Cleaning and maintaining a box spring bed - What you should pay attention to

After the purchase of a box spring bed, it is important for the long-term preservation of quality to clean and maintain the box spring bed. By following these tips and instructions, you ensure that the quality is preserved and that your bed brings you joy for a long time.

If you ensure good air circulation and regularly remove dust, you will maintain better sleep quality. Below you will find more information in our guide for a perfect sleeping climate in your home.

Cleaning and caring for a box spring bed: Instructions

To properly clean and maintain your box spring bed, some things must be considered. But don't worry, cleaning and caring for a box spring bed is considered relatively easy. The following points can help you maintain sleep comfort after washing and extend the lifespan: 

1. Ensure sufficient air circulation

Usually, a person loses half a liter of fluid in the form of sweat during sleep, which remains in the room especially without ventilation. This moisture gets trapped in the mattress or in the topper as well as generally in the entire bed and the duvet.

Therefore, after getting up, you must ensure sufficient ventilation and regular air exchange. The advantage is that high-quality American box spring beds already take care of a lot during cleaning.

The bed's construction is designed so that the mattresses of the box spring bed, the mattress protectors, or the covers are ideally ventilated. Choosing this option is therefore worthwhile. This already happens during sleep, as you often turn, toss, or change your sleeping position.

It is optimal to remove the duvet and preferably also the pillows after sleeping. This way, you can ventilate the bed ideally. 

2. Regularly ventilate the bedroom

For good ventilation, it is advisable to air the entire bedroom thoroughly twice a day. This enables a good indoor climate, which also ensures the conditions for good sleep in the environment and helps prevent mold in the room.

The pillows and the blankets with zippers should be regularly shaken out in the fresh air. 

3. Remove dust from fabric covers 

Textile articles are very comfortable and cozy for sleeping but cause increased accumulation of dust and dirt. Here you can simply remove the dirt with the vacuum cleaner on the lowest setting or with a brush.

People lose skin flakes during sleep, which mites and other tiny creatures feed on. A woman's hair can be well removed from the headboard of the bed with a vacuum cleaner. This has the advantage that mites are vacuumed up.

This can have a positive effect on allergy sufferers and their symptoms. Leather covers are often easier to clean and less affected by bacteria because you can easily wipe them off thanks to active hygiene.

On the other hand, materials made of faux leather or similar are not to everyone's taste in terms of comfort. They tend to cool down at night. Therefore, a faux leather cover is better suited for people who sweat easily at night.

If you do not use the bed, a bedspread on the bedding is ideal to protect it from dust.

Remove stains

For stains on individual layers of the mattress or the design bed, you can simply wipe over them with a damp cloth with soap or a sponge. Often this is enough to remove them well. For lime deposits on the bed, you can use distilled water.

For stronger stains, washable covers of the box spring mattress can also be washed in the washing machine. If you use upholstery cleaner foam, you should test in an inconspicuous spot whether discoloration occurs due to the cleaning agent or care product.

Because this problem occurs with many upholstery and some covers, for which there are special upholstery cleaners for box spring beds available.

Tip: It may be possible to mix the cleaner with some water, so there is a chance that the material will not be damaged. This way, you can remove the stain without any problems and still ensure the protection of the box spring bed and the blankets.

Can you clean the topper of your box spring bed? 

When cleaning the surface of a topper, a vacuum cleaner is the tool of choice. With a little effort, the fabric covers become clean again. A mattress topper can usually be treated with cleaning agents. With little pressure or effort, you can already remove stains here. Sometimes just a little water is enough.

Little trick: To avoid lime stains, you should ideally use distilled water.

Can you wash a topper? 

A topper cover can generally be washed without problems like a mattress cover. However, caution is advised with certain types of fabric. Beforehand, check carefully during box spring bed care whether your protective cover is machine washable and read the care instructions.

In most cases, however, you should leave this responsibility to a professional cleaner. Many types shrink in a normal washing machine or simply do not fit due to their size. 

How do you wash a topper cover? 

A washable topper should be washed, just like all other bedroom textiles such as the duvet, duvet covers, pillowcases, and the bed sheet, at a minimum of 60 degrees Celsius. Only in this way can it be guaranteed during cleaning that bacteria, germs, or mites have no chance to spread.

For allergy sufferers, it makes sense to wash the bedding and sheets at least every two weeks. Additionally, acquiring an upholstery nozzle is recommended. However, this is not as frequently necessary for a topper cover.

On the contrary, if it is washed more often than necessary, the support strength of the comfort layer could suffer. Otherwise, the cover might no longer fit properly on the topper. Washing every few months, approximately 3-4 times a year, is considered sufficient to ensure it lasts as long as possible.

How long should a topper be aired? 

After purchasing a topper, it is best not to use it immediately but to let the smell of the new cover dissipate for 24 to 48 hours. Ideally, keep the window open as often as possible. This way, the new product on the beds quickly acquires a pleasant scent. 

Additionally, certain odor-fighting care products provide quick relief. Before using cleaning agents, you should check whether the care instructions allow their use on toppers. Otherwise, you should follow the instructions and opt for other cleaning methods.

In case of dirt, you should first remove dust and dirt using a vacuum cleaner. Afterwards, the topper can be cleaned and aired.

Can and should the mattresses of box spring beds be flipped?

Yes, you should regularly flip both the mattresses and the protective covers of the bed. Due to the ergonomic shape of the mattresses and the top topper, the fabric deforms over time. To maintain lying comfort, you regularly switch the underside.

This also has the advantage that the different layers of the mattresses are well ventilated and any moisture from sweating can dry well.

Depending on the firmness level, there are differences, but a good approach on this topic is that the mattresses should be turned about four times a year. Such measures extend the lifespan and lying comfort.

Frequently asked questions about cleaning and care of box spring beds

Is a box spring bed hygienic?

Yes, if all components are regularly cleaned, a box spring bed is considered very hygienic. A frame made of artificial or genuine leather is particularly easy to care for. For cleaning, it is best to buy leather care products. Cleaning the mattresses does not require much effort. Fitted sheets, blankets, and bed covers should be shaken out and washed regularly.

To ensure that the bed's air circulation is not impaired, it is important that no protective covers or other pads are placed between the mattresses. Both the topper and other blankets or covers belong exclusively on the top layer.

Otherwise, it may happen that the bed system cannot regulate itself properly. Increased moisture and dirt can then possibly lead to a multitude of dust mites and germs.

Additionally, the use of a topper greatly contributes to hygiene in box spring beds, as it effectively absorbs night sweat even in summer heat. Furthermore, you can usually easily remove and wash the cover.

Can mold develop under a box spring bed?

Yes, just like with any other bed, mold can develop in a box spring bed. However, the risk is low with regular cleaning and vacuuming.

How can I clean under the box spring bed?

Unlike regular beds with slatted frames, it is somewhat more difficult to clean under box spring beds due to the bed base. However, it is generally quite possible with a damp cloth and a cleaning stick.

In this step, a kind of large cleaning cloth is used, as it makes the greatest contribution to cleaning under the bed. This problem is often referred to as a downside of the location and construction of the box spring bed.

With a little practice, thorough cleaning is no longer a problem in any household. 

How can I remove the new smell of a box spring bed? 

After the arrival of the new bed, an unpleasant odor often occurs initially. This should dissipate after a few days. It helps to ventilate a lot and simply leave the bed standing at first. Alternatively, pleasant scented sticks can be distributed in the room.

With a high-quality box spring bed, the unpleasant new smell usually dissipates after approximately 24 - 48 hours.