Mattress Care

If you buy the mattress your back deserves, it is neither a quick nor a cheap purchase. There are many things to consider, from whether you need a queen mattress, a king size one, or will be perfectly happy with a double mattress to whether or not you'd like a top of the range memory foam mattress or have always found a latex mattress perfectly comfortable. Whatever kind of mattress you decide to buy for your bed, you will want it to give you as many good night's sleep as possible, and that means looking after your mattress properly.

Read the Warranty

Any mattress that you buy, be it a King Coil, Sealy, Sleepmaker, or any other brand, should come with a warranty. If it doesn't, think very seriously about buying it. Once you've got your lovely new mattress home, take a minute to sit down and read the warranty – it should give you lots of information on how to get both the best night's sleep and the maximum longevity out of your mattress.

Another tip is to never remove the label from your mattress as it usually includes care instructions that you may wish to refer to at a later date.

Install your Mattress Properly

If you bed is not put together properly and the mattress isn't installed correctly on its base, it will soon become damaged. The best idea is to have your bed and mattress installed by professionals such as the people from the mattress shop or mattress factory who sold it to you in the first place. If you really must install your mattress yourself, make sure you know exactly what you are doing before you start.

Support your Mattress

There is little point in splashing out on a deluxe memory foam mattress or a fabulous posturepedic mattress if you haven't got it on the right foundation. A good mattress needs a good bed frame to support it, whether it is single, double, queen or king.

To Flip, or Not to Flip?

Older, or more traditional styles of mattress tend to benefit from regular flipping. This is because when you go the bed, you tend to adopt familiar sleeping positions, often in more of less the same spot on your mattress. This results in your mattress gradually assuming a 'dent' the approximate shape of your body on its surface. Whilst it might be comforting to hop into bed and sink into a hollow in your king mattress which perfectly fits you, it isn't necessarily good for either you or the mattress.

Conventional wisdom decrees that you should flip your over mattress regularly – every month for the first few months and then once the mattress has settled a little, maybe only once every six months. However, please don't take this as gospel. There are many mattresses in the bed shops these days that do not require flipping at all, so read your warranty to make sure. Also, if you do decide to flip your mattress, ensure that you have someone to help you. Even a standard single mattress is surprisingly heavy, whilst trying to toss anything bigger than a double mattress is only putting yourself at risk of a back injury.

Vacuum your Mattress Regularly

I bought a new vacuum cleaner recently and was horrified when the salesman gleefully informed me that the average mattress doubles in weight over ten years due to all the debris from our bodies that it absorbs. Yuck! Whether it's true or not, there is a lot to be said for giving your bed or futon mattress a quick going over with the vacuum every time your change the bed linen. Dander and dust settle into your mattress and become a breeding ground for dust mites – a common cause of allergies. Giving your mattress and pillows a once over with the upholstery attachment of your vacuum cleaner between bedding changes can really help the situation.

Invest in a Mattress Cover

A mattress cover or mattress protector is a smart buy as it protects the surface of your mattress, helps keep your mattress clean and so can extend your mattresses life as you don't have to go through the drama of sponging and then drying it when it gets dirty. Make sure you buy a washable mattress cover so that you can pop it in the washing machine every few weeks. Keeping your mattress covers freshly laundered reduces dust mite activity and makes your bed a much healthier place to sleep.

If you have small children in the house or an adult with continence problems, look for a waterproof mattress protector. These used to be little more than rubber sheets, but these days a waterproof mattress cover is often a breathable sheet with a rubberised underside to stop liquid from seeping through.

If you have a mattress topper or mattress pad on the top of your mattress, you may not need a mattress protector as well as some mattress makers advise against them. As with so many things to do with mattresses, check your warranty or ask the sales staff when you buy your mattress to see if they recommend a mattress cover or not.

Cleaning a Soiled Mattress

Clearly, the best strategy is to not get your crisp, new queen mattress dirty in the first place, but this is not always possible. If your mattress does become soiled, try cleaning its surface with an upholstery shampoo, being very careful to follow the instructions. Try not to get the interior of the mattress under the surface too wet as it can be extremely difficult to dry out and can become moldy. If you do need to give your mattress more than a quick wipe down, check with the mattress manufacturer to see how you should proceed. It may be possible to sponge the mattress yourself and then dry it out with either a hair-dryer or by popping it out in the sunshine. If not, you may need to call in the experts and have your mattress professionally cleaned. Having said that, be very weary of having your mattress dry cleaned, as the chemicals involved in the process are often harmful to the materials used in making a mattress.

Respect your Mattress

The temptation may be almost overwhelming, especially if there are children in the house, but your wonderful latex mattress with its beautiful new organic mattress topper is not a trampoline and should not be treated as such. Look after your mattress, treat it with respect and it should pay you back with nights and nights of blissful sleep.