Mattress Tips

Buying a Mattress

When buying a mattress, make your sure to lay down on it. Just sitting on a mattress won't tell you what it's like to sleep on it. Take it for a test drive in the store.

Protect Your Mattress

Put a protective cover over your mattresses. If you have kids that are prone to accidents, a vinyl cover works the best. Anyone's mattress can benefit from a mattress pad, it keeps dirt and sweat from getting into the mattress and prevents you from having to wash your mattress. It's much easier to clean a mattress pad than it is a mattress.

Flip Your Mattress

Get into the habit of flipping and rotating your mattress once a month. This will prevent one side from being worn down more than another. Futon mattresses should also be folded, flipped and rotated regularly. Note, some mattresses aren't designed to be flipped, but can still be rotated. Other ones are clearly marked that they shouldn't be flipped or rotated.

Mattresses Have Fragile Handles

Don't move a mattress by picking it up by the handles on either side. They are made to shift the mattress from side to side and tend to break when used to move the whole mattress.

No Jumping on The Mattress

While it's a lot of fun, don't let kids or adults jump on mattresses. It can permanently damage the supports inside the mattress and cause it to wear out faster. A small trampoline is much cheaper than buying a new mattress.

No More Musty Mattress

To help refresh a musty mattress sprinkle baking soda on it. Let it sit for a day and then vacuum up the baking soda.

Washing a Mattress

If you need to wash you mattress, it is best to use as little liquid as possible to get the job done. If too much water soaks into your mattress you could develop a mildew problem. Mix 1/2 teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent with 1 quart of water and use it to scrub the mattress. Let the mattress dry thoroughly before putting the sheets back on the mattress.