Many of us understand that a mattress is a very important purchase. It can even be considered an investment that will benefit your overall health. How so? Proper rest, exercise, and a nutritious diet are essential practices that help secure our health. Therefore, ensuring that your bed is comfortable and gives adequate support is critical. 

Therefore, acquiring a new mattress should involve careful research to get one that has the features you need. However, mattress care is vital because maintaining its lifespan is equally critical to sustaining your health.

You can lengthen the use of your mattress if you take care of it properly. Beds are prone to become uneven or sag after some time, which can cause pressure on some areas of your body and develop into bodily pains. Proper mattress maintenance can delay compression issues and the health problems it can cause.

Here are five useful tips on caring for your mattress.

Use a mattress protector. These are an affordable way of extending the life cycle of your mattress. Water and stain-resistant, they offer significant protection.

Hand clean stains. It’s recommended that you occasionally clean your mattress to maintain sleep hygiene. Often mattresses can acquire various stains from bodily fluids or spills. It’s best to get at the marks soon and not delay. Sometimes, all it requires is removing and washing the mattress protector. However, if your mattress bears stains, the process may become more involved but not taxing. You’ll need two bowls, washcloths, and laundry detergent. Here’s what you can do:

Make a solution by adding the laundry detergent to warm water in one bowl. Avoid adding bleach. Dip a cloth into the solution and spot clean in a circular motion. Fill the second bowl with warm water to rinse, dip the other washcloth, and gently wipe without saturating the mattress. Tough stains may require the application of a bicarbonate soda and water paste. Let the mattress air dry before covering it.

Air it regularly. Another good practice for keeping your bedroom hygienic and bed clean is leaving the latter bare for 20-40 minutes weekly. You can free your mattress of germs and allergens by stripping your bed and leaving it to air. If you have more time and it’s sunny, take it outdoors for a few hours. Outdoor airing affords ventilation of the material and dries trapped moisture. However, be sure to check the weather forecast before you do.

Routinely flip and rotate your mattress. Over time some areas in your bed will be more worn than others. To slow down this process and lengthen the use of your mattress, rotating and turning your mattress helps. You can alternate flipping and rotating monthly.

Designer John Ryan shares that a helpful tip for turning your mattress over is flipping it from north to south. Doing so will position your head where your feet were previously. He also advises that rotating should be done from east to west. When you turn it in this way, you’ll now occupy the space once empty or your partner’s side of the bed. 

That said, some mattresses are one-sided and so should not be turned over. They are designed with a single sleep surface with a soft top layer, which flipping can damage. Nevertheless, you can rotate them, which will help minimise settlement in unused areas.

Do occasional checks. While you want to have your mattress for as long as possible, it must change at some point. Occasionally, check for lumps, sags, projecting springs, or other signs indicating it’s time for a new mattress.

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Try these tips to help you care for your mattress. In addition to lengthening the use of your bed, you’ll find you will be in a better position to have a good night’s sleep.

Sources: John Ryan Design, Magniflex and Nest Bedding.