Of all the things in the house that might suffer a poop stain, a mattress is, unfortunately, one of the hardest to clean and most expensive to replace. With even cheap twin beds costing at least $500, it’s hard to justify swapping out the bed every time your child or pet has an accident.
That means you’ll have to tackle the more arduous yet cheaper task of cleaning the mattress. Clearing the stain and destroying the smell can be a tall order, but everybody deserves a mess-free and comfy place to sleep.
Having dealt with enough night-time accidents in my house, I can say it gets easier with practice, and you’ll save tons of hassle when you dial in the effective methods. Discover the surprising simplicity of saving your sleep surface by following this guide on how to get poop stains out of the mattress.
The Problem with Poop Stains on the Mattress
Poop and pee are inconvenient anywhere outside the toilet, but the bed is one of the worst places for them to land. Any blemish is an efficient way to void a mattress’s multi-year defect warranty. But when you’re dealing with fecal stains, there’s more to worry about than unsightly streaks across the cover.
While you may have no issue concealing a poop stain under a protector, you’ll have a tougher time containing any smells wafting from it. Then, there’s the collection of illness-inducing viruses and bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli that could spread through the household. Still, the worst part of trying to remove poop stains from a mattress may be the mattress itself.
Unlike cleaning poop from carpets or clothes, mattresses need a light touch. The thin top layer can often let any liquid cleaner sink through to the poly fiber, gel foam, and memory foam layers underneath. If cleaning solutions sit too long, that material could degrade. With new dips and holes in the bed opened up from worn-out fill layers, your sleep quality could suffer in the long term.
How to Get Poop Stains Out of Mattress
With protective gloves on, remove any poop from the mattress. In dealing with the stain and odor-causing molecules, spraying enzyme cleaners will be the safest and most effective route. Finishing up with baking soda and sunshine can remove excess moisture in the cover and extract any remaining faint stains.
Dealing with poop stains fast is one of the secrets to success. If you don’t have enzyme cleaner handy, there’s still hope in tackling the problem with household items. Immediate action is crucial in preventing liquid stool from seeping into the absorbent foam layers. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the poop-cleaning process.
Tools and Materials
- Paper towels
- Rubber gloves
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Distilled white vinegar
- Commercial spray cleaner
- Enzyme cleaner
- Baking soda
Step 1: Launder Affected Bedding
If your mattress protector and sheets also have fecal stains, you must clean and disinfect them. Spot clean poop stains on sheets before laundering to avoid setting visible stains.
You’ll need to launder the sheets with a hot water setting to kill off germs. Always check the care tag before laundering it to ensure it won’t shrink or damage your sheet. Alternatively, you can add Lysol Laundry Sanitizer Additive on a cold or warm wash cycle for delicates.
Warning! Do not use hot water on mattress protectors. High-temperature washes can degrade the waterproof layers over time. Only use cold or warm water, and reference the care label for drying instructions.
Step 2: Remove Poop Solids
Put your rubber gloves on, and carefully remove any poop solids. Patches of liquid poop need more care to prevent spreading. A scraper or stiff piece of plastic can come in handy here.
Tip: When scraping and spot cleaning, I’ll typically pinch the mattress cover and pull it up to separate it from the fiber fill and foam core beneath it. You can apply more force without worrying about the stain or cleaning solutions spreading to the underlying layers.
Step 3: Spray the Poop Stain, Blot, and Repeat
Enzyme cleaners are your best bet to clean poop stains from a bare mattress. Specialized bacteria and enzymes remove fecal stains and their odors safely and thoroughly. Products I know and recommend are Simple Solution, Nature’s Miracle, and BioKleen.
- Spray a small amount of cleaner on the stain (limiting the amount stops the cover and fill layers from becoming saturated)
- Let the product sit according to the dwell time on the product directions (typically 5–15 minutes)
- Blot with a clean cloth or paper towel, starting from the outer edge of the poop stain and working toward the center
- Repeat as necessary until the stain disappears
If you don’t have any enzyme-based cleaners, general stain removers like Resolve and Rocco & Roxie also work well on poop and urine stains on the mattress.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is my preferred stain remover for mattresses because it quickly oxidizes soil marks and brightens the cover. Apply a small amount to the stain, and let it sit for a few minutes before blotting it with paper towels or a cloth. Repeat as needed until the stain lifts.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Dish Soap Spray
For more stain-busting power, mix a drop of dish liquid and 1–2 tablespoons of baking soda per cup of peroxide to make a DIY cleaner spray. Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle, shake well to combine, and apply to the stain. Let the solution sit for 15–30 minutes before blotting with a clean cloth.
Tip: If you use a spray bottle, try not to mix more cleaner than you need. Light is one of the many factors that can quickly decompose hydrogen peroxide, so storing it in a clear container will render it useless within several days.
White Vinegar
Though not as effective at lifting stains, vinegar works on light marks and deodorizes well. Spray it on the stain, blot, and repeat as necessary. The vinegar smell dissipates as it evaporates, taking the poop smell with it.
Memory Foam Mattress: Remove and Wash the Cover
If you have a memory foam mattress, you may be able to skip the repetitive spot cleaning by unzipping and washing the top layer in the washing machine! I’ve done this with my kid’s mattress several times and saved myself tons of time and effort. Only use cold water and air dry the cover to avoid shrinking/warping it and making it impossible to put back on.
Warning! Always check mattress tags for instructions before removing the outer shell. Some mattresses, like Zinus memory foam beds, use fiberglass inside the cover for fire retardancy. If you remove the outer shell, you’ll expose the shards, which can spread around the room and create an entirely new issue.
Step 4: Sprinkle Baking Soda
Sprinkling baking soda deodorizes and sucks up excess moisture to dry the mattress faster and prevent mold. I’ve also found it helps prevent a new water stain from forming if there was any unseen soil I may have missed. Let the baking soda sit for a few hours before vacuuming it.
Tip: If you’re all out, sprinkle a baking soda alternative like corn starch, salt, or kitty litter over the affected areas to pull up moisture.
Step 5: Air Dry the Mattress
Air movement can hasten the drying process and prevent mold or mildew. Here are a few ways to speed things along:
- Open windows and turn on ceiling fans to circulate the air
- Set a fan over the poop-stained area
- Position the mattress stain under direct, unfiltered sunlight for added stain removal and sanitizing
- Set up a dehumidifier near the stained section
Don’t apply heat with a hair dryer, as this could set any remaining poop stains. Be patient. Drying can sometimes take an entire day, and you don’t want to prematurely toss a cover back on before all the moisture has evaporated.
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Pro Tips on How to Get Poop Stains Out of Baby Clothes
How Do You Get Permanent Poop Stains Out?
Old, stubborn poop stains in mattresses typically come out with several applications of an enzyme-based cleaner or a DIY hydrogen peroxide cleaning solution. You can also try a steam cleaner (I recommend Dupray’s Neat Steam Cleaner), but double-check your mattress manual to ensure it won’t harm the material. No matter the mattress type, avoid harsh chemicals like bleach that can degrade the inner layers.
Tips for Preventing Poop Stains
Poop stains can happen for numerous reasons, from food poisoning to ostomy bag blowouts to night-time infant accidents. No mattress is 100% safe from poop stains. If you’re dealing with one right now, that’s enough incentive to purchase a mattress protector as soon as possible.
Keep a couple of mattress protectors handy for each bed, so there’s always a fresh one while the other is in the laundry. A vinyl bed cover is an excellent option for beds that see frequent staining. You can easily remove fecal stains and soil on these mattress skins by wiping them down with mild soapy water.
FAQ
How Do You Get Poop Stain Out of a Mattress Topper?
To eliminate fecal stains from a mattress topper, utilize an enzyme-based cleaner or a homemade hydrogen peroxide solution. Ensure the cleaner is given sufficient time to act, and reapply as necessary.
How Do You Get Pee and Poop Smell Out of a Mattress?
To remove urine and fecal odors from a mattress, apply an enzyme cleaner. Alternatively, sprinkle baking soda on the affected area and let it sit for a few hours, or use a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar. Add essential oils to the vinegar solution for a pleasant fragrance.
What Causes Yellow Brown Stains on Mattress?
Yellow and brown stains on mattresses are typically caused by the accumulation of body oils and sweat secreted during sleep. Using a high-quality mattress protector can help prevent these stains.
How Do You Get Yellow Stains Out of a Memory Foam Mattress?
To remove yellow stains from a memory foam mattress, apply hydrogen peroxide for effective results. Alternatively, use an enzyme cleaner for sweat and body oils. After applying a liquid cleaner, sprinkle baking soda to absorb moisture.
