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 science tells you what the service does. Our certification chain proves it was actually done.
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.
What it does, and what it doesn't.
Both steps act on the surface and the accessible reservoir. We are precise about the limits, because that precision is what makes the rest credible.
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. We do not claim to sterilise the inside of a mattress or to make it permanently mite-free. No surface process can, and anyone who promises it is overselling.
What we do claim is a substantial, measurable reduction of 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.
The full evidence.
Every claim on this page traces to source. For anyone who wants to verify it:
Frequently asked questions
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. But it does not kill every living mite, they cling deep in the fabric, and we do not claim to. The allergen that triggers symptoms is in the removable debris, not the live mite itself, so reducing that debris is what matters.
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. The process substantially reduces surface and accessible contamination. It is not a sterilisation, and we do not present it as one.
How do you know the dose is enough?
The delivered UV-C dose is more than ten times the published dose required for a 99.9% reduction of the common bacteria found on bedding. The figures and sources are set out in the technical papers above.
How often should it be done?
Every 3 to 4 months suits most settings, more often in warm or humid environments. Even an annual service is meaningfully better than none, because the allergen otherwise accumulates unchecked.
Want to look under the bonnet?
The technical papers above set out every figure and citation. For anything further, get in touch.