From an upholstered headboard to bed frame, mattress and bedding, with so many components making up your entire bed, it can be hard to keep track and know exactly how to clean each element properly. In this guide, we show you to remove gross stains, wipe away the dirt and keep your bed fresh and dust free, to help ensure you get a clean and relaxing sleep every night.

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How to Clean a Headboard & Bed Frame

Most headboards and bed frames are made from the same few materials: upholstery, wood, metal and rattan. The first step to cleaning these materials is to get rid of dust. Grab your vacuum cleaner and with the hose attachment, gently vacuum across your headboard or bed frame. Make sure to go over more than once in order to make sure all bits of dust have disappeared. To get rid of spots and stains, simply follow the directions below:

Bed Material: Upholstered

What You'll Need:

• Bucket
• Mild, liquid laundry detergent
• 3 clean, dry cloths
• Baking soda

Fill your bucket with water about a third - halfway full then add a few drops of mild, liquid laundry detergent. Dip a cloth into the mixture, wring it out well and blot the stain. Dampen a second cloth with just water and blot the stain to rinse the soap off. Then with a dry cloth, blot the stain to soak up excess moisture. Allow the upholstery to air-dry.

If your upholstery is emitting an odour, pour baking soda onto a dry cloth and pat it into the upholstery. Let it sit for a few hours then vacuum it up. It's best to do this right before you strip your sheets, as the baking soda will likely fall onto your bed.

Bed Material: Wood

What You'll Need:

• Bucket
• White vinegar
• 2 clean, dry cloths

In your bucket, mix equal parts hot water and white vinegar. Take a cloth and generously dip it in the mixture. Wring the cloth out so that it's damp, as excess moisture will ruin the wood. Lightly rub the stain to remove it. Then with another dry cloth, rub it over the spot to remove excess moisture.

Bed Material: Metal

Since metal can be made from stainless steel, chrome, aluminium, copper, brass, iron and more, it's best to follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions. Below are general tips for cleaning different metals.

Stainless Steel, Chrome and Aluminium

What You'll Need:

• Metal cleaner
• 3 clean, dry cloths

With a damp cloth, wipe down the surface. Apply a store-bought cleaner meant for that specific metal and follow the label's instructions. Make sure to always go with the grain when working with stainless steel. With another damp cloth, wipe off the excess cleaning product and buff with a new dry cloth.

Copper and Brass

What You'll Need:

• Ketchup or lemon and salt
• 3 clean, dry cloths

While commercial cleaners work well, there are some at-home solutions that work just as well. Place a small dab of ketchup on a clean cloth and wipe it over the stain. You can also cut a lemon in half, sprinkle salt over the pulp side, and use that to scrub the stain. With a clean damp cloth, rinse the ketchup or lemon and salt off. Wipe the area dry with another cloth.

Iron

What You'll Need:

• Bucket
• Liquid dish soap
• 3 cloths
• Steel wire brush
• Vinegar
• Sandpaper

In your bucket, mix warm water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Dip a dry cloth into the mixture, wring it out and wash off the dirt and dust. Take a second damp cloth and rinse off the soap. With a third dry cloth, wipe off any excess moisture.

If your iron has rust spots on it, brush the area with a steel wire brush to get rid of loose flakes. Pour some vinegar directly onto the rust spot. Let it sit for ten minutes. With the steel wire brush, scrub the rust again. Rinse off the area with a damp cloth. You can continue this process until the rust is gone. You can also use sandpaper to get any really tough rust spots out. When you are done, dry the area.

Bed Material: Rattan

What You'll Need:

• Bucket
• Liquid dish soap
• Hair dryer
• lean, dry cloth

Fill a bucket with water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Then stir it to make bubbles. Since rattan can be damaged from moisture and water, it's best to dip a cloth into the bubbles only, not the water. Then lightly blot the stain. Dry it with a hair dryer to ensure mould and mildew doesn't form.

Bed Material: Leather

What You'll Need:

• Bucket
• Baking soda
• Vacuum
• Leather soap
• 4 clean, dry cloths

We recommend reading the manufacturer's directions regarding the best way to spot-treat a stain. Certain types of leather require specific cleaners. Generally, you can pour baking soda on a cloth and pat it into the stain. Let it sit for a few hours before vacuuming it up. Then mix a mild leather soap into a bucket with the label's recommended amount of water. Dip a cloth into the mixture, wring it out and lightly dab the stain. Dampen another cloth with water and rinse the soap off. With a dry cloth, remove excess moisture and let the area air-dry.

How to Clean a Box Spring Bed

What You'll Need:

• Vacuum
• Bucket
• Liquid dish soap
• Clean, dry coth

Remove the mattress and vacuum the top and sides of the box spring with the hose attachment. Lift the box spring up, push it against the wall, and vacuum the other side. Tilt it back down so it is resting on the frame. Fill a bucket with water and a few drops of mild, liquid dish soap. Dip a cloth into the mixture, wring it out and gently blot stains to remove them. Let the spot dry completely before putting your mattress back on it.

How to Clean a Mattress

Learn how to remove stains and odours in our How to Clean Your Mattress Like a Pro guide.