It is not enough to get the right mattress that suits your sleep needs and comfort. There is more to buying the right mattress: you need knowledge of how to care for your mattress to maximise the benefits of your investment.
So, here are tips on how to take care of your mattress to make it last longer and serve you better.
Switch Your Mattress Sides
For your mattress to last longer, it is important to rotate or flip your mattress occasionally. When you rotate your mattress, you only turn it by a degree of 180 but still lie on the same surface of the mattress. However, flipping involves completely turning your mattress over to sleep on the other side. Though not all mattresses can be flipped, if possible, flipping or rotating your mattress at least every six months ensures even distribution of the pressure on the mattress, reduces the potential of wear and tear, and extends its life span.
Use a Bed frame:
A bed frame provides support for your mattress. While some mattresses come with a bed frame you should get the right bed frame that can adequately carry you and the mattress.
Use a Mattress Protector:
An investment in a mattress protector is the easiest means to extend the lifespan of your mattress. A mattress protector shields your mattress from stains, and exposure to dust mites and other pollutants. With a waterproof mattress protector, your mattress will be free from spills, or bed-wetting stains and odors that can ruin the warranty on your mattress or even result in quick wear and tear. If you want a clean and nice mattress for a long period of time, then get a mattress protector today.
Don’t jump on it:
It may feel good bouncing or jumping on your mattress, but hey, you are setting the coils and fiber of your mattress up for quick damage. This means another budget and expenses for a new mattress.
Remove Stain Immediately:
Got a stain on your mattress? You can easily get rid of stains without harming your mattress. It’s important to remove stains immediately to avoid setting them deeper into the mattress. You can remove stains by mixing a small amount of baking soda, salt, and water in a bowl. Apply the mixture to the stain and wipe away with a moist clean cloth after 30 minutes. Interestingly, baking soda is also used to absorb the smell of a mattress.
Ensure Proper Ventilation:
Of course, your mattress needs to breathe too. A poorly ventilated mattress restricts the movement of air resulting in so many disadvantages. Imagine sleeping on a mattress that continuously absorbs sweat, oil, and even moisture from the air without proper ventilation. As expected, the smell from such a mattress will be unpleasant; with a potential for health issues as this disturbs sleep. We recommend using a bed frame or bed base that is porous and regularly opening your windows to allow proper ventilation.
Change your Spot frequently:
Certainly, we all have that spot on our mattress that gives us the desired comfort when we sit to tie our shoes, cream our body, or even get dressed. Breaking News! That spot is under undue pressure and needs relief. Sitting on the same spot on your mattress every time can cause your mattress to lose its shape. Imagine if that spot sags while other sides retain their form.
Frequently Asked Questions on Mattress Care
The reasons why cleaning your mattress is very important is because when you sleep on your mattress, dead skin cells that fall off your body. These dead skin cells lead to dust and debris attract dust mites which can lead to allergies for you. In addition, the sweat that soak your mattress when you sleep can become a breeding ground for bacteria which is not good for your health.
Mattress cleaning isn’t as hard as it seems. If you have the time, you can clean your mattress by yourself or you can equally engage the services of a professional cleaning agency to do it for you.
For mattress cleaning, all you need is a duster. Use it every day to get rid of dead skin cells and dust. Also, flip your mattress every now and then to avoid dust mites from pitching their tent in your mattress. You can also use a bed bug spray on your mattress to keep these pests at bay.
You should aim to clean the surface of your mattress every week, as you’re changing the bed covers. You should give your mattress a deeper, more thorough, clean once every six months.
Fresh air always helps to eliminate most odors in your mattress. What you need to do is to always open your bedrooms windows and doors to allow fresh air to circulate, especially when you have removed the sheets from your bed. You can also sprinkle your mattress with a small amount of baking soda. This helps to get rid of smells which have soaked in. Leave the baking soda for as long as possible before cleaning off the excess.
It’s not just your mattress that you need to keep clean, it’s your bedding too! This includes your pillows, pillowcases, sheets, duvet cover and duvet. Ideally, you should aim to wash your sheets, duvet cover and pillowcases at least once a week, or more if you tend to invite your pets into your bed. It is also suggested that you launder the duvet itself at least every six months and your pillows every four months.
Averagely, a mattress should be flipped every week for the first three months, then subsequently, once every month is ideal. The reason for this is to ensure you sleep on different areas of the mattress to spread the usage of the weight from your body. This will prolong the life span of your mattress.
Rotating your mattress means spinning it from top to bottom i.e. where your head was moves to your feet. You should do this every week for the first three months, after this every month is sufficient.
The best time to do this is when you are laundering the bedding. Leave the bed stripped and the mattress bare to let the fresh air circulate around the mattress for a couple of hours.
Stains on your mattress can be caused by all sorts of bodily fluids including sweat, urine and the oils that are naturally present in your skin. Sweat stains are the most common cause of yellow mattress stains. When these liquids get on to your mattress, the excess moisture they create can lead to mold and mildew. These can also look like yellow stains, but they will be smaller spots in a specific area.
Your mattress need a replacement when you notice that your mattress is no longer supportive, or it is noticeable damaged or you notice an increase in allergies, then, at that point you need to invest in a new mattress. However, the average lifespan of a mattress is six to eight years.
