How to take care of your mattress

It wasn’t that long ago that mattresses were one of the most neglected items in most households. Today, however, many people are choosing to invest in a quality mattress set as an important part of their sleep system. And it’s a great decision if done right.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor estimates that Americans sleep an average of 7.7 hours every day. That is a lot of mattress time. The quality of your sleep depends a lot on your mattress — specifically its quality and how well you take care of it. Once you have found the right mattress, you’ll want to know how it can be properly maintained.

Scientific studies show that healthy sleep is crucial to general health and well-being. But how do you get better sleep and better support from your mattress? According to the American Sleep Association, keeping your mattress clean and “properly supported” will not only help you to enjoy a favorable sleep experience, but it can also contribute to your overall health.

Taking care of your mattress can seem kind of daunting, but the interaction itself is very simple.

To take better care of your mattress, you have to know how to clean and maintain it properly. Take a look at the following tips to accomplish this task easier.

Many people don’t really think about their mattress warranty until they need it, but reading it before doing anything with your mattress can bring peace of mind. For those who have had their mattress for a while and are wondering what to do when it’s time to clean it, we highly suggest reading over your statement of warranty beforehand.

The first thing you should do as soon as you get a new mattress is take it out of the plastic wrapping and keep it in your home. Leave any plastic wrappings on, and don’t leave it in the garage for a week, as the damp might lead to rot. Unwrap your mattress immediately so there’s no chance of mold growing inside or outside of it. Then, make sure to treat it with products specific to preventing or eliminating bedbug infestations — usually, this means using powders or sprays licensed to kill these pests without damaging your mattress.

Because of the increasing use of plastics in our mattresses they don’t just need to be aired occasionally, they are best aired daily. Not only will airing your mattress help it last longer naturally by allowing moisture out, but it will also prevent those dreaded moulds that can build up down the line.

A mattress protector is a soft, washable cover that protects your mattress from stains and damage. They are particularly useful when you have pets or small children. Instead of having to replace your mattress or deal with stains, a protective cover will not only prolong the life of your mattress: it could prevent you from having to purchase a new one altogether.

The theory is that new mattresses sometimes have lumpy upholstery fillings, so regular turning will help them to settle down more evenly. This way, the mattress can stay flatter for longer and sleepers won’t feel as if they’ve settled into sags or dips in the mattress.

Not all mattresses need to be turned. As long as the manufacturer recommends it, you can continue to flip and rotate the mattress every week during the first three months, and then every three to four months after that. As a result, the upholstery fillings will settle down more evenly.

The Sleep Council estimates that the average adult sheds approximately 454g of dead skin throughout the course of a year, most of which ends up nestled within the bed.

Vacuum the mattress base: It is important to keep the mattress and its base clean. Bacteria, molds, dead skin cells, dust, dander and other particles can build up on your mattress and contribute to allergies. Vacuuming the mattress base once in a while can help keep rid of these allergens.

Although there is no exact answer to how often a mattress should be cleaned, it is advisable to clean it every six months.

A good mattress is quite an investment so you want to make sure you’re looking after it. One of the simplest ways of doing this is remembering not to sit or jump on the edge of your bed regularly. This could be detrimental to the longevity of your bedding.

As you fall asleep you drop sweat, oils, hair, and cells from your skin. The food eaten in bed leaves behind crumbs, and pets can track in all sorts of stuff. In addition to getting gross, this can breed bacteria and encourage dust mites in mattress layers.

According to most cleaning experts, bed sheets and blankets should be washed every week to every two weeks. Even when you use a mattress protector, it’s still important to keep linens clean. Wash the mattress protector on a regular basis according to the manufacturer’s directions.

This one should be pretty self-explanatory. For example, do not jump on the bed, do not put an old mattress under the new one instead of a box spring (yes, this happened to one of my customers), and do not smoke in the bed…use common sense. You should treat the mattress as the important, valuable item that it is.