The last things you want to cuddle up with at night are stains, dead skin cells and dust mites. What you do on your bed is your business, but stains and bodily fluids like sweat, urine and blood can create or combine with mold and mildew to create an unsightly, smelly surface.

On average, people shed around 1.5 grams of skin every day, which is great news for dust mites, as they feed on dead skin cells. This is not-so-great news for you, as about 10 million dust mites could be making a home out of your mattress, according to the American Council on Science and Health.

Household cleaning products like dish soap and laundry detergent are popular options for spot cleaning, but they won't help much when it comes to an all-around deep clean for your mattress. Baking soda is effective for deodorizing, but vacuuming it up too frequently can ruin your vacuum. The powder is so fine that the particles can clog the pores of your vacuum's bag or HEPA filter, which can drastically reduce suction power. The dust could also seep through your vacuum's filtration system and get sucked into the motor, causing it to seize up and break down.

Rather than spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a new mattress every few years, you can clean and deodorize the mattress you already have with Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner. Whether you're cleaning a memory foam mattress, pillow top or an innerspring, Simple Green has you covered. It can be used for spot cleaning mattress stains and can even be added to a carpet cleaning extraction machine for deep cleaning the entire surface.

Cleaning your mattress once every six months - maybe twice if you have kids or pets - can help reduce allergens in your bedroom and keep your mattress looking new and smelling fresh for years. Even if you manage to keep your mattress in pristine condition, it's recommended that you invest in a new one every 7-10 years to ensure you're sleeping the best you can and relieve body aches and pains.

Directions for Cleaning a Mattress:

1. Remove pillows and bedding. Take off all pillows, blankets and sheets. This is a good time to throw all of your bedding in the wash.
2. Vacuum the mattress. Use your vacuum's upholstery attachment or a handheld vacuum to help remove dust mites, dead skin, hair and other debris from your mattress.
3. Spot clean stains.
1. Many mattress stains will be old, but in the case that they're new, be sure to remove any solids and absorb any liquid on the surface of the mattress with a paper towel.
2. Mix 1 oz. of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner per 1 cup of warm water in an empty spray bottle.
3. Lightly spray the solution onto the stain. Do not oversaturate the mattress, as this can result in residual dampness within the mattress causing mold or mildew growth.
4. Allow 1-2 minutes for the solution to penetrate the soil, without letting it dry.
5. Gently rub and blot with a paper towel or damp cloth. Blot in a circular motion from the outer edges of the stain toward the middle.
4. Wet. Lightly mist the entire mattress with clean water. Again, be careful not to oversaturate.
5. Spray Simple Green solution. Mix 1 oz. of Simple Green with 1 cup of water in an empty spray bottle and lightly spray the mattress in sections.
6. Scrub. Agitate by gently brushing or scrubbing each section with a soft nylon brush.
7. Extract. Extract with your carpet cleaner and clean water. If necessary, add a small amount of white vinegar to reduce foaming in the recovery tank.
8. Air dry. The absolute best place to dry your mattress is outside where it can absorb the fresh air and sunlight. But if you can't haul it down the stairs and out into the backyard, leaving it to dry with a fan and an open window will work too.
9. Make your bed. Put your freshly laundered sheets and blankets back on your clean bed once it's completely dry.