If you spend a third of your life sleeping, you are probably spending a lot of time lying or sleeping on a mattress. And in most instances, you invest heavily on a quality mattress for quality rest. Once you have invested in the best quality mattress, a little care and maintenance can go a long way in keeping your mattress in the best conditions beyond the conventional lifespan of 6-10 years.
While you cannot keep your mattress forever, awareness to the environment and knowing the best ways to pamper it can help the mattress stay healthy, clean and keep providing you the desired rest for the longest time possible. We have put together some of the basic care techniques for your mattress.
Ensure your mattress is properly supported
As much as mattresses are designed to support you, they generally require a flat base or foundation to lie on for support. A flat base ensures that possibility of a mattress sagging and forming uneven patterns are minimised. Secondly, a flat base helps preserve the integrity of materials and prevent wearing on the mattress. Inspect your bed frames and foundations from time to time to ensure they are strong and can support the mattress evenly.
Forbid jumping on the mattress
Sorry little munchkins, a mattress is not a trampoline. Bouncing on your mattress is not only safe but also not doing favors to your mattress. Sharp and uncalculated force on a mattress causes disruption its structure as it is designed to take calculated pressure gently and uniformly. The more hard you press your mattress the likelier it is to tear and wear hence comfort reduction.
Avoid eating in bed
Just a simple snack may seem harmless but danger lurks in the form of tiny crumbs and liquids that fall and spill on the mattress respectively. They can attracts bugs and critters that will eventually make your mattress less pleasant. If you must eat on the mattress, make sure you change your sheets regularly- 2-5 days.
Rotate or flip your mattress regularly
Mattresses are dual sided for a reason-with exceptions of utility mattresses made of materials of different densities- you are supposed to use both sides to sleep on. Rotating the mattress ensures that tear and wear is evenly spread on the mattress and not on the specific spots that you sleep on every night. Every two to six months rotate the mattress 180 degrees from head to foot.
Let light in occasionally
Every one or two months strip your mattress and let sunlight on the mattress for several hours depending on heat intensity. This helps prevent excess moisture trapped in the mattress both from sleepers and humidity, and may also help keep dust mite populations in check Alternatively, you can vacuum your mattress at least twice a year will help prevent a build up of sweat, dust and allergens.
