How to make a mattress smell nice – 5 simple solutions for fresh smelling sleep space

As the cornerstone of comfort and restful sleep, keeping your mattress refreshed and smelling nice is a key home maintenance task – just like having a regular cleaning schedule – that should not be overlooked.

While investing in the best mattress sets the foundation for quality sleep, maintaining a pleasant scent is also a significant factor in creating a relaxing and restorative environment.

From removing odors to adding a personalized scent to your mattress, our cleaning and mattress experts have explained how to ensure it emits a pleasant aroma to enhance not only its appeal but also your overall sleeping experience.

How to make a mattress smell nice  

As one of the dirtiest places in a bedroom, it's essential to clean a mattress to ensure it smells nice. But why stop there? With a few natural methods, you can create fragrances to use on your mattress before bed or just when it needs a spritz to add a scent that resonates with you.

1. Use baking soda

Baking soda is the best thing to clean a mattress with to remove odors and the process is super simple.

'Sprinkle baking soda over the mattress in an even layer to draw out odor,' recommends Trish Duarte, cleaning expert, president, and CEO at MaidPro of Temecula and Murrieta. 'Use a powdered sugar shaker so you can apply it more evenly.'

'Allow it to sit for at least one to two hours, before brushing away the excess and vacuuming up the remaining debris.

Additionally, cleaning with baking soda mixed with cornflour will absorb moisture, like body oils, while neutralizing odor, creating a cleaner and more fragrant mattress.

2. Use natural fragrances

Making a bedroom smell good for sleep is one of the best ways to improve sleep quality, helping to relax the body and lull you to a more restful sleep.

However, it is not as simple as spritzing any old linen spray around and settling in for the night. You need to differentiate between the best and worst bedroom scents for sleep, and pick healthy scenting options to avoid irritating airways or setting off allergies.

Trish Duarte, cleaning expert, suggests opting for essential oils to make a DIY room spray free from artificial fragrances. She says, 'In a spray bottle, combine one cup of distilled water, 1/4 cup of vodka, and 10-15 drops of essential oil. Shake well and mist over the mattress to refresh. Allow it to dry fully before making the bed. The vodka helps to disperse the essential oils evenly in the mixture and acts as a natural preservative. It also has natural antibacterial and deodorizing properties.'

3. Air the mattress

Sometimes, all your mattress needs to freshen up is a good airing out suggests Vanessa Terra Bossart, cleaning expert and owner of Green Terra Cleaning:

'Regularly airing out your mattress helps prevent moisture buildup. Open windows to let fresh air circulate, or, if possible, leave the mattress outside in the sun for a few hours.'

Sunshine is brilliant at fading stains so it'll help if you have any marks on yours.

4. Establish a regular cleaning routine

Cleaning a mattress is a task many of us regularly put off, but it is also the best way to make a mattress smell nice and avoid nasty odors taking hold.

'Take off all the sheets, pillowcases, and mattress covers, basically, anything that’s on the bed,' begins Will Cotter, cleaning expert and COO of FreshSpace Cleaning. 'Then, throw them in the laundry pile for washing. I then like to go in with the baking soda

'Check for any icky stains on your mattress, like spilled coffee or accidents from pets. For most stains, dabbing it with a mix of mild soap and water works. If the stain won’t budge, use a mix of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, slather, and leave it for 30 minutes before wiping away with a damp, white cloth.

'For organic ones, it’s better to use an enzyme cleaner. You can try Nature's Miracle Advanced Stain and Odor Remover from Amazon (which is my top pick), but Bubba's Rowdy Friends Super Strength Commercial Enzyme Cleaner, at Walmart, works well too.

'Once done, let it air dry properly. It might take a while, maybe a few hours, depending on the weather and how damp it got. If you want to speed things up, put the mattress in a room with good air circulation, like near a window, or use a dehumidifier to help it along. Both sides should be totally dry!

'After that, put it back on the bed. I like to give it another vacuum just to make sure there’s no dust. It’s no biggie if you skip this step, but it’s a nice way to make sure it’s clean.'

In between deep cleans, remember to wash your bedsheets every one to two weeks to keep your bed fresh.

5. Use mattress protectors

If you want to keep your mattress in top condition for longer and make cleaning and deodorizing the mattress easier in the future, consider using a removable mattress protector that can easily be put in the washing machine suggests Eliana Coca, professional cleaner and owner of E.C House Cleaning:

'Encase the mattress in a protective cover. A high-quality encasement prevents odors from escaping the mattress.

'After encasing, place bowls of activated charcoal, coffee beans, or potpourri around the room to naturally freshen the air,' she adds.

It is not just how you care for your mattress that keeps it fresh, reminds Trish Duarte, clenaing expert.

'Shower before bed,' she recommends. 'When you shower before bed, you remove dirt, sweat, and oils that accumulate on your skin throughout the day. By washing off the ick of the day, you reduce the amount that transfers through your sheets onto your mattress, helping to keep it clean.'

Next, learn how to clean your pillows, and if you can wash pillows in your machine.