Short answer
Partly. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a mild base, so it can neutralize some acidic odor compounds it touches on the surface. It can't reach sweat, oil or urine soaked into the cover and foam, and it doesn't remove the organic soil that keeps making the smell. Surface deodorizing is fine between cleanings; removing the source takes enzyme treatment and low-moisture cleaning.
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Regular price $249, Fall 2026 promotion price $199first mattress, any size · Fall 2026 promotion
HEPA vacuuming, enzyme treatment for organic odor, dry vapor steam and UV-C. We recommend cleaning twice a year.
Sprinkle, wait, vacuum. Baking soda is in nearly every mattress-cleaning post online, and "can you clean a mattress with baking soda" is a top autocomplete search. Here's what it does and doesn't do.
What baking soda is
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. PubChem lists its uses in baking powder, soaps, detergents and other household products (PubChem). Chemically it's a mild base, which is why it can react with acids.
Why it helps a little
Several mattress smells are acids: the sour, cheesy notes of body odor come from volatile fatty acids made by skin bacteria (ASM). Baking soda can take the edge off acidic compounds it touches on the surface.
Why it can't fix the problem
- It stays on top. A dry powder doesn't travel into quilting and foam where sweat and oil build up.
- It doesn't remove the source. The organic soil keeps feeding bacteria, so the smell comes back.
- It doesn't touch every smell. Musty odor is damp (musty smell), and fishy odor is amines (fishy smell).
- Wet recipes backfire. Pairing it with vinegar or water adds moisture (vinegar smell after cleaning).
If you use it, keep it dry, use a thin layer and vacuum it all out with a HEPA vacuum so no powder stays in the cover.
What removes odor
Enzymes break down the organic soil itself (enzymes vs fragrance). We pair enzyme treatment with HEPA vacuuming, low-moisture dry vapor steam and UV-C, and recommend twice-a-year cleaning so odor never builds back up.
How we get the smell out
This section is our view. Every Sleep Sanitation visit starts with a nose-and-eyes inspection to find where the odor actually lives, then HEPA vacuuming, enzyme treatment on organic odor, low-moisture dry vapor steam from our Italian-made Vapor Clean machines, UV-C light treatment and a moisture check before we leave. That sequence goes after the source of the smell instead of covering it with fragrance. The first mattress is $199 Fall 2026 special (regularly $249), any size. We recommend cleaning every mattress twice a year so odor never gets a head start. Not sure what your bed needs? Take the 60-second mattress quiz, or schedule your cleaning. Call or text (402) 512-5658, or email info@sleepsanitation.com.
Changelog
- 24 October 2026: First published. Sources accessed on this date.
Sources
- Sodium bicarbonate, compound summary · PubChem (NIH)
- Microbial Origins of Body Odor (December 2021) · American Society for Microbiology
Last reviewed October 24, 2026. Manufacturer specifications and care instructions change; check the current version for your exact model. This page is general information, not medical advice. How we source and check pages: editorial standards.