How To Remove Poop Stains From A Mattress

Accidents happen. Sometimes accidents happen on the bed.

Mattresses are not always the most straightforward furniture to clean and can cause issues with cleaning and drying effectively.

The good news is that I’ve been where you are and can help.

I had the same problem and did some research to find out how to remove poop stains from a mattress.

If you are in this predicament, follow along below to learn how to get poop stains out of a mattress.

What You’ll Need

And that’s all you will need to successfully remove poop stains from your mattress.

Continue reading below for step-by-step instructions followed by a video explaining the process.

1. Create Cleaning Solution

First, take your spray bottle, be sure that the straw in the bottle is of thicker type. Using a thicker straw will allow for any clumps of baking soda to travel through more efficiently.

Pour about one cup of hydrogen peroxide into the spray bottle, one drop of dishwashing soap, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda.

Very rarely will you need the three tablespoons of baking soda.

Three tablespoons should only be used when you have an extra-large stained area because, as you will see in the video below, you will have pockets of baking soda residue left over after it dries if you use too much.

Swirl the bottle to help mix the solution.

Please do not mix the solution as it will cause the dishwashing soap to bubble and suds up.

2. Spray The Solution On Poop Stain

With your filled spray bottle, spray the poop stains.

Between sprays, swirl the bottle to keep the mixture well mixed.

If the spray bottle gets clogged due to the baking soda not dissolving well enough, take the spray top off and carefully pour the solution onto the poop stain.

Do not pour out too much, as you do not want to over-soak and wet the mattress as it can be challenging to dry mattresses.

3. Rub The Solution Into The Poop Stain

Using a clean cloth, rub the solution into the poop stain.

Doing this will help to lift the stain from the mattress.

Be sure to rinse the cloth frequently to avoid returning the poop stain to the mattress.

4. Wait For 30 Minutes

After spraying and rubbing in the solution onto the poop stain, wait for about 30 minutes or more, depending on the extent of the poop stain.

During this time, the cleaning solution should be lifting away the poop stain and disinfecting the mattress.

5. Brush Off The Remaining Baking Soda

Once the 30 minutes is up, the solution and mattress should be mostly dry.

Depending on how well the baking soda has dissolved into the solution, you may have some baking soda remaining on the mattress.

You can brush off or vacuum off the remaining baking soda.

6. Repeat The Process (If Necessary)

If you have a particularly stubborn poop stain, the stain is older, or the stain is more significant, you may need to repeat the steps.

When repeating the steps, you may want to use more of the solution on the poop stains to more aggressively address the poop stains.

Video Instructions

Although this video states that this process works with sweat and urine, it will also work with poop stains.

Step 1 (1:54) — Create cleaning solution
Step 2 (2:40) — Spray solution on stain
Step 3 (2:54) — Rub the solution into the stain
Step 4 (4:34) — Wait for 30 minutes
Step 5 (5:41) — Brush off the remaining baking soda

FAQ

What Does Each Ingredient Do?

Each of these ingredients does its own thing to help remove the poop stain from a mattress.

Baking soda helps to address the discolorations and the odor, and it will work to remove the stain by nature of its abrasive attributes.

In addition, the baking soda sitting on the poop stain will help remove any odor from the mattress.

The hydrogen peroxide works to disinfect the mattress, and the hydrogen peroxide also dulls the stains using the mild bleach properties.

The dishwashing soap helps to lift the stain from the mattress.

The surfactants in the soap make it very good at removing stains.

Can I Use White Vinegar To Clean Poop Stains Off My Mattress?

Yes, white vinegar is another option to remove poop stains off of mattresses.

You will want to create a mixture of water and white vinegar and then blot the poop stain on the mattress with a clean cloth.

This should begin to remove the stain from the mattress.

The white vinegar will also help to deodorize the poop stain on the mattress.

The vinegar smell will dissipate once it has dried.

Do not mix the white vinegar with the baking soda as the reaction will not necessarily do anything helpful and will reduce the potency of each cleaning material.

How Do I Keep My Mattress Clean?

Sometimes, when taking off the sheets or moving, you might get horrified by the stains that your mattress is much dirtier than you previously thought.

You will want to keep your mattress clean so that if there are poop stains, those are the only ones you need to address when you are cleaning your mattress.

To keep it clean, you should vacuum it to remove any skin cells and dust that have settled on the mattress.

Doing this should be done every time you remove your sheets.

Spot treat any stains with the steps above.

Then you will want to keep it smelling fresh by sprinkling baking soda and even some essential oils onto the mattress.

Leave it for a time, and then vacuum up the baking soda.

This process keeps your mattress clean and makes it easier to clean up any poop stains that might come up along the way.

Will Enzyme Cleaners Remove Stains?

Some people have found success with using enzyme cleaners to remove poop stains.

These are often used to help remove stains but also to remove odors.

The enzymes in these cleaners help to break down stains.

If using this on a mattress, do not spray or apply too much.

It will be difficult to remove the excess cleaner off of the mattress.

If you decide to go this route, I recommend using Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator.

It’s an Amazon best-seller and gets excellent reviews.

How Can I Avoid Poop Stains On My Mattress?

You will want to make sure that you act quickly and remove any of the poop-stained bedding if an accident has happened.

Doing this will help to make sure that none of the poop reaches the mattress.

If this is a problem that keeps happening with your children or even pets, consider getting a plastic cover for the mattress.

This will help to keep your mattress safe from possible poop stains.