What's inside a Purple
The Restore and RejuvenatePlus lines pair Purple's GelFlex Grid comfort layer with a support system underneath, typically pocketed coils in the hybrid models, all under a soft, stretchy knit cover. The grid's open cells let air move, which is part of why Purple mattresses sleep cool.
What Purple says about steam, and what we choose to do
Here is the instruction, word for word. Purple's guide to cleaning a mattress says "you should not steam clean a memory foam, latex, or adjustable mattress since the heat and water could damage its materials," and "you should not steam clean a Purple mattress." The same guide says to "avoid using a steam cleaner, which can soak the memory foam," and to "avoid steam cleaning a memory foam mattress, as this can leave it waterlogged." It doesn't separate dry-vapor steam from other steam, so the advice covers dry vapor too.
Purple gives two reasons, heat and water, and its advice for a Purple mattress is plain: don't steam it. Sleep Sanitation does clean Purple mattresses, and that is our own choice and reasoning, not an exemption from Purple. Our reasoning is that both of the risks Purple names can be kept small: very little water goes in, and the heat is never held on one spot.
What we do differently is keep the moisture load low and the heat moving. We use dry-vapor steam from our Vapor Clean dry-vapor equipment (we run the Magnum XP (with vac) and Desiderio as our main machines, plus the ProV 350 and Pro6 Duo for select applications, and match the machine to the job). For the Magnum XP, Vapor Clean's product page claims "just 5-6% moisture" (a maker claim, not our measurement). Our technicians work in quick, repeated passes, with no soaking of the cover or the grid. Because heat and moisture are separate variables, we manage them separately: little water goes in, and heat isn't held on one spot. Our Knowledge Center explains how a dry-vapor steam cleaner differs from a conventional steam cleaner, and our Purple mattress care guide quotes what Purple's own care page says about steam.
Following Purple's label is the safe default. Check Purple's warranty terms for your model before booking.
Adjusting for the grid
- Keep the nozzle moving. The grid is a flexible polymer, so we avoid lingering in one place and keep heat even across the surface.
- Moderate distance. The stretch cover is thin, so we work at a slightly greater distance than on thick quilted covers.
- Gentle extraction. The HEPA mattress vacuum is run with light, even contact so the cover isn't pulled or stretched.
Why it still needs care
Open-grid airflow doesn't stop skin flakes, sweat and dust from settling into the cover and the top of the grid. People with pets on the bed notice it most. Pair the standard service with the pet odor add-on if a dog or cat shares the mattress.
Between visits
Use a thin, breathable protector that doesn't block the grid's airflow, and wash it regularly. Blot spills right away. Don't pour cleaners onto the cover.
Other brands: see the full list. New to our process? Start with how we're different.