to expect people to sleep on this mattress?

[Grumpla]

Bought a second-hand bed off eBay, along with a mattress. Paid £30 for both. We are skint at the moment so it seemed a lot cheaper than hiring a van and driving three hours to Ikea or whatever.

Bed frame is up, looks okay, but mattress is a bit whiffy. Not really a definable smell "of" anything, but just smells a little bit stale.

I've used a ton of Shaws anti-odour spray on it and shaken half a bottle of chamomile essential oil over that (no Febreeze in the cupboard, had to improvise).

It now smells strongly of chamomile. Do you think if I just make the bed up (got a nice thick clean mattress pad / topper thingy to go under sheet) it will be okay? Or am I kidding myself?

Loath to spend £70 minimum on a mattress I'm not going to sleep on myself when there are other things we need the money for.

I would have flea sprayed, left to air by an open window or garned if not raining. Then I would have got some shake n' vac £1 from Tesco and it smells nice.
Make it up like you say with a thick matress topper, and sheet and it would have been fine.
The people your inviting to stay don't need to know it was ever a bit whiffy and i assume if they are staying they are friend or family who are there to see you not scrutinise your bed.