How to Take Care of Your Mattress

Whether you are thinking about replacing your mattress, or just wondering how to keep your mattress healthy and make sure it lasts a long time, learning about the different types of mattresses, important routine maintenance tasks, and some do’s and don’ts for good mattress care will help you make the most of your investment.

Comfort is the most important factor that people seek when choosing a new mattress. You have many different types of mattresses to choose from, including: traditional spring mattresses, pillow tops, water beds, air beds, memory foam, latex foam and polyurethane foam.

Polyurethane foam is lightweight, making it one of the easiest mattresses to maneuver. It can be soft or firm, springy and has a quick response to pressure. There are three main types of poly foam: regular grade, high density, and high resiliency. Typically a poly foam mattress will use a combination these three in order to get the best support and comfort for the price.

For the health and longevity of your mattress, there are two maintenance tasks which you should routinely perform for your mattresses: flipping & rotating, and vacuuming.

You should be flipping and rotating your mattress to give the springs or foam a rest, which will enable your mattress to last longer. You should rotate your mattress every six months. That is, swing the head of your mattress to where your feet go. And then 3 months later, you should flip your mattress over. That is, you should turn your mattress over so that the top is now on the bottom, while still keeping the head end at the head end. To help clean and freshen your mattress, you should take the opportunity while flipping and rotating your mattress to vacuum it.

Dust mites and dander can build up in your mattress over time. To remove this you should use the upholstery attachments of your vacuum cleaner to thoroughly vacuum your mattress. You should vacuum your mattresses at least every three months. 

DO’s

Do use a mattress cover. Mattress covers are removable and washable, and help protect your mattress from dust, bed bugs and other allergens. Water-resistant mattress pads are especially good if you have young children who are prone to bed-wetting accidents.

Do strip your bed when leaving on vacation. When you are going to be away from your home for an extended period of time, it creates a great opportunity to allow your beds to fully air out

Do replace broken foundations. Ensure that your mattress is properly supported.

DON’Ts

Don’t eat, drink or smoke on the bed.  Eating or drinking in bed can lead to staining, and can leave odors and lead to breeding grounds for mold and other infestations. Smoking in bed can lead to deadly fires, and the smoke odor saturates into the mattress.

Don’t stand on or allow jumping on spring mattresses.  Standing on these puts too much weight in a small area, which can permanently damage your mattress.

Foam mattresses can take this type of abuse!

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