How to Maximize the Life of Your Mattresses

A comfortable mattress is not only a necessity, but also an investment into your health and well-being.

We all rely on our mattresses to provide us with a clean and comfortable night’s rest. Unfortunately, the quality of a mattress is often overlooked until you start experiencing an achy back or lose multiple nights of sleep.

While there is not a single type of mattress that is perfect for everyone, taking a few steps to capitalize on the life of your mattress can make you realize other multiple health benefits.

Here are a few tips that will help your mattresses last a little bit longer.

Keep the Mattress Dry

The one thing that can cut back on the life of your mattress is moisture. Whenever you sleep, your body generates moisture in the form of sweat that gets trapped in your blankets or the mattress. This becomes even more persistent during the spring and summer months, particularly if you reside in a humid environment where the air remains damp, which prevents the evaporation of moisture.

The trapped moisture can get the spring and the foam inside affected. Worse still, the mattress can sag, grow mold, develop rust, or give off an unpleasant odor if not aerated and dried as soon as possible.

To protect your mattress from moisture, leave it uncovered for awhile after waking up in order to aerate it. In the case of spillage, wipe the affected area immediately with a towel. Directing a fan or a blower at an uncovered bed can also help drive away the moisture.

Keep the Mattress Covered

In addition to bed sheets and blankets, you have probably seen people covering their mattresses with a zippered cloth or some simple mattress pad. The reason for this is simple – it’s for extra protection. While most mattress covers are not purchased because of their comfort qualities, the covers and pad they provide serve as an added layer of protection for your body and your mattress.

Most of these covers and pads are made of removable and naturally soft and absorbent materials such as cotton and silky-soft polyester, which are designed to guard against spills, dirt, and body moisture. And since they’re removable, they can be washed on a regular basis, keeping your bed feeling fresh and hygienic.

We suggest using zippered bed bug protection mattress covers and box spring covers. These will fully protect your mattress and do not need to be removed and washed, except when and if necessary. A quilted mattress cover should be used over the mattress cover for comfort, and should be washed often.

While most people prefer these naturally breathable and absorbent mattress covers, others prefer the quilted covers that are densely filled with hypoallergenic wadding, which provided a barrier against moisture, or even a glass of water spilled on the bed. These non-permeable covers completely protect your mattress from moisture, irritants, dust, and mites.

Fight the Bed Bug Epidemic with Proper Protection

Unfortunately, it’s no longer news that the bed bug epidemic has returned to the hotel and hospitality industry in a major way over the last few years. Even if you and your staff are obsessively neat and tidy when it comes to cleaning rooms and bleaching and washing sheets, bed bugs may still pay your inn a visit.

Enclosing your mattresses, box springs and pillows in our Protect-A-Bed Encasements, which are entirely bed bug-proof, is an especially smart way to guard against infestations. We also suggest Rest Easy Bug Spray, which is the only all-natural bed bug killer that has been proven to kill bed bugs and prevent bed bug infestation.

For even more products and pest-deterring solutions, visit the Bed Bug Protection page on our website.

Use Your Mattress Correctly

Your mattress is designed for one sole function, and that is sleeping. As absurd as it might sound, mattresses wear when used incorrectly. It is vital to note that mattresses are engineered to support weight, but only when the weight is spread out, which only happens when you are sleeping.

For example, sitting on the edges of your mattress breaks the inner support system, causing it to be uneven. It may not sound like a big deal, but using your mattress for bouncy play, sitting, or as a dressing-bench can wear down your mattress prematurely.

Support Your Mattress

The box spring and the bed frame represent rather significant components of a mattress set. However, when most people buy a new mattress, they continue using their old box spring. The truth of the matter is that, over years, box springs develop impressions that can damage your mattress, providing inadequate support that can trigger sagging or breakage.

It is important to keep in mind that every mattress—even with a box spring—should be adequately supported across its body as well as on the outer edge of the frame. It’s also worth noting that by using a bed frame that allows free flow of air below the mattress, you will be extending the life of your mattress as well as increasing the surface area for de-moisturizing.

Be Gentle With Your Mattress

With its rigidity and strength, it is almost impossible to imagine that a mattress can be relatively delicate. Although a mattress doesn’t have to be treated in a fragile manner, the way you manipulate it while handling it can certainly determine how long it’s going to last.

Unless the mattress is specifically built for folding, do not bend or fold it. Some mattresses have border wires that can break when folded. When moving your mattress, hire a professional moving company, or at the very least, ask for support from friends.

With these few mattress life extension tips, you can rest assured that you’ll earn a few more years of comfortable rest. Please visit the Mattresses, Mattress Pads & Toppers, and Bed Bug Protection sections of our websites to view our selection of bedding supplies.

If you don’t see a mattress or other bedding supplies that work for your particular needs, please call 1-800-877-4667 to speak with one of our knowledgeable sales reps, who will be happy to guide you with the right choice.