The Shocking Discovery

I was shocked when I removed the “waterproof” layer from my son’s bed to find a large urine stain. I was using a tarp as a temporary mattress protector and didn’t change it for a waterproof cover in time. I only discovered that it wasn’t effective after several bed wettings. FYI don’t use a tarp to protect a mattress, even if it’s temporary. A tarp will not protect the mattress against urine or spills.

So, after the most recent bed wetting, and peeling back the tarp, I saw what appeared to be multiple urine stains that were juxtaposed over one another. My jaw dropped, as this was a new natural latex mattress that I was trying to keep looking as new as possible. The moral of the story: never trust a blue tarp to protect your expensive mattress.

I learned this the hard way. And now it was time to find a solution.

The Peroxide Based Urine Stain Remover

*Disclaimer: use this cleaning solution recipe at your own risk. Although my mattress did not suffer any damage or discolouration, I cannot guarantee that your mattress or other items will won’t be discoloured or damaged after the application of the solution. If in doubt, test the cleaning solution on a small inconspicuous area and wait 4 to 6 hours to see the results. 

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Pour 1 cup of peroxide into the spray bottle. Pour in a few drops of laundry detergent. Pour the laundry detergent on a spoon first so that you don’t add too much.
  2. Spray the affected area by using the spray bottle. Go over the same area a few times to ensure that the affected area has been thoroughly sprayed. You don’t want to have to repeat the entire process if you missed a spot.
  3. Sprinkle the baking soda over the affected area. Sprinkle the baking soda by hand if it has clumped together.
  4. Work the baking soda into the mattress by hand. This will ensure that it does not just stay on the surface.
  5. Let the solution soak into the mattress for about 5-6 hours or alternatively, leave it overnight.
  6. Vacuum the surface of the mattress. I used a Shop-Vac with attachment. The attachment had some long bristles on it which helped get all the baking soda out of the folds of the quilted mattress cover.

The Results

After vacuuming the mattress, I was quite amazed at the results. The stain had completely vanished and there was no detectable smell.

I recommend this cleaning method to anyone who is looking for a low-cost and easy way to remove a urine stain from a mattress. The mattress featured in the video above is a natural latex mattress, so I absolutely wanted to get it back to pristine condition.