How to Get the Musty Odor Out of a Futon Mattress

How to Get the Musty Odor Out of a Futon Mattress

• 1

  Remove odors from the room. A musty room will lead to a musty-smelling futon. Keep futons away from areas where you cook. Don't place your futon in a living room located right next to a kitchen because food smells will become trapped in the futon. Ventilating the room and using an odor absorber, which can be found on Amazon.com (See Resources.) or at a hardware store, will also help to keep smells in the room from getting stuck in the futon.

• 2

  Hang the futon to air it out. Let the futon mattress hang outside for at least a few hours every month to replace musty smells with fresh air. A good place to hang a futon is over a balcony or deck railing. This step also helps fluff the mattress and prevents it from becoming harder with use.

• 3

  Use a clean futon cover. Make sure the futon has a removable cover and that you do not sit or sleep directly on the mattress itself. This way most of the odors from pets or dirt and dust will stick to the futon cover and not the actual mattress. You can then remove odors by washing the cover regularly. You can purchase futon covers at stores that sell furniture or bedding or online from Overstock.com. (See Resources.)

• 4

  Spray Febreze on the futon. Febreze is spray-on product that removes odors from fabric and its website advertises several different scents (See References.) If musty smells were not removed completely by getting rid of room smells, airing out the futon and washing the futon cover, spray a liberal amount of Febreze directly on the futon mattress, and allow it to dry completely before replacing the cover. Try spraying both sides of the mattress, and use enough so the entire outer layer of fabric is damp. Once the futon cover is back on,spray it with Febreze to eliminate odors between washings.