How to take care of your mattress
While most mattresses last at least a decade, there are cases where mattresses fail prematurely. For instance, jumping on a spring mattress can damage the springs, causing sagging or poor support on one side. Not turning or flipping your mattress can also cause uneven wear.
Taking care of your mattress will extend its lifespan and ensure you continue to get the best out of it. The last thing you want is for your mattress to need replacing after just a few years, especially with the cost of living going up.
Here’s how to take care of your mattress:
Use a mattress protector from the beginning
A mattress protector will extend the life of your mattress by protecting it from spills and stains, abrasion between the mattress and bedsheet (which causes bobbling) and reducing the impact of skin and sweat on the mattress over time.
By reducing wear and tear to the outer cover, your mattress will look new for longer and need cleaning less. There will hardly ever be a need to clean your mattress if you use a mattress topper and wash the topper every week.
Don’t jump on your mattress!
Jumping on a sprung mattress can permanently damage the innerspring system, causing sagging and poor support. Additionally, springs can work their way loose, causing lumps and bumps in the mattress that are uncomfortable.
Jumping on a memory or reflex foam mattress is less likely to cause damage. Still, heavy impacts and sharp objects can irreparably damage the foam, either by penetrating or ripping apart the adhesive holding the foams together.
Don’t get it wet
All liquids other than water are hazardous to your mattress, from sugary drinks that crystallise when they dry to milky drinks that grow mould. A mattress topper will prevent this, but there will probably be one time you are caught out.
If a liquid is spilt on your mattress, press a wad of paper towels into the mattress to soak up as much of the liquid as possible. Then, use a wet vacuum (or a sponge with mild soap) to agitate the liquid in the fibres and lift it out.
Rotate/flip the mattress regularly
Depending on your mattress type, the manufacturer might recommend regularly rotating or flipping the mattress. This action evens out mattress wear and ensures that the mattress doesn’t have any overloaded zones.
If in doubt about flipping, remember that all mattresses can be rotated. Rotating a mattress simply means periodically putting the head of the mattress at the foot end, and we recommend rotating your mattress every two weeks.
Treat your mattress with odour neutraliser every month
Spraying your mattress with an odour neutraliser like Febreze every month will ensure it stays smelling fresh. If you don’t use a mattress topper, then you should treat your mattress every week and give it 30 minutes to breathe without bedding.
Avoid scents that are overpowering and sprays with potentially hazardous ingredients. You can get organic fabric deodorising sprays and natural sprays that are less likely to make you sneeze and interrupt your sleep.
Wash your bedding regularly
If you don’t wash your bedding regularly, it will start to smell, and this smell will leak into your mattress over time. Your pillowcases, duvet cover and bedsheet, should be washed at least every two weeks, and once per week is best.
The same goes for your mattress topper. Anything you don’t sleep with, like scatter cushions, can escape the wash. If you can’t wash your bedding frequently, spray it with a fabric odour neutraliser like Febreze.
Summing up
Ultimately, taking care of your mattress only requires a few common-sense steps:
- Use a mattress protector
- Don’t jump on it
- Don’t get it wet (and clean up spills sharpish)
- Rotate/flip it
- Treat it with odour neutraliser now and again
- Wash your bedding, so everything smells nice