of the rubber sheets to make them feel more comfortable.
Another great idea you can use is, using mattress pads which give you an extra layer of protection against getting dirty. It is crucial if you are worried about getting your mattress stained at night.
Generally, as your kids continue to grow, they continue to form good habits that will make them not pee at night. However, it’s also up to you to take the proper steps by limiting your drinking before bedtime. As a parent, this should be your starting point.