If the cover is removable and the label allows machine washing, you usually do not need a specialist. Cleaning a cover on the mattress costs the same as cleaning the mattress surface, from €30. Send a photo of the label, and the specialist will tell you which case is yours.
Is the cover removable, and what does the label say
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Removable, label allows washing | Wash according to the label; a specialist is usually not needed. |
| Removable, label forbids washing | Send a photo; the specialist will tell you what is possible. |
| Not removable, sewn in or without a zip | The cover is part of the mattress and is cleaned as the mattress surface. |
| Stain left after washing | Send a photo of the stain and say what it is and how it was washed. |
A zip alone does not mean the cover may be washed. On upholstered furniture covers, New Mexico State University warns that washing them separately may cause shrinkage, backing damage or colour change. Even TEMPUR, which allows many removable covers to be machine-washed, states that some cover lines may not be. So the label is what decides.
How to read the care symbols on a cover
- A crossed-out symbol (St Andrew's cross) means this treatment must not be used.
- Lines under the symbol mean gentler treatment.
- Letters in a circle indicate solvents and processes for professional textile care.
- The letter W in a circle is professional wet cleaning. It is not the W code on upholstery fabric: these are two different systems.
If the label is gone, do not assume the cover will withstand anything. Fabrics react to moisture in different ways: colours may run, the fabric may shrink, and water rings may remain. Take a photo of the cover and, if you know it, enter the mattress type. Before you remove the cover, take a photo of the label so you have it to hand.
What happens to the mattress when the cover is off
Use the chance to look at the mattress surface. If a stain has gone through the cover, a clean cover does not solve the problem: the smell and stain stay underneath. Then you need mattress cleaning at home or, if it is urine, mattress cleaning after urine.
Put the cover back on only when both it and the mattress are completely dry. If you have a protective cover against dust mites, be aware that in studies these covers have not always given clinical improvement either. More: dust mites in a mattress and sofa.
What to expect from cover cleaning
Usually comes out
- dust and surface dirt
- fresher stains on the fabric
- some of the smell from the fabric
May stay
- colour changes from earlier washing
- shrunken fabric
- a stain set by heat
- everything under the cover
A stain that has been through a hot wash or dryer is usually harder to remove: heat may set it. Describe how you have already tried to clean the cover, because what to expect depends on that.
How much mattress cover cleaning costs
There is no separate price for a cover. If the cover is on the mattress, the price is the mattress surface price: single from €30, double from €45 (one side), second side +50%. The price depends on size, fabric, how dirty it is, smell and distance, and we agree it before the work.
The minimum order is €45: if the total is lower, you pay €45. Travel is included in Riga and up to about 15 km outside Riga; further out it is from €10. All prices are on the prices page.
Sources
- Many removable covers can be washed according to the label, some lines cannot checked 7 November 2026
- Care symbols: cross, lines, letters in a circle checked 7 November 2026
- Colour bleeding, shrinkage and water rings when fabrics get wet checked 7 November 2026
- Heat may set a stain checked 7 November 2026
- Protective covers do not always give clinical improvement checked 7 November 2026
- Bedding at 60 °C or above checked 7 November 2026
- Removing a cover to wash it separately may cause shrinkage, backing damage or colour change checked 7 November 2026