It’s a common chore to wash and change your bed linen, but mattresses can be overlooked.

If your mattress is in need of a thorough cleaning, there’s a simple two-ingredient solution, as tipped by an expert.

Luckily, you don’t need any specialist cleaning product, you can simply go straight to your kitchen essentials instead.

Your best friends for banishing bad odours, bacteria and stains are baking soda and vinegar.

Leanne Stapf, VP of operations at The Cleaning Authority, told NBC News: “It’s important to clean your mattress often to avoid dust mites, dead skin cells, etc. For stain removal especially, try spraying the mattress with vinegar and sprinkle baking soda over the top. 

“You can place a towel over the area and let it sit for one to two hours. Then take your vacuum and go over the mattress for a final clean.”

The cleaning method works by removing unwanted odours, as well as stains and bacteria.

The baking soda works as a natural deodoriser, helping to remove the smells left by sweat, body oils, as well as dust which has built up on the mattress.

On the other hand, vinegar will help to break down stains.

Perfect Clean explained that when the baking soda and vinegar are combined, the chemical reaction produces water and carbon dioxide. This is the process which helps to loosen and lift stains.

To best prepare your mattress for cleaning, give it a vacuum first before applying the solution.

Then give it another vacuum after you’ve let the solution soak in for a couple of hours. Once this is done, you can let the mattress air dry.

If you want a proactive way to minimise odours and any unwanted build-up on your mattress, Perfect Carpet Cleaning suggested vacuuming both sides of the mattress once a month; open the windows when changing bed linen; and even rotate the mattress “at least” four times a year.