Got a mattress topper that was peed on? Maybe you or your loved one has enuresis (bedwetting), and you’re wondering how to deal with an unsightly yellow stain and unpleasant odour.

According to a study, 25% of children and 1%-2% of adults worldwide suffer from enuresis. So getting a mattress peed on can be prevalent.

Nonetheless, a urine-soaked mattress topper is not a good place to sleep and rest, so how do you deal with it?

Apart from that yellow stain and that notoriously bad smell, urine contains bacteria and ammonia, making breathing difficult, especially for people with asthma.

But don’t worry because we will cover how to clean a mattress topper that was peed on. If you have a specific stain, then check out our blood stain removal, and puke stain removal guides.

So, to make your mattress topper look, smell, and feel like new, continue reading below as we cover the tricks to clean your mattress topper properly.

Materials Needed

Before we teach you how to clean a mattress topper that was peed on, gather these essential cleaning tools and materials first. These items are readily available either in your kitchen or your market:

• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• Spray bottle
• Cloth or paper towels
• Tap water
• A vacuum cleaner with a brush (fabric attachment)
• Dish soap (optional)
• Apple cider vinegar (optional)
• Fan (for drying)

How to Clean Mattress Topper That Was Peed On?

Cleaning a mattress topper peed on is a task we hope to make pretty easy.

To properly clean your mattress topper, block out several hours of your time:

• an hour for the actual cleaning
• overnight for drying

How Do You Get Pee Out of A Mattress Topper?

To get pee out of your mattress topper, follow these steps thoroughly:

Additional Step: If the smell and stain are still there or the urine has completely dried, you can use pure white vinegar in step 1 for more cleaning power.

Why Urine Smells?

Urine is a byproduct of our bodies. The glass of water you drank hours ago is urine now. It is the same for the soda, coffee, milk, tea, or wine you’ve previously consumed—all go to our kidneys to be processed and turned into urine.

Urine smells primarily come from its ammonia content. How strong the urine odour depends on what you eat and drink. Because of the waste products our urine carries, our urine smells.

Yellow staining, on the other hand, is because of the urine’s tint, which can be pale yellow, yellow, bright yellow, and even orange.

Can You Wash a Mattress Topper?

It depends on the type of mattress topper. You can wash certain types of mattress toppers with a washing machine or dry cleaning machine, but there are also certain types you shouldn’t wash using a machine.

Cleaning down and feather mattress toppers and wool mattress toppers are machine-washable. You can be confident you wouldn’t face any problems washing them afterwards since they’re lightweight and easy to fold, just like a regular blanket.

You shouldn’t be washing mattress toppers made with most foams, such as memory foam or latex. Forcibly folding them to fit the machine will decrease a memory foam mattress toppers lifespan. The absorption of too many liquids can reduce the foam’s structural integrity.

Does Vinegar Remove Odour?

Yes, vinegar does remove odour. Acetic acid, the primary component of vinegar, binds to odour-emitting molecules so it can neutralise the smell.

There are many types of vinegar if you want to clean your mattress topper efficiently. Although, stick to using white vinegar as it has the highest concentration of acetic acid compared to other vinegar types.

The acetic acid in vinegar disinfects efficiently and has antimicrobial properties. This is probably why many households use vinegar as a homemade disinfectant and fabric spray.

And if you wonder how long it will take for vinegar to neutralise foul odour, it can take several minutes up to an hour. It depends on how long you let it rest, but rest assured that the vinegar will start removing the bad odour when you apply it to the urine stain.

How to Clean Mattress Topper Without Vinegar?

Suppose you run out of vinegar in your kitchen cabinets and are far away from a local market. How will you clean your urine-soaked mattress topper?

It’s simple! As we’ve listed above in the materials section, you can use dish soap to substitute for white vinegar. Here are the steps you can follow:

• Step 1: Gather dish soap and water in a 1:3 ratio (1 part dish soap and 3 parts water). Put it together in a spray bottle and give it a vigorous shake.
• Step 2: If the stained site is still wet, dry it by dabbing a dry cloth or paper towel.
• Step 3: Spray a generous amount of dish soap and water solution on the site. Leave for at least 10 minutes. Repeat this step if necessary.
• Step 4: Pat dry the excess solution with cloth or paper towels and let it dry using an electric fan. You can also let it dry outside in a cool shade.

Additional Steps: If you have baking soda, sprinkle a good amount after step 3, leave for a few hours and vacuum the excess. Dry afterwards.

How to Clean Urine From a Mattress Topper With Apple Cider Vinegar?

Suppose you don’t have white vinegar on your shelves but have ACV or apple cider vinegar. In that case, you can certainly use it as a substitute! Follow these steps to clean your urine-stained mattress topper using ACV:

• Step 1: Gather ACV and water in a 1:1 ratio (you can use pure ACV for dried urine stains). Put them together in a spray bottle and give it a good shake.
• Step 2: If the site is still wet, pat it dry with a cloth or paper towels. You can also use used paper or old newspapers if you’re feeling a bit eco-friendly.
• Step 3: Spray a good amount of the ACV and water solution onto the site. Leave for at least 5 minutes and repeat if needed.
• Step 4: Pat dry the excess solution with a cloth or paper towels (or use paper and newspapers).
• Step 5: Top it off with a generous sprinkle of baking soda. Leave overnight or for at least 7 hours.
• Step 6: If the mattress topper is still wet or damp, use an electric fan to speed up the drying process.

How to Deal With Dried Urine Stains and Odour On Your Topper?

Dried urine stains can be troublesome to clean, and some may think that dried urine stains don’t smell. The reality is that dried urine stains still smell, so you must deal with them to remove the unsightly and unpleasant smell.

To clean your mattress topper with dried urine stains and odour, you can follow the steps listed above but use white vinegar concentrate to combat the yellow stains and unpleasant odour effectively. You can also use it pure if you have ACV, but white vinegar works better.

Suppose you somehow don’t have any vinegar around. You can upsize the dish soap and water concentration ratio and use pure dish soap if necessary. Spray with water afterwards to dilute the suds and bubbles.

How to Prevent Future Stains and Odour?

Do you share your bed with your kid? Or maybe you (or your spouse) have a medical condition causing bedwetting? Well, a waterproof mattress protector is your best bet.  

These are usually waterproof, so your mattress topper and the mattress will be safe from bedwetting incidents.

You can also prepare a large cloth towel or a good roll of paper towels by your bed’s side to quickly dab any bedwetting incidents.