They forgot the 1st step- put on cute dress! Hilarious photo.

wait, so you're sleeping on top of the baking soda?

I have a memory foam mattress. The foam itself is covered with a fabric pad of a sort, but i bought one of those protective mattress pads that keep moisture and stains off.
I guess it works well but I've never taken it off in the six months I've owned the mattress. Could these tricks work on memory foam? Would I apply directly to the foam or the fabric pad the covers it?
Anyone have tips?

Is it bad that I thought my "rotate, vacuum and Febreze" method a couple of weeks ago was a big deal?
I was out of town, so I left my bed naked and bathed in sunlight for the weekend. Worked great.

I have a waterproof mattress protector--our mattress looks brand new because of it.

This is really more "freshening" your bed than actually cleaning it. It's still going to be full of dust mites and dirt and whatnot that's not just on the surface.

@ck8g0 -- I've got a memory-foam mattress too, and when I got it years ago was advised against using a traditional mattress pad on it because having any kind of thick or stif fabric on it would detract from the molding ability of the foam (which I guess is why the cover the mattress comes with is thin terry-cloth like material). Do you know if they're making a water/stain resistant pad for use with tempur/memory foam mattresses now?

I Febreeze it everytime I change the sheets. I know its not really clean but it gives me comfort that I did something rather than nothing.

What if you don't have a mattress cover? (I'm pretty sure I don't have one). I think I may first employ bodicegoddess's mattress cleaning method...which is more than I'm doing now (aka nothing at all) =p

@whistlerpotpoie maybe I'm confused by your comment, but why does Violet have to be 8 or under? It doesn't sound (to me at least) like a kid wrote it haha

Violet may also live somewhere like NYC where the risk of the B-word requires a little extra protection. It's a necessary evil for a lot of us here.

In case of bedwetting!! But other things happen too.

she's implying that only people of 8 years of age and under would need a waterproof mattress cover - not accounting for drink spillage in bed or potential pet accidents, not to mention if your children crawl into bed with you and are still of bed wetting age...

whistlerpotpoie - please be age 8 or under.

Totally unnecessary advice. Not "real simple" at all. Washing a mattress protector and mattress pad is sufficient.

A mattress protector is not a sheet of thick plastic for kids who wet the bed.

I got a really thin fabric one that causes spills to bead up when I got my mattress. Ok, the mattress salesman, who told me that the mattress warranty wouldn't be good unless I used one, was clearly scamming me to buy an extra product (because I'm sure they can't resell mattresses in the state I bought it in anyway if I did return it, which I knew I wasn't going to do) - but I got it anyway, because stains on mattresses are gross.

So, the thin mattress protector is under my quilted cotton mattress pad. It works, and I totally forget it is there - you can't feel it.

Also, dryer sheets under you while you sleep? Horrible, horrible advice. The chemicals in those things are so toxic, don't be surprised if you start developing athsma or other respiratory problems.

But I'm one of those ones who can't stand being near dryer sheets even in the laundry room, I'm so allergic to the chemicals. But it isn't really an allergy - those of us who notice toxic chemicals are the canaries the coalmine - we just notice the toxic chemicals in them earlier, but they harm us all. (Though I don't really know what that fabric is that makes the mattress protector water resistant - I suppose it may not be good for us, either. But at least it keeps my mattress dry, so it doesn't grow mold like some do.)

How does a waterproof cover protect against bedbugs? Just curious...have not heard this before.

Am I the only one who read that you vacuum the backing powder and remove the dryer sheets before remaking the bed?

Sorry - I understand now - if it zips all the way closed.

I tried a waterproof mattress cover and hated it. It leaves you feeling sticky and a little sweaty because it doesn't breathe. Terrible for summertime.

But I also don't like the idea of sleeping on baking soda. Maybe I'll sprinkle it when I'm gone for a weekend and vacuum it when I get back.

Whenever I get my rugs steam cleaned (that's not a euphemism for anything!), I also have my mattresses done. I don't actually know if it deep cleans down to dustmiteville, but works pretty well.

Mattresses freak me out, honestly. I didn't sleep on one since the age of 12 (slept on tatami with some blankets in between, covered by a mattress protector, covered by sheets) except for college (and even then there was the year in japan with the futon). Now have a proper tatami platform bed with a washable "futon" from muji—I just like the idea of being able to wash out any sweat/other fluids, bodily or otherwise, out of my sleeping platform. Also much easier to transport than a huge mattress (am at that stage of life where I change apartments often....)

I put a quilt ontop of my mattress and on top I put a mattress pad + sheets. I feel better about washing the quilt and keeping my mattress cleaner.

Here we go again with compulsive cleaning claptrap. Begbugs, 'wet accidents' and other such yuckiness aside, just washing the matress pad and sheets regularly is more than enough!

I'm sure once I have a brand new mattress (my next big purchase after the tires I ordered yesterday!), I'll take better care of it. Much, much better care of it.
There's a part of me that has my heart set on a wool mattress pad/cover because I hear it's cooler. Sounds counterintuitive, but I believe it. I'll have to look in to it.

I purchased a mattress protector recently when I purchased my new bed. The bed was an expensive investment, so I thought a little more to protect it was sound. The new ones not only protect against bed mites, but also against spills. I know that some kind of plastic is in it just by the feel, but they're breatheable and don't have the platicky feel/sound and heat retention that I would've expected. You would have no idea you're sleeping on one unless you lifted up the fitted sheet. I'm thankful I have it because recently, one of our adopted cats decided the bed would be a great place to use as a litterbox. The comforter and sheets were soaked through, but the mattress was in pristine condition because of the mattress protector.

Adding chemicals to something, whether Febreeze or dryer sheets, is not cleaning! Eeek! Adding chemicals to the bed? What next!!

Diatomaceous earth.

@ whistlerpotpoie....I think your comment was hilarious!

i can't wait to get a new mattress, though i don't know when it will be. the new mattress protector icarus mentioned sounds cool. i would buy it when i get a new mattress. i have an old mattress without a protector right now. just a fitted sheet. it will be a great upgrade.

Case in point that almost everything that comes from Real Simple is not real simple.

I can't stand to sleep on a mattress that doesn't have a mattress pad. I feel the mattress material through the sheets and it's not pleasant.

fwiw, bedcovers won't do squat for bedbugs. Contrary to strangely popular belief, they don't live in beds.

Might keep the bug poo off em though if you like having the buggers around!

I don't have a matress protector like Violet, spilled red wine during a date that ended badly and now my mattress looks like a murder scene. Baking soda is so not gonna cut it. I'm down with the poster who has a tatami and futon. A washable futon is way easier to deal with.

Okay, it amazes me how some people are responding to Violet about having a waterproof mattress pad. Over the years they have advance and are no long a fitted piece of plastic. They look and feel just like a normal mattress pad, but they are waterproof and most have a cotton sateen top on them. They are great if you have girls that are in there teen years, where they are becoming a woman. So before you hate on others make sure you educate yourself.

don't be coy, say period, and blood...

I went for the putting our futon (& cotton cover) into the sun & fresh air. But there's more of that easily available in Oz

I'm with iDesign19, my waterproof mattress pad is not plastic-y at all. Personally, after all the people in the sheet-changing thread talked about how their sheets get sweaty, I don't understand why anyone would be against keeping that from reaching your mattress. Plus, no matter what whistlerpotpoie may think, things that are only legal for people over 18 can get pretty wet, too.

I'm much older than 8...
It's not plasticky at all--feels like cloth on top. We have a cat that has peed on our bed in the past. And a dog who pees if you look at her the wrong way. And I sweat a lot.

Some of us have feather / faux feather beds on top of our matresses which are washable. That way you can even use an old fashioned waterproof mattress cover ;) and you have a good 2-3 inches between you and the mattress. And besides that, it is dreamy to sleep on (no it isn't hot).

@Melle, so where do the bed bugs live, and why do you only see them on the mattress?

yeah, melle, that's in no way true. a bedbug will live wherever it can live that's close enough to your blood- mattress, bedframe, bedside table, floorboards, dresser, baseboards, switch plate cover, light fixture, books, alarm clock, couch... trust me. i've lived through that hell.

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cleaning memory foam mattress is too much tricky... thanks for help.