How to Get Poop out of Mattress. Tested Method that Works

Searching for the best way to get poop stains from a mattress? If you go online and look up on YouTube or anywhere else, you will find many different suggestions. Still, the most crucial question is: which one works? That’s what we tested. And we found there’s a HUGE difference in how well they work. We wanted to find the best way.

Because when it comes right down to it, poop isn’t sanitary, and it looks awful too. You want to clean it up immediately. You don’t want to mess around with anything that doesn’t work. Whether it’s a baby blowout or diarrhea – whatever it is – you need to clean it off your mattress. And we’ll talk about what to do after you clean your mattress to prevent having to do this again.

How to Remove Poop stains from mattress

Let’s get into the science of cleaning. We took eight samples of poop, compliments of Diana’s 7-month-old son. And we put poop samples and smeared them on 8 different spots on an old mattress. And then we tried all things suggested on the Internet, and here are the results.

Cleaning Solution	Result
Enzyme Cleaner	Brown spots are still visible
Kirbi Spot Treatment	Brown spots are still visible
Oxy Clean	Brown spots are still visible
Ammonia	Brown spots are still visible
Hot Vinegar	Brown spots are still visible
Temperature Vinegar	Removed brown stains
Bleach	Removed brown stains but bleached the sample area
Hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid dishwashing detergent solution	Removed brown stains

Safety tips: It is best to put on disposable gloves to protect your hands from damage caused by cleaning supplies. And also, mixing chemicals may emit hazardous gases. An example is the combination of ammonia and bleach can cause mustard gas. So always make sure to do the cleaning in a well-ventilated area.

Among the 8 cleaning solutions, only 3 removed the stains. First, the room-temperature vinegar did an excellent job cleaning the spot. But we question how sanitizing vinegar is. We haven’t been able to find a lot of data on how much bacteria it can kill.

Second, when we used bleach, the stain disappeared, and it got rid of bacteria, but it bleached out the color a little bit. We recommend using bleach for white mattresses. But if your mattress isn’t pure white, we would steer away from the bleach because you will have some discoloration or bleached-out spots.

And lastly, our winning cleaning solution is the hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid dishwashing solution. With the help of Hydrogen Peroxide, which is an antiseptic cleaner, the solution perfectly removed the stain and disinfected the test area. And we recommend that you use it to remove poop stains from the mattress in the future.

When you’re done cleaning the poop from the mattress, get a waterproof mattress protector like this one. We’ve tested it too. It works and is of higher quality. I know the lower-cost ones tempt you, but you don’t want to get one that has cheap material that will fall apart. You need one that will protect your mattress for years.

Mattress protector tip – buy 2 mattress protectors and put them on the bed. Then if one is being washed, you’ll have a backup. We can’t tell you how many times people start washing their mattress protectors and fall asleep before getting it back on. It’s a job! And if you’re tired, it’s very tempting to skip it until morning. But then that’s when the baby, toddler, or someone stains the mattress, and you have a big job getting it cleaned again.

It’s best to dry a mattress protector on low heat or air dry (meaning it will take longer). Heat can ruin the waterproof coating. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Learn More Mattress Cleaning Tips

And after spraying the solution on your mattress, let it dry. Finally, it’s important to vacuum it up because residual baking soda will be left. Just put the mattress flat on the ground and vacuum across it. Alternatively, use a broom or a towel to remove as much residue as possible. Be aware that too much baking soda can clog a vacuum cleaner, so don’t overdo it or sweep off as much as you can first. And then clean out your filter.

Recipe for the best poop-cleaning solution

Diana showing an industrial spray bottle

Here are the things you need how to get poop stains off the mattress:

8 oz hydrogen peroxide 3%
1-2 drops of liquid dishwashing liquid like Dawn
2 tbsp baking soda solution

When preparing the mixture, mix it up well, and do not let the baking soda settle on the bottom, as it will also cause a clog. I also recommend using a good-quality industrial spray bottle because they usually have a removable filter. Every once in a while, rinse the filter through warm water to unclog it and keep it working.

And also, you may want to watch our YouTube playlist on cleaning mattresses. We even have a video on how to move a mattress. It’s been a big lifesaver for so many people.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section.