How can I disinfect a matttress

[redsquash]

What can i do to sanitise/disinfect several mattresses?

They have been in storage for 10 years with no doubt various insects and pests, mouse droppings and whatever affecting them.

I thought of spraying them with vinegar and exposing to sunlight but is there something more effective which wont damage the mattress covering.

I have a very tight time constraint so I would like to be prepared prior to viewing

 

[Lamingtons]

There are cleaners that would come out to clean mattresses. The same ones as carpet dry cleaners.
If you call a few in your area and get a few quotes I'm sure that they will come out the same day or next. I am not sure how much they are as I have not used their services before. I think if this is for someone to sleep on, best to have a specialised clean and not just airing.

 

[Pushka]

I think I would be buying a new one actually. 10 years and everything starts to perish, let alone the mouse droppings and stuff.

 

[fokas]

They have been in storage for 10 years with no doubt various insects and pests, mouse droppings and whatever affecting them.

You're kidding right?

That's rather disgusting.

It would be much easier (and quicker!) to go to a place such as Fantastic Furniture and buy some new ones.

 

[wylie]

I would buy new ones too .

 

[Nathan]

disgusting....

 

[Jacque]

Sorry but the mouse droppings got me.... lash out and do yourself a favour with a new one. After all, you spend 1/3 of your life on them!!

 

[Hoffy]

I vote for new ones.

 

[LearningMan]

I'd buy a new one (even it means going to IKEA !).

 

[Propertunity]

What can i do to sanitise/disinfect several mattresses?They have been in storage for 10 years with no doubt various insects and pests, mouse droppings and whatever affecting them.

Fire is a good disinfectant......burn them.

 

[Bradsdad]

Unless they were sealed in heavy plastic I'd be turfing them. If open to the elements there'd be no way I'd sleep on them (unless of course you didn't tell me )

If you have a dog he/she may appreciate them until your hard rubbish collection is due.

 

[Nathan]

id sleep on my front lawn before i slept on a dirty shitty bed

 

[yorke]

Fire is a good disinfectant......burn them.

I'll second that, and if you don't like your neighbors do it in the backyard.
After 10+years the foam is falling apart and probably so do the strings holding the springs together.

 

[Gee Cee]

Where were they stored?

 

[Gee Cee]

I stored a mattress in the back of my panel van for 10 yrs,
It was only there to stop the drummy noise that panel vans get whilst driving

 

[RumpledElf]

When I bought my house it came with about 10 mattresses ... I really don't want to know why so many. They were ... uh ... dirty. So much for having them removed as part of the settlement conditions ...

You do realise mice have proabably eaten their way into the mattresses and made nice little homes in there, and you're probably going to deprive several generations of mice of accommodation?

 

[kph]

Heres a solution...
Spray with petrol...... add a match and WOOF!!!
Mattress problem solved. Otherwise just take them to the tip.

Certain things have a use by date and mattresses are one of them.
Pillows are another.

 

[Gatoblanco]

This weekend I remembered this thread after I revived a mattress.

I needed a mattress to rent a room as furnished. Had a real dodgy one available.

I put straight bleach into a spray bottle and sprayed it all over about 3 times.

Then put the mattress in a small room with the heater on to dry it out.

The bleach nuked all the stains and it came up sweet. Kind of made the fabric a bit brittle as I bleached it hard-out but it got it looking ok and looks are pretty important to tenants/boarders in my experience.

I was actually pretty happy because I dont have a car so getting a mattress is a bit of a drag.

Another idea is to get a $5 mattress protector they are basically a plastic sheet for a few bucks more you can get one that is still plastic and waterproof but has some fluffiness for comfort. I reckon they are bad to sleep on because they dont breathe but it will quarantine the mattress.