First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot up as much juice as you can with a dry towel.
- Flush the spot with cool or cold water right away.
- Keep the mattress as dry as possible around the spot.
- Let it air dry completely before you remake the bed.
Juice stains on a mattress hide well, since the tannins blend into patterned bedding until they've dried into the fabric. Because a mattress can't be soaked, you're working with a light touch and only a small amount of water at a time. A fresh spill has the best chance of lifting fully, while an older mark might only lighten.
For grape juice on a mattress, a pet enzyme stain remover applied from a spray bottle works better than heavy scrubbing. Work from the edges inward so the mark doesn't spread across the cover. If it still shows after a couple of rounds, call a professional rather than pushing harder.
Before you start
What mattress can take
Use with care4
- Water
- Oxygen bleach
- Enzyme cleaners
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
Avoid4
- Hot water
- Soaking
- Chlorine bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
8 items
What you'll need
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- Clean dry towelsLift the juice without spreading it.
- Clean white clothFor dabbing on water and soap without transferring color. (opens Amazon)
- Cool or cold waterKeeps the juice from setting into the fibers.
- Mild liquid dish soapA few drops is all you need. (opens Amazon)
- Baking sodaFor any smell left once the spot is dry. (opens Amazon)
- VacuumPicks up the baking soda after it has worked. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarOnly for a stubborn spot that stays after drying. (opens Amazon)
- Upholstery cleanerThe next step if a stain persists. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Strip the bed and check the label
Take off the sheets, the pad and any cover designed to come off, so the spot is fully exposed. Then read the mattress care label or the maker's website, since it lists what the surface can take. Work only within what the label allows before you put any liquid on the mattress.
Careful. A cover that isn't designed to come off should stay on, since removing it can void the warranty.
Step 2 of 6
Blot up the wet juice
Press a dry towel onto the spot to lift as much juice as you can, and switch to a clean section of the towel as it fills. Blot gently from the outside edge inward. Rubbing spreads the juice and works it deeper into the mattress.
Step 3 of 6
Flush the spot with cool water
Dampen a clean cloth in cool or cold water and dab the stain from the outside in. Keep the cloth just damp, and move to a fresh section as it picks up color. Work quickly, because the sooner the juice is rinsed away, the less it has to set.
Careful. Use cool or cold water only, since heat can set juice into the fibers.
Step 4 of 6
Lightly work in mild dish soap
Mix a few drops of mild liquid dish soap into cold water, then dip a cloth in it and blot the spot lightly. Keep the cloth barely wet and blot as you go rather than letting the soap sit on the mattress. Finish with a clean, damp cloth to lift any soap residue.
Careful. Skip bar soap and soap flakes, since they set fruit stains.
Step 5 of 624 to 48 hours
Let the spot dry fully
Blot the spot with a dry towel one last time, then let it air dry completely. Start in the morning so it has the whole day to dry.
Careful. Keep the sheets off until the spot is completely dry.
Step 6 of 6
Check the spot and clear any odor
Once the spot is dry, look at it in good light and smell it. If an odor remains, sprinkle baking soda over the area and leave it there. Leave it for 20 minutes to an hour, or up to five hours for a strong odor, then vacuum it up thoroughly.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for juice on mattress
Pick a mild liquid dish soap and plain white vinegar, and keep an upholstery cleaner on hand for stubborn spots.
Rug Doctor Spot & Upholstery Cleaner
Utopia Kitchen White Flour Sack Towels
Empty Spray Bottles 16oz/4Pack
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on mattress, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The spot is clear when it matches the mattress around it and no color comes off on a dry towel pressed against it. Check it only after it's fully dry, because a damp spot can look different. If a faint shadow is left, move on to the set-in options below rather than scrubbing harder.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your mattress
Grape juice
Grape juice follows the same steps as other fruit juice, since it's also a tannin stain. Use the same cool water and mild dish soap, and don't add anything stronger for grape.
If the spot seems to be spreading onto the area around it, stop and blot with a dry towel. Let it dry fully and check before you try again.
Artificial fruit drinks
Artificial fruit drinks behave like dye stains rather than plain juice, so the color can be more stubborn. Test a hidden spot on the mattress first with the cool water and dish soap, and watch whether any color comes off.
If color transfers onto the towel, stop and let the spot dry before you try again. Then move on to the set-in options.
Memory foam
Memory foam is the layer most sensitive to liquid, so it changes how much you use. Keep each application to the spot itself and never let it run into the foam underneath.
Blot straight after each dab and check that the surface is only lightly damp before you move on. If the spot feels wet below the top layer, stop and let it dry before going further.
Removable cover
A cover that comes off can be checked against its care label before you decide how to clean it. Pull it off before you start, so the spot on the mattress is treated separately.
Treat the cover and the mattress as two separate jobs, and dry each one before putting them back together.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old juice stain has had time to set, so it may not lift in one pass. Work in small amounts of white vinegar, dabbing it lightly onto the spot and blotting it off with a dry towel. Expect to repeat the process a few times rather than pushing harder on any single attempt.
If the stain has dried, dampen the spot with cool water before you apply the vinegar so it can reach the juice. Blot, let the area dry completely, and check it again before you try anything else.
Heat from a dryer can make an old stain harder to remove, so expect a stubborn mark if bedding has been through one. If the stain is still there after the vinegar and drying, an upholstery cleaner is the realistic next step, and a faint mark may remain.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on juice on mattress?
You'll see many kitchen fixes for juice stains. On a mattress, only some of them are safe, so here is where each one lands for this surface.
Works2Helps2Skip1Avoid1
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't soak the mattress.
Excess liquid can break down memory foam, and a soaked mattress takes much longer to dry. Keep each application small and blot right away so the moisture stays where the spot is.
Don't use chlorine bleach on the mattress.
Chlorine bleach and products that contain it can damage the mattress fibers. Never mix it with ammonia, vinegar or alcohol, and rinse thoroughly between any two products you use.
Don't use dry-cleaning products or spot removers.
They can harm the fabric or the materials underneath, and a mattress isn't the place to experiment. Stick to the cool water, mild dish soap and white vinegar in the remedies list.
Don't put the bedding in the dryer.
Heat sets juice stains, so a dryer can make a spot permanent before you notice it's still there. Keep sheets and pads out of the dryer until the stain is gone, and air dry them instead.
When to call a professional
If the stain holds after the vinegar and drying, an upholstery cleaner is the realistic next call. If mold has started, or it covers more than 10 square feet, bring in a professional who works with water-damaged items.
Questions
Will juice stain a mattress permanently?
It can, if the juice dries and sets or heat gets applied to it. Acting quickly with cool water and a dry towel gives the best chance of a clean result.
How long does a mattress take to dry?
Plan on 24 to 48 hours for it to dry completely. Start in the morning so the day gives it time, because leftover moisture encourages mold and mildew.
Can I wash a mattress cover?
Check the care label first. If the cover is designed to come off, follow the washing instructions on that label; if not, clean the spot where it sits.
Does a mattress cover help prevent juice stains?
Yes. A cover is the best way to avoid stains in the first place, so it's worth adding one before the next spill.
Can I use vinegar on a mattress?
Yes, but only white vinegar, and only for a stain that stays after the cool water and drying. Use it lightly, blot it off with a dry towel, and let the spot dry completely again.
What if I'm not sure what the stain is?
Stick to blotting and cool water, the gentlest first moves. Check the mattress care label before you try anything stronger, because the surface can't take every cleaner.
What if juice soaked through onto the carpet under the bed?
Blot the carpet with a dry towel right away, since the floor needs its own treatment. The Carpet & Rugs section covers that surface in full.
Juice on other materials
Other stains on mattress
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.