3 Ways to Give Your Bed a Much-Needed Spring Refresh

With Spring Cleaning for Your Mood, we’re helping you get your housekeeping done no matter what state of mind you’re in. For 20 weekdays in April, we’ll focus on cleaning a new area of your space, with three different ways to get it done—so it’s easy to stay on track even when you’re busy, tired, or away from home. Sign up with your email now and enjoy a better space by the end of the month.

If there was a hotspot diagram of where you spend the most time at home, there would be an enormous, pulsating red dot above your bed. You’ll spend a third of your life sleeping, so this space ought to be loved and cared for more than anything at home.

I’m assuming your bed frame and headboard are in good shape, so we’re just focusing on the mattress and linens today. But if you need to vacuum, wipe down, spot-treat or repair any part of the actual furniture part of your bed, feel free to tackle that today, too.

So what are you in the mood for today?

Give your bed all the love today:

• Start by washing all the linens—the ones you wash routinely and the things that only get infrequent attention, like your mattress pad, if it’s machine-washable. Don’t forget about washing your pillows and comforters—they’re machine-washable, too. If you change up your bedsheets seasonally, now is a great time to put the winter stock away and get your spring linens out.
• Clean the mattress. Start with a quick pass with a vacuum. Then spot-treat any stains as needed by blotting with a rag and stain remover. You can also use this chance to give your mattress a sniff test: If there’s an odor you’d like to eliminate, sprinkle a light layer of baking soda over the top of the mattress and let it sit for a few hours before vacuuming it up.
• Flip or rotate the mattress. Many modern mattresses are made in a “this side up” construction; if that’s the case for you, you’ll just want to turn it around so the now-head is at the foot and the now-foot at the head.
• Make the bed. Take your laundered linens and re-make your bed so it’s crisp and clean when it’s time to sleep.

If you need some motivation to keep you on the thorough track, just think about how great it’s going to feel jumping into your ultra-clean bed tonight.

If you have time for one load of laundry, make it an impactful one by checking this deep cleaning task off your list: Wash your pillows and comforters in the washing machine. You’ll want to check the care label to confirm that your pillow and comforter (down or synthetic) can be machine washed—most can be. You’ll want to make sure you don’t over-pack the load (pillows are great to wash two at a time), and don’t use too much laundry detergent—a little bit will go a long way. In the dryer, skip the fabric softener and opt for dryer balls or tennis balls instead (or just lay your things flat to dry!).

Mattresses are expensive, so you’ll want to do all you can to make yours last longer. A regular rotating or flipping routine is going to help make sure that your mattress wears evenly—plus it gives you a natural opportunity to examine your bed for smells or stains. Basically, it’s a smart habit to get into.

If you don’t have time to get to it today, you can set yourself up to make it a habit in the future by pinning a reminder to the ends of your mattress with a small piece of paper and a safety pin. On the foot of the bed, write “spring/summer,” and at the head, “fall/winter.” The next time you wash the sheets, you should take note of the reminder and, if the paper doesn’t match the season you’re in, take a second to rotate.

Visit the Spring Cleaning for Your Mood page to check out all the assignments so far. Download the PDF calendar so you always know what’s coming. And sign up with your email so you’re always on track: