When it comes to kids' mattresses, stains are just a fact of life. From wetting the bed to spilled drinks and more, there's a stain for just about every step of your child's daily routine.

Mattress fabric has a tendency to hold on to stains, so getting urine out of a mattress can be difficult, but it's not impossible. Household products like dish soap and distilled white vinegar are popular options for removing urine stains, but they won't help much when it comes to an all-around deep clean and rinsing them out of mattress fabric can be difficult.

A couple of tablespoons of baking soda mixed with water is often recommended as a surefire way to get urine smells out of a mattress 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 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.

Whether you're dealing with a pillow top, innerspring, or memory foam mattress, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner* can be used to spot clean pee stains, deep clean, and deodorize. The powerful cleaner and deodorizer can even be used in a carpet cleaning machine to get urine stains out of a mattress. The machine's extraction ability is particularly helpful. If you don't own one, these can be rented from your local hardware store.

Before you begin cleaning your mattress, be sure to check the warranty for best practices and to prevent voiding your coverage. When in doubt about a surface, always spot test on a hidden area first.

Directions for Cleaning Urine from a Mattress:

Spot Cleaning

1. Prepare the affected areas. Remove any solids and absorb any liquid with paper towels.
2. Mix your Simple Green solution. Mix 1 oz. of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner per 1 cup of water (a 1:8 ratio) in an empty spray bottle.
3. Lightly spray the solution onto the stains. Do not oversaturate the mattress, as this can lead to mold or mildew growth. Allow 1-2 minutes for the solution to penetrate the soils without letting it dry.
4. Blot. Gently rub and blot with a paper towel or absorbent cloth.
5. Dry. Allow the spots to air dry completely before putting sheets and blankets back on the mattress.

Carpet Cleaning Machine

1. Prepare your carpet cleaning machine. Mix a 1:8 ratio (1 ounce of cleaner for every 1 cup of water) of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner and water to fill your machine's detergent reservoir. For carpet cleaning machines without a detergent reservoir, mix a 1:10 ratio (1 ounce of cleaner for every 1 ½ cups of water) of Simple Green to water in the onboard solution tank.
2. Apply the cleaning solution. Apply to the mattress in sections using the hand attachment on the carpet cleaning machine, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Do not oversaturate the mattress, as this can lead to mold or mildew growth.
3. Scrub, if necessary. Agitate the stained area(s) by gently brushing with a soft nylon brush.
4. Extract. Extract with the machine's hand attachment and clean water. If necessary, add a small amount of white vinegar to reduce foaming in the recovery tank.
5. Dry. Allow the area to air dry completely before putting sheets and blankets back on the mattress.

TIP: Vacuum your mattress regularly to prevent dust build-up, and flip & rotate your mattress every three months to help it wear more evenly.

TIP: Use a mattress protector to not only prevent stains but keep bed bugs and dust off of your mattress.

TIP: If you're looking to remove pet urine odors and stains, click here.