7 ways to maintain your mattress

Whether you pick a spring, coir, memory foam or latex mattress, whether you bought a king-size or queen-size mattress

mattress a good purchase when used well should last between 6-8 years, give or take a few. But a little effort in maintenance could take you from having a good experience to an excellent one.

When you buy a new mattress, resist the fear and urge to keep it wrapped in plastic. Immediately unwrap it from the plastic covering, as this is a crucial step in allowing it to breathe. Keeping it covered for longer than necessary could make it turn mouldy and musty due to the lack of ventilation, and this could affect the inner construction and in fact reduce the durability of the mattress.

Thankfully, there is a better way to protect your mattress. Consider a mattress protector, preferably a liquid resistant one, to guard against spills, dirt and dust particles. The protective layer also ensures longevity for the mattress as it guards against sweat, oil secretions and other allergens and mites that will inevitably come in contact with it.

These protectors are available for all types of mattresses and since they’re washable, they are easy to simply remove, wash, dry and replace, in the event of an accidental spill.

This way you can enjoy lounging in your mattress even if that means savouring your morning cup of tea in bed, without the fear of damaging it.

Your bed is so much more than just the space you sleep for 6-8 hours a night. Sometimes it doubles up as a living space for extended laughing. On a tired or lazy day, you may even bring your work or a meal into it. Sometimes it’s a play area for the entire family to spread out and frolic about. Regardless of how you may use your bed, it’s a good idea to regularly clean it up.

Be sure to dust crumbs and other particles off the mattress, keep the frame itself frequently cleaned. Replace your sheets and pillow cases at least once every week.

These are basic and easy ways to keep the mattress and bed as germ-free as possible, reducing the risk of germs and bacteria.

Your bed is so much more than just the space you sleep for 6-8 hours a night. Sometimes it doubles up as a living space for extended lounging. On a tired or lazy day, you may even bring your work or a meal into it. Sometimes it’s a play area for the entire family to spread out and frolic about. Regardless of how you may use your bed, it’s a good idea to regularly clean it up.

Be sure to dust crumbs and other particles off the mattress, keep the frame itself frequently cleaned. Replace your sheets and pillow cases at least once every week.

These are basic and easy ways to keep the mattress and bed as germ-free as possible, reducing the risk of germs and bacteria.

It’s hard to resist the urge to jump into or bounce in a fresh, new mattress. And we understand this urge, so our advice is to minimize it. Most good-quality mattresses are designed, constructed and tested to withstand a high amount of weight and pressure. So, while they may handle some rough use, excessive bouncing and jumping over a very long periods of time could contribute to reduced longevity.

Good quality mattresses that come built with side reinforcements are more likely to withstand rough use as they are better equipped to endure this even more than others. Even so, it’s a good practice to keep the excessive bouncing in check to ensure durability is not reduced.

Adequate sunlight and fresh air can give your mattress an additional refresher. Whenever you change your linen, allow the mattress to ventilate and air itself out for a few hours before you replace it with a fresh set. If possible, draw out the curtains and bring in some fresh sunlight to help clean out the mattress. This will take care of any trapped moisture and humidity.

A good mattress is typically put through rigorous testing under a range of conditions to ready it for a good life of use and a warranty period is a good indicator of this. This means you can use it well for as long as the warranty lasts, and it is a good idea to replace it once the warranty has expired. Using it well and with care can certainly extend the value you get from it during the time.

However, it is not advisable to stretch mattress use long beyond the warranty. Manufacturers literature on the warranty will give you a good sense of the life of your mattress.

This will usually account for natural and unavoidable wear and tear that will occur no matter what how well you look after it. Once a mattress has lived its life, even though it may not look like it on the outside, the internal structure will have changed. Layers will collapse and get compressed, some parts will sag, some other may even have suffered damage that you are unaware of. It is a good idea to replace your mattress at the right time to ensure continued good quality sleep.

We’re all guilty of doing this! However, a note of caution: mattresses are mostly made of flammable material and it is hazardous to put a heated, electrical device in such close contact with it. The excess heat from the base of iron, when transferred to the mattress, is known to damage the fabric and internal construction of the mattress as these are likely to react in extreme heat. It’s best to avoid doing this so you can enjoy your mattress to the max.