How do you get the sour milk smell out of a mattress?

[caribear]

I forget to put dd's waterproof mattress pad on her bed after I did a wash last week.....and her sippy cup leaked onto her bed. This must have been before we left for the holidays.....so the milk seeped into her mattress for 4 days.....now it smells so bad. Not sure what to do. I tried some liquid detergent and then covering with baking soda....but it did not work. I am wondering about using a diluted vinegar solution....but not sure how long the vinegar smell might last. If anyone has any ideas on how to get rid of the smell please post!! The mattres is only 2 years old....I hate to have to get a new one! Thanks so much!!!

 

[AKL_Megs]

You should try using Era liquid detergent. It takes any smell out of anything... it's very fresh.

Make a bucket of VERY hot water, as hot as you can stand, and add about a cup full of the Era detergent into the water. Immediately take the water/detergent solution to the bed and soak the area with the solution. You'll need to scrub the area until it is soaked and soapy. When it is soaked and soapy, scrub the area with a washcloth soaked in the solution. You should scrub for a while, at least until the soap suds have disappeared. Rinse the bucket and fill again with VERY hot water, again as hot as you can stand. Repeat the same process with the water until all of the soaken in suds disappear... you will probably have to change the water about three times or so - it will get soapy - using the same VERY hot water. Once the process has been completed, blot the area with dry towels, and lay more dry towels over the wet spot. Allow to dry completely.

I cleaned my fiance's stinky, gross hand-me-down couch with this method. It had been stored in an attic and was musty and smelled of mold. Nothing seemed to work. I used this method, and it worked like a charm. It has been about two years since he inherited the stinky couch, and I still sometimes catch a whiff of the Era detergent when I sit on it.

 

[MosMom]

You can get a mattress professionally cleaned. You might want to call around to carpet cleaning companies and see if they do it? They might point you in the direction of who does.

My brother recently had a Christmas party at his new home and a woman went into his room to lay down after drinking too much and she peed on his bed! He had the mattress professionally cleaned and it was $200 but he has a King mattress and lives in Chicago. It might be cheaper where you are.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I forget to put dd's waterproof mattress pad on her bed after I did a wash last week.....and her sippy cup leaked onto her bed. This must have been before we left for the holidays.....so the milk seeped into her mattress for 4 days.....now it smells so bad. Not sure what to do. I tried some liquid detergent and then covering with baking soda....but it did not work. I am wondering about using a diluted vinegar solution....but not sure how long the vinegar smell might last. If anyone has any ideas on how to get rid of the smell please post!! The mattres is only 2 years old....I hate to have to get a new one! Thanks so much!!!

what size mattress are you talking - a twin? You can go to the mattress store and get a new one for under $100. YOu won't need a new box spring. To me it sounds like a heck of alot of work

You can also call a carpet cleaning service (call a mom and pop one) and tell them the story, perhaps they can steam it out.

 

[caribear]

Thanks for the suggestions! It's only a twin mattress...I paid around $350 for the set, but I was hoping to avoid spending money on a new one. I think I will buy some Era and try that first....and then go from there. Thanks again!

 

[ZachnElli]

When my oldest ds was about 2 years old, he got sick and vomited on my bed, milk and a grilled cheese sandwich. Sour milk smell soaked into my mattress. I used the enzyme pet odor remover stuff. You can get it at Petsmart, Petco, etc. I just poored it on let it set and dry and the smell was gone. Good luck!