5 Basic Guidelines for Keeping Your Mattress in Tip-Top Shape

If you’re like most people, you look forward to a good night’s sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress. But unfortunately, many people take their mattresses for granted and fail to maintain them. As a result, they don’t get the sleep they need. When you buy a new mattress, it’s critical you give it the proper care it needs as soon as it arrives at your home. With a little TLC, your mattress should be good for many years. Here are five basic guidelines on how to keep your mattress in tip-top shape, along with some considerations and warnings.

1. Rotate Your Mattress 

It’s extremely important that you rotate your mattress. In other words, turn your mattress around 180 degrees. When you rotate a mattress, the head of the mattress becomes the foot of the mattress. The reason for rotating a mattress is so that you’ll be sleeping on different surfaces of your mattress. Besides making your mattress more comfortable, rotating your mattress prevents sagging on areas where you sleep the most.

Although many people think rotating a mattress is the same as flipping it, it actually isn’t. When you rotate a mattress, flipping isn’t involved because once you’ve rotated your mattress, you’ll still be sleeping on the same mattress surface. As a general rule, it’s best to rotate a mattress about every three to six months.

2. Keep Your Bedroom Well Ventilated 

Another tip for mattress care is keeping your bedroom well ventilated. Consider that microbes thrive in a humid environment. To prevent this from occurring, give your bedroom sufficient ventilation by opening windows if weather permits. Also, open your bedroom door. Just be sure not to let more dust enter as this can defeat your purpose. If you can afford it, it’s a good idea to invest in a dehumidifier since this is helpful in lowering humidity levels. 

3. Don’t Allow Kids to Jump on the Bed 

As an adult, you’ve probably outgrown your temptation to jump on your bed. But if you have young children, it’s essential you enforce the rule of “no jumping on beds”. Explain to your kids how jumping on a bed can shorten the lifespan of the mattress as well as let dirt accumulate on the mattress surface.

4. Use a Mattress Cover 

For your mattress to remain in optimal condition, you’ll need a mattress cover. Even adults need a mattress cover. Keep in mind how a cover protects your mattress from body moisture. Wash your cover before you put it on your mattress to remove starch, which was used during the manufacturing process. 

5. Know When to Buy a New Mattress 

One of the primary clues it may be time to buy a new mattress is sagging. When a mattress sags, it can be a “red light” that the springs are starting to break down. Another sign indicating it is time to replace a mattress is the memory foam becoming softer as well as the fibers in the other materials compressing, which leads to sagging.

Other Tips, Considerations, and Warnings 

• After you start using your mattress, it begins to settle with different areas of it settling at various rates because of weight distribution. Thus, don’t be alarmed when this occurs. Even though everything starts to settle, your mattress should be just as supportive as the day you first slept on it.
• Let your mattress air out. After getting out of bed in the morning, remove the covers.
• Be sure to clean your mattress on a regular basis. When cleaning your mattress, avoid harsh detergents and chemical cleaners. Be sure it has adequate time for drying out.
• Sun-dry your mattress after laundering it because this is an excellent way of killing microbes naturally.
• Try to keep pets off your bed.
• Consider framing your mattress. In addition to serving as a decorative purpose, a bed frame offers support for the shape of a mattress.
• If there are storage drawers included on the base of the mattress, don’t overstuff them as this can damage the mattress frame. What’s more, an overstuffed drawer can also cause jamming.
• Don’t be surprised it if it can take time to get used to a new mattress. Consider how your mattress and your body need time to adjust to one another. Furthermore, the mattress fillings need time for adjusting.

Maybe you’ve done all these things, yet you still need a new mattress. If so, don’t hesitate to stop by one of our five convenient locations or contact us.