Mold growing on your mattress can cause allergy symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, stuffy nose, coughing and other health problems. If you suspect you have mold on your mattress, it’s important that you deal with it immediately since mold spreads quickly. 

Below is a helpful guide on how to recognize and remove mold from your mattress. 

Is Mold On Mattress Dangerous?

If you are sensitive to mold, then having mold on your mattress can cause a lot of discomfort. Everytime you get in bed or even just the bedroom, allergy symptoms will flare up. It can get so bad that you suffer from insomnia and sleep deprivation. 

Mold can also be a trigger for people with asthma. 

Even if you don't have asthma or any kind of allergy, having mold on your mattress can still cause allergy-like symptoms. 

Even more worrying are the long term health effects of mold exposure. Mold on your mattress is particularly bad because you are breathing it in for hours each night. 

Experts say that prolonged respiratory problems like coughing and sneezing can lead to even more serious health problems like asthma and bronchitis. Other long term effects include persistent headaches, fatigue, memory loss and more. 

And don't forget that sleep disruption from all the sneezing and itchy eyes also affects your health and puts you at risk of diseases like hypertension and heart disease. 

How To Spot Mold on Your Mattress

In some cases, you can smell the mold before you see it. If there is a musty or earthy smell in your bedroom or bed, it could be a sign of hidden mold or mildew. 

Strip your bed and remove the mattress cover as well. If the mattress has a non-removable cover, the best option is to tear it open so that you can examine the foam underneath. You also can’t remove mold with the mattress cover on. 

Don't worry, you can always buy a new mattress cover. Get a zippered one that you can easily take off the mattress. 

With the mattress stripped, do a visual inspection for mold. Mold can appear in different colors, so look out for any kind of discoloration. 

If you see white or gray spots with a powdery feel, that’s likely mildew. Mildew is not as harmful as mold and can be removed a lot more easily since it usually only grows on the surface. 

Mold appears as black, brown, green, white, yellow, pink or purple spots and patches. Be sure to check every inch of the mattress including the sides. Turn the mattress over and check the flip side too. 

3 Ways to Remove Mold on A Mattress

Fortunately, it is fairly easy to get rid of mold from a mattress as long as it has not spread too deep. You can use common household products. The three most effective treatments against mold are hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol and vinegar. 

Whichever you choose, start by vacuuming the mattress. This will remove loose mold spores, reducing the risk of mold spreading to other parts of the mattress. 

If you are using hydrogen peroxide, mix one part with three parts water. Use a cloth or soft brush to scrub the mold spots with the solution. Make sure the spots are soaked. This ensures the hydrogen peroxide seeps deep to kill all the mold. 

Finish by spraying the entire mattress with the hydrogen peroxide solution. Leave the mattress in the sunlight to dry. UV rays from the sun will also kill off any remaining mold. If it’s a latex mattress, however, don't put it in direct sunlight as that can degrade it. 

If you cannot take your mattress outside, lean it against the wall of the bedroom then open the windows to improve airflow. 

Make sure the mattress is completely dry before you sleep on it. 

You can repeat the above treatments with 70% rubbing alcohol (1:1 mix ratio with water) or vinegar (1:1 water ratio). 

After removing mold, check your mattress regularly over the next several days. If the mold comes back, you may just have to get a new mattress as this indicates the mold is too deep in the mattress to get rid of. 

What Causes Mold On A Mattress

Mold thrives in warm and humid environments. So simply living in a humid climate can cause mold to grow in your mattress. 

Moisture in the mattress can also cause mold and mildew. Bedwetting, spills on the bed, night sweats or sleeping with wet hair are some of the things that can introduce moisture into the mattress. 

Poor ventilation is also a risk factor since it causes moisture to be trapped in the bed. That’s why memory foam mattresses are more susceptible to mold compared to other types of mattresses like latex and spring. Memory foam has poor to average breathability. 

How to Prevent Mold On A Mattress

• Control the humidity in your bedroom using a dehumidifier. 30-50% humidity discourages mold growth and it’s the right humidity range for sleep.
• Use a waterproof mattress protector to prevent moisture and fluids from seeping through to the mattress. 
• If you sweat a lot at night, get breathable and sweat-wicking bedding that reduces sweating and quickly dissipates any sweat instead of letting it pool on the mattress. 
• Use a bed foundation/platform with good ventilation to allow the mattress to breathe. Slatted foundations are the best for this. Whatever you do, don't place your mattress directly on the floor. This exposes the mattress to moisture from the floor and kills ventilation.