Expert Tips on Mattress Care and Maintenance

Subhashish Bose
3 min readJul 22, 2021

Mattress plays a vital role in falling into the perfect sleep at night, which significantly affects almost every aspect of your life. Undoubtedly, your mattress is your valuable possession, one you will want to protect. Performing some relatively easy care and maintenance can keep your mattress in prime condition and keep providing you with comfort for years to come. Failure to do so can make the mattress sag and lead to the accumulation of dust mites, dirt, and pathogens in it. Here are all the details you need to extend the lifespan of your mattress, whether it is a new mattress that you recently bought or an old one.

Unwrap the Packaging of Your Mattress

Soon on the arrival of the new mattress, remove its packaging and keep it in your home to get rid of the chemical smell that might emanate from the mattress. Once aired for a few days, the smell from the mattress should disappear. Ensure not to leave the plastic wrappings in your garage for long as rot can quickly result.

Air Your Mattress Daily

In addition to airing the mattress on arrival, make a habit of airing it daily to make the mattress last longer. Remove the duvet and pillows in the morning and let the mattress air for 20 minutes. This way, the body fluid present in the mattress will evaporate out.

Rotating Your Mattress Regularly

Not every mattress requires flipping and rotating and it makes sense to follow the manufacturer’s advice. Newer Innerspring, Foam, and latex mattresses should be turned over and rotated every 6 to 12 months while older Innerspring mattress needs a 2 to 6-month gap between two rotations. Certain mattresses like those having a zoned design do not require rotation as that may lead to the mattress becoming less comfortable and supportive. Rotating your mattress not only makes the best use of the mattress but helps in settling down the upholstery fillings more evenly.

Stop Bouncing on the Mattress

To reduce natural settlement from occurring on your mattress, try not to sit on its edge regularly and stop kids from jumping on it. Otherwise, the mattress could lose support sooner due to undue strain on the bed.

Use a Mattress Protector

A mattress protector is a cost-effective way of protecting your bed from spills, stains, and body fluids and keeps it clean and undamaged. These protectors are washable and replaceable fitted sheets lying underneath the bedsheets. If you have a dust allergy, buy protectors that are made with ‘barrier’ fabric as protection against dust allergy.

Routine Cleaning of Your Mattress

Cleaning your mattress may not be high on your list of household chores. But it is sensible to spend a few minutes cleaning your mattress and keeping it as hygienic as you can to prevent it from becoming a haven for dust mites and bacteria that build up over time. Use your vacuum cleaner for a thorough vacuuming of your mattress and base to keep your mattress looking and smelling clean. For serious stains, you can use the services of mattress cleaning experts for the best results. While there are no hard and fast rules about how frequently to clean a mattress, vacuuming every six months is advisable. For those having allergies, more frequent vacuuming will be beneficial.

Using a Mattress Topper

If you find your mattress getting less comfortable with time or if you bought a no-turn mattress, you might consider buying a separate mattress topper. This way, you can rotate the base mattress while turning and rotating the topper to adjust the firmness of the mattress and help even out the wear over time.

Making Use of Mattress Guarantee

In due course, your mattress will start sagging or develop permanent indentations in the sleep surface. However, if you notice premature sagging of the mattress, consider contacting the retailer or manufacturer with a warranty that covers bad workmanship or the use of faulty materials. However, most warranties do not cover the gradual wear and tear of mattresses over time.

If you have been using your mattress for several years, you may consider replacing it. Waking up with back pain and not feeling rested during sleep are all cues that it is time to replace your mattress. It’s worthwhile sleeping on your new mattress to improve the overall quality of your life.

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Subhashish Bose
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Subhashish Bose is a freelance writer. Mail ID: subha18bose@gmail.com