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Although they look gross, they are not a reason to be worried – yellow stains on mattresses appear after some time of normal use. If you spend a lot of time in bed, sweat a lot, or have oily skin, you’re going to have much worse stains than other people. Luckily, there’s a number of solutions to that and you can even prevent them from reappearing once you’ve cleaned up your yellow-stained mattress.
What Causes a Yellow-Stained Mattress?
The main causes of yellow stains on mattresses come from our bodies. Our skin produces sweat and oils that can seep through the sheets and onto the mattress. On top of that, you might spill something, or have an accident that involves urine or vomit.
All of these things leave some residue on the mattress surface, and although stains may not be visible straight away, they appear later on, as dirt and skin cells get accumulated.
Sweat
Every night, our skin produces a lot of sweat. Even if you are healthy and don’t have a condition that causes excessive night sweats, your body temperature still soars during REM sleep. This normal increase in body temperature can manifest through an increase in sweating. You may not even be aware that you were drenched at some point in the middle of the night because, by the time you wake up, you’re completely dry.
The sweat of most healthy people is colorless and it doesn’t cause stains by itself (except salt stains that remain on dark fabrics, but sheets hold in most of this). However, it’s the stickiness of the mixture of body oils, skin cells, and dirt accumulation that get “glued” together and forms a yellow stain.
Oils
Our skin produces sebum – a natural oily and waxy substance that comes out of sebaceous glands that are attached to hair follicles. Sebum lubricates the skin and protects it from friction. Sebum also protects the outer layer of the skin from losing water.
Sebum is yellowish in color and the more it accumulates in fabric, the darker the color. This is the main reason your sheets and mattress turn yellow.
As sweat goes down your skin, it carries some sebum and skin cells with it, and since it’s fluid, it easily gets through the sheets and sets in the thick mattress fabric.
Urine
Urine also causes yellow stains on mattresses. The color of urine depends on how concentrated it is. When you’re dehydrated, your urine is orange, and when you’re hydrated, its color goes from almost completely clear to yellow.
Kids’ and babies’ urine is usually of lighter color, and a fresh stain can look like water. You might notice the color only after it’s dry.
Urine stains are much easier to clean before they get dry.
Mold
Mold can vary in color and go from pink, over brownish or bluish, to black. It would be more accurate to call it mold growth rather than mold stains.
It’s hard to get rid of mold once it’s there, and more often than not, it’s safer to ditch the whole mattress than to try and clean it because mold is dangerous.
Mold can start growing on your mattress if you leave it wet for a long time. If your bedroom is close to a bathroom where mold is present, you should pay attention because mold spores are transferred by air and are probably already in the bedroom and on your mattress. Spores are like seeds – they wait for the perfect conditions to thrive. Keeping the mattress clean and dry will prevent mold growth.
Other causes
Other, although less common things that can cause stains on your mattress are:
- vomit
- skin products (oils, lotions)
- blood
- spilled coffee/tea/wine
- age
How to Remove Yellow Stains from Your Mattress
First, you need to determine how bad your mattress is. If you’re only treating it for a couple of small yellow spots, you can take these easy steps:
- vacuum the mattress
- spot-clean it using detergent, white vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide
- dab with a damp cloth to remove residue
- vacuum again and let dry properly
For hard-to-remove yellow stains, you need a more serious approach.
1. Vacuum the mattress first
Vacuum lifts up skin cells and a lot of residue that’s lying on the surface of the mattress. If you’ve ever vacuumed a dirty mattress, you’ve noticed that the vacuumed parts become lighter in color, even though it’s a regular vacuum.
2. (For removable covers) Wash the mattress cover
A lot of modern mattresses have a removable cover with a zipper. If yours does, you can remove the cover and wash it either in a regular machine (if it’s a smaller size mattress) or in a commercial washer (if it’s Queen-size or larger).
Just make sure it’s safe to remove the cover and that the manufacturer allows it, unlike Nectar or similar cheap mattresses that can leak fiberglass and contaminate your entire home.
Steps for washing the cover:
- remove it from the mattress
- spread it flat on the floor or balcony and spray it with water – it should feel wet
- put some stain remover on the top surface and rub it in with your hands (focus on the stained area)
- put the whole cover in a washer
- add detergent and you can also add half a cup of baking soda (baking soda increases oxidation and helps the detergent break down stains)
- wash on a warm temperature
- after washing, spread it out and check for stains
- if there are still some stains, add the stain remover and wash again
- line dry or use a low-temperature setting on your machine
When I washed my stained mattress cover like this, I was worried that it would shrink and wouldn’t fit back. This didn’t happen, although I washed it twice; probably because I avoided high temperatures. A positive surprise was that the mattress cover fit snugly and made the mattress a bit firmer, so it felt like new. It also smelled fresh and looked clean. From then on I’ve been maintaining it with regular vacuuming. I vacuum it about once a month, and the stains haven’t come back (yet).
3. Spot cleaning
For non-removable covers or stains that are so stubborn that a washing machine can’t help, your option is spot cleaning.
For any fresh stains, blot out any excess liquid as soon as possible. You should make a cleaning solution that will work best to clean the stains on your mattress.
- Blood. Cold water removes fresh blood stains easily. After removing all you can, spray with pure hydrogen peroxide, and after ten minutes, blot out excess moisture. You can also use an enzyme cleaner instead of hydrogen peroxide. Then vacuum and let air dry.
- Sweat and urine stains. Mix hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and a tablespoon of baking soda into a spray bottle. Spray onto the yellow mattress stains. Once it dries, you can add a couple of essential oil drops to a bit of baking soda and lightly rub into the stain. Vacuum and let air dry.
- Vomit. Mix water and white vinegar (1 part water, 1 part vinegar) and spray on the stain. Sprinkle with baking soda to fight off the smell and after it sits for a while, vacuum the mattress.
For more ideas and cleaning solutions, check our article on how to clean your mattress.
4. Last resort – professional cleaning
Finally, if you want your mattress good as new and are willing to invest some money into it, you can either hire a professional cleaner or see where you can rent a professional cleaning machine.
These machines usually look like vacuum cleaners, but they also have a hose attachment that sprays a solution onto furniture. High-end cleaners cost hundreds of dollars, so it’s probably better to rent one out for a couple of hours and clean your mattress since you’ll probably only need the cleaner for this one-time task. You can also use the opportunity to clean other mattresses in the house and all upholstered furniture.
How to prevent mattress stains
If we’re talking about cheap and quick solutions, then you should maintain your mattress better. Change your bed sheets regularly and vacuum the mattress often. If your body produces a lot of oil and sweat, vacuum every time you change sheets. Wear pajamas – they soak in a lot of the yucky stuff that comes out of your skin. You can also place an extra bed sheet on your mattress.
You can also protect the mattress in a more waterproof way. A mattress protector is one way to prevent sweat and other fluids from coming through. Many mattress protectors are waterproof and thin, so you won’t even know they’re there.
Another option is a mattress pad. They are thicker than protectors, often are quilted, and can give a bit of comfort, unlike protectors that are as thin as a sheet.
FAQs:
Yes. Your mattress can get slightly yellowish due to age even if you’re using a mattress protector. As materials age, they oxidize and lose their bright colors, becoming yellowish. This kind of discoloration is different from yellow-orange stains that are primarily a result of body oils and sweat. If you store a mattress for a long time, make sure it’s in a sealed plastic wrap to prevent any air from getting in.
Yes, they appear after we sleep on the same mattress for a while. People whose skin is greasy will notice them sooner than those who have dry skin. Still, everyone sweats at night and it’s normal to see yellow stains. The better you maintain your mattress, the cleaner and more presentable it will look.
When you don’t clean yellow stains from your mattress for a long time, they become more and more orange as the skin cells accumulate on the surface. The orange color may also come from your particular skin secretion color.
Conclusion
It’s normal to see yellow stains on a used mattress. Some of them may be a result of a particular accident, and some may come from regular sweating, skin cells, and skin oil production. This can be cleaned either by washing the mattress cover, spot-cleaning, or using professional equipment. By the time you win the fight against mattress stains, you’ll probably be unwilling to do the same thing again, so it’s a good idea to take precautionary steps and prevent them from coming back.
Next step: Read our list of copper-infused mattresses. Copper is naturally antimicrobial and is great at staying clean and preventing stains. If you’re having a hard time removing yellow stains from your mattress, get one that’s made with copper.
With over 5 years experience writing about sleep and mattresses, she's considered one of the go-to experts on the topic.
She likes cycling, nature, art, and languages. She pays special attention to providing you with accurate and useful information when it comes to your sleep quality.
After solving her personal sleep and tiredness problems, she is on to help others by sharing this invaluable information.
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