The Evidence
What we do, and the evidence behind it.
CleanMyBed treats a mattress in two steps: powerful HEPA-filtered extraction, then a high-dose UV-C surface-sanitation pass. This page explains how each step works, what it does and does not achieve, and points to the full evidence behind every claim. The same science holds whether you are reading for your own bed or for the people you look after.
Where would you like to start?
The science is the same for everyone. Where you begin depends on who you are reading for.
A cleaner, healthier bed for you
Start with what the service actually does to your mattress, then the evidence on how the allergen load affects sleep and allergy.
Start here → For guests or residentsBeds you are responsible for
You run a hotel, guesthouse, care home or rental. See what mattress hygiene means for wellbeing, warranties and the proof you can show.
Start here → Just the evidenceThe figures and the sources
You want to check the claims. Go straight to the five technical papers and the citations behind every figure on this page.
Start here →The whole argument, in one map.
See how every part of the story connects, from why it matters to what we do and the proof it was done, laid out as a single picture.
Two steps, two jobs.
The two steps target different contaminants, and neither does the other's job. Extraction removes the allergen reservoir but does not inactivate micro-organisms. UV-C inactivates surface micro-organisms but does not remove allergen or reach beneath the surface. Run together, in the right order, they reduce both.
HEPA-filtered extraction
Strong commercial suction lifts the loose material out of the surface and accessible layers of the mattress: dust, dead skin, and the allergen-carrying debris that builds up over years. The detail that matters is what happens to it next. Sealed HEPA 13 filtration (99.95% retention) captures and holds those particles inside the unit, rather than returning them to the room air.
- Around 95% of the major dust-mite allergen is carried on faecal particles of 10 to 40 microns
- Those particles are far larger than the filter's hardest-to-capture size, so they are reliably retained
- This is removal and containment, not the re-dispersal that lets ordinary household vacuums down
UV-C surface sanitation
Once the surface is clean, a high-powered UV-C germicidal light is passed closely over it, the same 254nm technology used in hospitals and water treatment. At the dose delivered, it sanitises the mattress surface.
- A measured 21.4 mW/cm² at the working distance, over a 10 to 15 second dwell
- A delivered dose of roughly 180 to 320 mJ/cm², more than ten times the dose needed for a 99.9% reduction of the common bacteria found on bedding
- Inactivates surface bacteria and the majority of viruses in direct line of sight
Why this order
Clean first, then sanitise, the same sequence used in clinical settings. Removing the dust layer first means the UV-C reaches the surface properly, instead of being blocked by debris. Established infection-control guidance is explicit that cleaning must precede disinfection, because residual soil shields micro-organisms from the treatment.
See it in action
What it does, and what it doesn't.
Both steps act on the surface and the accessible reservoir. Here is what they reach, and what they do not.
What it does
Removes a large share of the surface allergen reservoir and contains it; sanitises the cleaned surface against bacteria and most viruses; and, repeated on schedule, keeps the load down. Independent research on thorough, repeated cleaning shows the dust-mite allergen reservoir can be reduced by approximately 78 to 85%.
What it doesn't
It does not reach material embedded deep in the fabric and fill. UV-C is line-of-sight and does not pass through the mattress. It does not remove every living mite, because mites cling to the fibres. And it does not break down allergen protein already present, or sterilise the interior of the mattress.
What it does is substantially and measurably reduce what's accessible, the material on and near the surface that you actually breathe in while you sleep, without spreading it around the room.
Why it's a service, not a one-off.
The reservoir rebuilds. Dust mites complete a generation in about a month, and in warm, humid conditions a population can recover within weeks. Skin cells are deposited nightly as a fresh food supply, and the allergen itself does not decay. Left alone, it simply accumulates year after year. So the benefit comes from a regular rhythm, not a single clean.
More often is better
The deepest reductions in the research come from frequent treatment.
Every 3 to 4 months suits most settings
Keeping the reservoir suppressed between services; warm, humid environments warrant more frequent treatment.
Even once a year beats never
Each service removes the accumulated reservoir and resets the build-up.
There is no interval at which treatment stops being worthwhile. More frequent service simply means a lower average amount of allergen around you while you sleep.
The science says what it does. The chain proves it was done.
A scientific claim is only half the answer a serious buyer needs. The other half is proof that the work actually happened: on this bed, by a trained operator, on registered equipment, on schedule. That's what the certification chain delivers, every service logged with equipment serial numbers, UV-C dwell time, extraction record, operator signature and an auto-lapsing verification page.
Responsible for other people's sleep?
If you run a hotel, a guesthouse, a care home or a rental property, the bed is not your own. It is one you are vouching for on every booking or tenancy. The same science applies, only now it sits across dozens or hundreds of beds, and it becomes a question of duty of care as much as hygiene.
Guest and resident wellbeing
Every guest sleeps on the accumulated traces of those before them, invisible and outside their control. A scheduled, recorded service is how you stand behind the bed you provide.
A warranty and asset decision
Many mattress warranties are voided by moisture or steam. A dry process keeps the warranty intact and the mattress structurally sound for longer, deferring replacement.
Proven, not just promised
Every service is logged: equipment, dwell time, operator and date. You can show exactly what was done, on which bed, and when.
The full library.
Every claim on this page traces to source. Three ways in, so you can head straight for the one you want.
The technical papers
The full evidence and method, with every figure and citation. For when you want to check a claim yourself.
Plain-language reading
Short, approachable articles. The why, without the technical detail.
How it's delivered and proven
The equipment, certification, training and platform behind every service.
Frequently asked questions
What does the service actually do?
It treats a mattress in two steps. First, powerful HEPA-filtered extraction lifts the dust, dead skin and allergen-carrying debris out of the surface and accessible layers, and traps it inside the unit rather than blowing it back into the room. Then a high-dose UV-C pass sanitises the cleaned surface, inactivating bacteria and the majority of viruses in its path. Together they substantially reduce the contamination on and near the surface you breathe from. The full method is in the two-part process paper.
Does it kill dust mites?
The vacuum removes a large share of mites and their allergen-rich debris, and the UV-C inactivates surface-exposed mite eggs in its path. It does not kill every living mite; they cling deep in the fabric. The allergen that triggers symptoms is carried in the removable debris, not in the live mite itself, so reducing that debris is what actually matters.
Will it help with my allergies or asthma?
It substantially reduces the dust-mite allergen reservoir on and near the surface, the material you breathe in for seven or eight hours a night, and contains it rather than spreading it. Lowering that exposure is widely recommended as part of managing dust-mite allergy. It will not cure allergy or asthma, but the evidence behind reducing the load is set out in the health case.
Does it sterilise the mattress?
No. UV-C sanitises the surface it reaches; it does not pass into the mattress, so the interior is not sterilised. It does not remove every living mite, and it does not reach what is embedded deep in the fabric. The process substantially reduces surface and accessible contamination.
How is this different from steam cleaning or a normal vacuum?
Steam and many sprays set out to kill mites, but killing a mite does not remove the allergen it has already left behind, and steam adds moisture, which dust mites depend on and which can encourage mould. An ordinary domestic vacuum can stir fine allergen back into the air. Our process removes the allergen and contains it behind sealed HEPA 13 filtration, and adds no water at all. The fuller argument is in why conventional cleaning falls short.
Does the mattress get wet, or are any chemicals used?
No. The whole process is dry: no water, no steam, no chemicals, no fragrance and no residue. There is nothing to dry out afterwards, and nothing left behind in the surface you sleep on.
Is it safe for memory foam and all mattress types?
Yes. Because it is completely dry and applies no heat to the foam, it is safe for memory foam, latex, sprung and hybrid mattresses. It also avoids the moisture that voids many mattress warranties, so, unlike wet or steam methods, it does not put your warranty at risk.
How do you know the UV-C dose is enough?
UV-C works by building up a dose over time, so the light has to be held close and held still, not waved past. We hold the lamp at a fixed short distance for a measured dwell, which delivers more than ten times the published dose needed for a 99.9% reduction of the common bacteria found on bedding. The figures and sources are in the UV-C paper, and the plain-language version is Why UV-C needs time.
How often should it be done?
The allergen reservoir rebuilds over the weeks and months after a service, so the benefit comes from a regular rhythm rather than a one-off. Every 3 to 4 months suits most settings, more often in warm or humid environments where mites recover faster, and less often in cool, dry, well-ventilated rooms. Even an annual service is meaningfully better than none, because the allergen otherwise accumulates unchecked year after year.
How do I know it was actually done?
Every service is logged: the equipment used, the UV-C dwell time, the extraction record, the operator and the date, with a verification page for the specific bed. The science says what the service does; the certification chain proves it was done.
Want to look under the bonnet?
The technical papers set out every figure and citation. Whether it's for your own bed or for the people you look after, get in touch.