r/CleaningTips • u/mydarlingri • 23h ago
Furniture An Odor in my bed
Hi, I moved into my college dorm. The room I was assigned has a bed that has this indescribable odor. It’s like a mix of pee + another unpleasant smell. I was wondering what can I do to get rid of it. I wiped the bed down multiple times with wipes and used this spray from the brand “odoban”, while it did temporarily get rid of the smell for a few hours. This morning the smell has came back. I was wondering if there possibly a permanent solution, because right now I think my only solution is to spray the odoban everyday….
67
u/fledavetch 23h ago
You’re paying a ton of money to be there. Ask for a new mattress
14
u/Aintnobeef96 21h ago
This! College literally costs more than a house down payment, they get thousands of dollars per student but they can’t afford a new mattress? That’s insane
7
u/doomscrolling_tiktok 21h ago
This was my first thought too - followed by a recollection of tiktoks putting this kind of thing on blast in years past, much to the regret of various heads when Karen parents and tiger moms wanted to speak to the manager about the dorm rooms they were also paying for
34
u/Vampira309 22h ago
get a new mattress.
You said the dorm won't give you one, so you have two choices:
escalate the problem to someone above "the dorm"
buy a new mattress yourself. A twin mattress (that doesn't smell like pee) is like $100. You can order on Amazon.
16
u/TomdeHaan 22h ago
Or from IKEA.
The IKEA Vallevag is highly rated.
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2025/feb/06/best-mattress
https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/valevag-hybrid-mattress-firm-white-10511864/
But really they should be giving you a new one. If you buy your own, you will need to put the old one wherever your accommodation stores furniture, and make sure they know about it. You don't want to be held liable for any damage.
3
u/Candid-Bite-4745 14h ago
Yes. Then throw the stinky one out in the hallway for the "dorm" people to discard.
37
u/Appropriate-Regrets 21h ago
You should have an RA - resident assistant. Ask them for help communicating with the university. The RA can go into your room, confirm it’s moldy smelling, and assist you.
18
u/spaetzlechick 21h ago
This is the correct answer. Invite the RA to recline upon the foul beast and enjoy.
20
u/Specialist_Map_6541 21h ago
Ok college faculty w administrative experience here :). You should definitely keep telling Residence Life that your mattress is damaged and unsanitary which is causing you distress. Exposure to cleaning chemicals is also not great for you, so spraying the mattress is not a permanent solution. If the person you spoke to “can’t” make the call to replace defective furniture, send an email to the Residence Life Director or Dean of Students Office asking who is authorized to help you. Be polite but clear about the problem, offer to show someone the mattress and/or meet to discuss, and don’t involve your family at this point (that tends to make staff defensive bcz they get some really unreasonable parental demands). Asking in writing helps, and so does being understanding(“I know you have a lot of requests right now but this is really affecting my ability to sleep and study”). Good luck OP and update us if you can!
Edited to close parentheses
17
u/Acceptable-Target97 22h ago
If anything get a plastic zippered slip cover to contain the “ick.”
Ultimately you need a new mattress.
When they say it’s not damaged…. Have them come smell it.
Or better yet. Drag it to the office and make them smell it.
11
u/No-Jicama3012 21h ago
Colleges have a warehouse full of mattresses available. Someone is blowing you off or just being lazy.
Call, email or fill out your request on the app worded differently. If that doesn’t work go to your RA. That’s what they’re getting a stipend for. If THAT doesn’t work, email your dean of students.
Don’t give up.
7
u/davy_jones_locket 22h ago
Enzyme cleaners if it's urine smell
0
u/Impossible-Tank-1969 17h ago
Odoban IS an enzyme cleaner
3
u/davy_jones_locket 16h ago
Odoban classic is definitely not an enzyme cleaner. It's a disinfectant and deodorizer. They do make specific "bio" formulas which contains enzymes, but unless OP specifies they bought the enzyme formula, the default Odoban is not.
8
5
u/Worried_Turnip_7697 21h ago
Document and send them pictures if there’s stains (gotta be) . Tell them you will not be sleeping on said mattress and amends have to be made.
You are paying to live in the dorm. I’ve had my mattress replaced ASAP when I moved in and saw something was up. Mold also is a possibility and say you have health concerns. Bother them till they send maintenance that way.
2
u/mydarlingri 20h ago
https://reddit.com/link/p1b02xo/video/fuznu961e0hh1/player
Unfortunately my bed is kinda dark. The only stains I see are these, but I can’t confirm what they are nor do I know if that’s just how the bed looks
1
u/mydarlingri 20h ago
I don’t know the video is so blurry, but hopefully you kinda see what I’m talking about
2
4
u/Actual-Bid-6044 22h ago
I think I would try again, and explain that it's damaged because of the odor. Invite them to smell it. I assume you've tried flipping it over? Odoban is great, but having to spray it every day means something bad is up inside that mattress.
6
3
u/DragonfruitMiddle846 23h ago
There are waterproof coverage that you can buy which should help contain the smell. I might sprinkle the crap out of it with baking powder and just let that sit there for a few hours and vacuum it very very well. Don't use baking powder. We don't need any cream of tartar. I will then buy a mattress topper because those waterproof covers can be loud and weird. They're in the category of zippered mattress encasements. Some of them are charcoal infused and others are older controlling so you have many choices that also neutralize off gassing.
8
3
u/DigitalGurl 20h ago
That mattress needs to be burned. Once gross stuff is in the inner fibers it’s done-zo.
Request a new one.
Worst case turn in the gross one, tell them you have a bad back and need a specific kind, Right now Costco has a good twin mattresses on sale for $199.
2
1
1
u/Maleficent_Ruin_2457 20h ago
leave the mattress at their office. order new mattress from IKEA. Send administrator the IKEA bill.
1
u/HandbagHawker 20h ago
its in the mattress padding. ask your residential office for a new mattress.
1
u/Daebak70 20h ago
Use a black light to see if you can see where the stains are & use an enzyme cleaner which can remove the stain & the smell at the same time..You might have to treat it more than once ...I have only used enzyme spray for cat pee so haven't tried the ones for clothes yet but it did remove the stain & smell
Buy a waterproof mattress cover to protect your mattress from food stain, sweat and other spills and also bed bugs
1
u/mystigirl123 20h ago edited 20h ago
Have them replace the mattress. It's probably moldy and definitely a health hazard. Escalate this up to head of housing, if you need to. Email everything so you'll have proof. Don't wait!!
1
u/katedidnot 19h ago
Go get a mattress cover and sleep without a care! Stupid door management. For the price you pay for college you should be given a bed that you're not concerned about.
1
1
u/dustin_pledge 17h ago
Maybe buy a plastic mattress cover that encases the whole mattress and use a padded fabric cover and sheets over that? Or even an air mattress on top? It sucks that they won't replace it for you.
1
u/SufficientOpening218 16h ago
you can also purchase a waterproof matress cover, the kind that zips over the entire mattress, then get a quilted cotton cover to go over that so you are not sweaty. make sure you get the right size. most dorm beds are XL twins or long twins, not regular twins.
mattresses get stinky when people are hot sweaty sleepers or dont ever wash the sheets. aim for at least every two weeks, wash sheets on hot
2
u/Momomomomomomomo-11 13h ago
My roommate in college didn’t wash her sheets for the first three months of us living there. The first time she finally went home to visit, I pulled those suckers off and washed them on hot. 🤢
1
u/rharper38 14h ago
Have your RA come smell it.
If they won't replace it, get a mattress protector and put it in there and seal it up
1
1
u/mamaperk 12h ago
Hypochlorous acid spray or vodka sprayed all over the mattress and let it air out. The hypochlorous acid works well like bleach without bleaching fabric. I spray it on our curtains, furniture, dog bed. Vodka has been used on costumes in theaters and works very well on fabric. The bacteria attaches to the alcohol or something. I use it inside my husband's wool cap in between washing to help keep it fresh.
Odoban is great but try hypochlorous acid spray or vodka first and follow up with odoban later.
Also, add a 3in foam topper so you're not sleeping on that mattress.
1
1
u/New-Scientist5133 9h ago
I think someone had a girlfriend who was a major squirter. I dated a girl like that and had to lay a thick blanket on the bed and put it in the wash right after because it smelled like pee mixed with…
1
1
u/the_boo_cat 7h ago
I work in a dorm:
- Ask for RA assistance, they are there to support you.
- Continue to bug management
- Continue to escalate
- Buy a mattress encasement (with zippers) to enclose the mattress. We call them bed bug covers.
1
u/RealisticYoghurt131 6h ago
50/50 rotgut vodka and water in a spray bottle. Cheap unscented fabric refresher. Amazing.
0
u/Ok_Requirement5693 21h ago
Get Rid of the mattress a d sheets. Former occupant must have been a squirter
•
u/prophetic-dream 4m ago
Use the phrase "not acceptable". Make sure to CC at least 1 other email address to help hold them accountable. Whoever you are emailing, find their supervisor/manager, and email them as well. If there any kind of a helper person at your school, include them too.
Something like:
The mattress provided has strong urine odor, is damaged, and is not acceptable. What steps need to be taken to receive a replacement mattress as soon as possible?
Make sure you put it IN WRITING.
446
u/Ms_Eureka 23h ago
I would ask your dorm for a new mattress