If you want to prolong your mattress’ life, then you have to know how to care for it properly. However, there are some things that you have to do and not do when it comes to mattress maintenance.
The Do’s in Caring for Mattresses
Because mattresses tend to sag over time, especially in the areas where it receives the most weight, it’s important to turn it at least a couple or four times yearly. This will ensure that the wear is distributed evenly. You have to turn over the mattress upside down, and you also have to turn it side to side, making sure that the head is now at the foot of the bed.
Mattresses can trap dust mites, so see to it that you give it a good vacuuming at least a couple of times each year. Vacuum all surfaces of the mattress, not just the top portion.
Mattresses can also trap dampness, so it’s also very important that you expose it under the sun. Not only can this dry the mattress, but direct sunlight can also help reduce dust mite population. Also, exposing the mattress under direct sunlight helps in getting rid of mold and mildew, eliminating the odor coming from them as well.
If you have children, it’s advisable that you get waterproof mattress covers. If you don’t have mattress covers though and the mattress is a little damp, what you can do as an emergency solution is to pour baking soda over the soiled area. You can leave the baking soda for about 30 minutes to an hour until it soaks up the dampness. Once done, you can simply scrape off the moist baking soda or clean it up with your vacuum cleaner. Aside from absorbing dampness, baking soda also absorbs odors.
When it comes to washing mattresses, see to it that you don’t soak the mattress too much with water. Simply use the foams of the detergent to wash the top of the mattress, but quickly wipe it off with a dry, clean cloth. You don’t want the mattress to absorb more liquid. If this happens, leave the mattress under direct sunlight for hours until the mattress is thoroughly dry.
The Don’ts in Caring for Mattresses
There are also don’ts when it comes to mattress care. For one, we may not realize it but we are used to sitting on one spot of the mattress each day. What this does is to make that one spot sag. The more you sit on the same spot, the more it sags. As mentioned earlier, you have to distribute the wear of the mattress evenly, so be sure that you change areas to sit on once in a while.
Two, don’t bring any liquids to bed. You don’t want to accidentally spill it on the mattress and get it wet. If this happens, then pour baking soda on the spill as soon as possible and allow it to soak up the liquid.
Three, do not remove any tags on your mattress. In case of factory defects, you will need the information there when you fill up a warranty claim. Without the tag, you won’t be able to take advantage of the warranty.