No matter how good of a mattress you buy, unless you take good care of it – it just won’t last as long.
An average mattress has a lifespan of around 6 to 8 years, but with proper care and maintenance – you can add several years to it.
Most mattress manufacturers will provide you with a basic set of rules on how to maintain their product, but we’re here to give you more than that. Here are 10 easy ways to extend the lifespan of your mattress.
1. Flip the mattress regularly
If you sleep in the same place for an extended period of time – your mattress will sag. Your body will leave an imprint, and over time the mattress will become uncomfortable and pretty much unusable. Flipping your mattress will prevent this from happening and extend its lifespan by a lot. Early on, we recommend that you flip your mattress once a month. After six months, you can limit the flipping to four times a year.
2. Avoid eating in the bed
Breakfast in bed is romantic, and snacking on pizza while you watch a movie is everyone’s definition of a good time. However, you’re risking potentially staining your mattress, which would automatically void your warranty, amongst many other things. Also, breadcrumbs and other food leftovers could attract bed bugs, cause allergies and a whole lot of different problems.
3. Use a mattress topper
Mattress toppers aren’t there just to rejuvenate your old mattress, but they can also help your new one last longer. By adding the best mattress topper UK has to offer on top of your mattress, you will minimize the wear and tear and therefore increase its lifespan. A high-quality mattress topper could easily add on a few extra years to your mattress.
4. Get an appropriate bed base
Not every mattress fits every bed base, but none of them fit the floor. Keeping your mattress on the ground will not only compromise the hygiene of your sleeping surface, but it will also affect its lifespan. Therefore, when shopping for a new mattress, consider getting a quality bed base if you don’t already own one.
5. Ensure your pets have their beds
While we understand that cuddling with your dog is cute and lovely – pets simply don’t belong in the bed. Now, we’re not only talking about the hair they’ll shed, but your lovely put could easily, although unintentionally, tear your mattress with their feet, and a torn mattress is not the one you would want to be sleeping on.
6. Clean & vacuum your mattress regularly
Keeping your mattress clean is as important as every other thing on this list. If you have a removable cover, take it off once a month and toss it in your washing machine, and if you don’t, grab a vacuum or a damp cleaning cloth and give your mattress a proper cleaning. Once a month should be more than enough.
7. Buy a mattress protector
If your mattress does not come with a removable cover, you can get one for yourself. A mattress protector will prevent any stains or tears that might happen over regular use. More often than not, they’re waterproof, which is something you most definitely need if you aren’t willing to listen to our second tip.
8. Change & wash the linens every week
Keeping your mattress clean is not enough. The sheets and linen we sleep on should be changed at least once a week. The linen will soak up all the sweat we produce during the night, and if you don’t clean them every week – that sweat is going to reach your mattress, stain it and irreversibly ruin it.
9. Stop jumping in your bed
Even though there is nothing more fun than jumping on the bed – you really shouldn’t do it. This is especially true if you own a spring-base mattress. One jump too many, and you will damage the springs beyond repair. Once you damage one of them, the others will have to assume the workload and will deteriorate faster than you’d want them to.
10. Stick to the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions
Finally, stick to the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. If they say that your mattress shouldn’t be dry cleaned or that you shouldn’t wash the cover at 90°C – don’t do it. Not only will you void the warranty, but you’ll also possibly ruin your mattress.
Two bonus tips for prolonging the life of a mattress
We know that we’ve said we’ll give you only 10 tips, but we’re feeling generous. Here are some bonus tips.
Bonus tip #1 – Let your mattress air when you buy it
If you get a memory foam or a hybrid mattress, you might want to let it air out before you start sleeping in it. Memory foam is known for giving away a pungent odour during the first few days, so once you unpack your new mattress – leave it in a well-ventilated room for a day or two. That should do the trick.
Bonus tip #2 – Make sure you don’t bring in any insects
Whatever you do – make sure you don’t get any bugs into the bedroom. If you end up with insects in your bedroom, they will not only devour your mattress in months, but you could also compromise your health, which is something we’re absolutely certain you wouldn’t want to do.
