How to Fumigate a Mattress
Dust, dust mites, bed bugs and debris like dead skin cells can collect on a mattress. Fumigation of a mattress will remove all foreign materials and bugs from a mattress. Dust mites cause many homeowners to have extreme allergies and need removing from their bedding.
A routine cleaning every 3 months of a mattress including vacuuming, steaming and killing pests will keep bedding free of allergens and pests.
Things You Will Need
- Vacuum cleaner with attachments
- Hand held steam cleaner
- Borax
- Water
- Bucket
- Spray bottle
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Remove all bedding from the mattress and wash them in hot water immediately.
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Vacuum the mattress with a vacuum cleaner using the crevice attachment. Start at one corner of the mattress and work in a two-foot section across to the other side. Continue vacuuming until the entire mattress is clean. Flip the mattress over and clean the other side in the same manner. Clean around all four sides with the vacuum.
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Use a steam cleaner to clean deep into the mattress fibers. Steam the entire mattress on both sides and on the edges by cleaning edge to edge in two-foot sections.
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Mix ½ cup of Borax in a gallon of water in a bucket. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray the mattress on both sides and the edges until the entire mattress is damp.
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Take the mattress outside and lean it against the house or a garage wall in the sun. Let the mattress dry completely.
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Replace the mattress on the bed and make the bed with fresh bedding.
Tip
To remove all traces of bed bugs, fleas, and debris make certain to treat the edges of the mattress around the seams on the top and bottom. Pests tend to migrate to indentions on a mattress. Pay special attention to the areas of buttons and seams on a mattress when they are concave so that all cleaning penetrates deeper in these areas.
Warning
Do not use pesticides on bedding as they can cause trouble breathing for infants, the elderly, asthmatics and even healthy humans.
The Drip Cap
- Dust, dust mites, bed bugs and debris like dead skin cells can collect on a mattress.
- A routine cleaning every 3 months of a mattress including vacuuming, steaming and killing pests will keep bedding free of allergens and pests.
- Flip the mattress over and clean the other side in the same manner.
- Use a steam cleaner to clean deep into the mattress fibers.
References
Writer Bio
Mary Lougee has been writing for over 10 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree with a major in Management and a double minor in accounting and computer science. She loves writing about careers for busy families as well as family oriented planning, meals and activities for all ages.
Photo Credits
- le pied image by Richard villalon from Fotolia.com
- le pied image by Richard villalon from Fotolia.com
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