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by Graham Challenger
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Once you've learned How to comparision shop for a new mattress, found the right store, negotiated a "good deal", and are ready for your new mattress to be delivered, the question becomes, "How Do You Take Care of a New Mattress". If you are under 35, you may have never seen an old style, mattress. These things were heavy, hard and you could put them on any flat surface, anywhere. Modern mattresses are not that way, They really are built and engineered as "sleep systems". The mattress advertising you see sometimes over-hypes this fact, but the truth is, any average mattress you find in a retail store today is far, far superior to anything purchased in the 70's, 80's or early 90's. Unlike electronics and other consumer items, however, the prices are not going to dramatically fall, because of technological advancements. A good quality mattress is an important purchase, and should be a good value,but they are still not cheap. Just like any other appliance in your home, a little care and maintenance effort will extend the life of your mattress and let you get every dollars worth of use from it. The first thing you should do is read the warranty card and "care instruction"/owner's manual that comes with your new bed. Yes, I know it sounds funny. I've heard all the jokes about "how to use a mattress". Lie down. Close your eyes. Go to sleep. Wake up. Ha-Ha-ha, Very funny. Using a bed is not complicated, but your new mattress will have an instruction manual in one form or another, because the manufacturer wants you be happy with your purchase, so you'll return in 5 to 7 years to purchase another bed, "just like the one we have". If you consider your new mattress set as a "sleep appliance", an item that needs regular attention in order to "work" properly, you are on the right track. The information sheets will give you tips on how to keep the mattress clean and help it last as long as possible. It's important to follow the instructions for your specific mattress too. Various beds from the same manufacturer can be very different, but in general terms, Here's "How to Take Care of a New Mattress". 1] Clean the room and move furniture, so that the new mattress and foundation can be installed with a minimum of fuss. When was the last time you REALLY cleaned under your bed? Dirt, dust, pollen and "who knows what" has accumulated around / under your old bed. Before your purchase, Did you check to make sure the bed will fit in the space that's available? You can read "What Size Mattress Should I Buy?" elsewhere on this web site. While it's true a bigger bed is more comfortable, make sure you can walk around the room and the furniture still fits in the room. 2] Most new, better quality mattresses are engineered as a set, so you be receiving two separate pieces, a "mattress", and what used to be called a "box spring". New mattress sets are generally heavier that the one you are replacing, so consider a new bed frame too. The salesman at the store really is (probably) NOT trying to push up the price of your sale by recommending a new frame. A well built bed frame will cost about $50-$75, but will have support in all four corners and in the center-line to distribute the weight evenly to the floor. I also recommend "cups" under each foot or wheel of your bed frame. These are really inexpensive and can be found at any hardware store. They will protect your wood floors (especially) or the carpeting in the room. Make sure the bed frame is assembled correctly and all the connectors are tightened. You don't want the mattress falling off the frame and tearing, breaking or twisting and causing damage to you or the mattress set. 3] Once the mattress is installed, you might want to allow it to "air out", before putting on the bed sheets. Many mattresses are manufactured and sanitized with (non-toxic) chemicals, and then sealed in a plastic bag for shipping / storage. If the mattress set is delivered by the retailer, or a contractor service, it may arrive in this plastic packaging. Two or three hours should be long enough to dissipate any minor remaining "chemical smell". Use this time to read your owner's manual, (above) or to reconnect any electrical cords and re-align the furniture to the proper place. 4] Purchase and use a "new", good quality, washable mattress pad. This will protect your new mattress from food and drink spills and other stains that may be hard to clean. Just like the "foot cups" suggested above, a mattress pad cost "nothing" and will help you take good care of your new "expensive" mattress. It's easy to wash the pad with each change of the bed sheets and will help keep your mattress " fresh". When you read your owner's manual, you will find almost every bed manufacturer recommends that you do this, and it may be included in the manufacturer's warranty requirement. 5] Use the correct size bed sheets. If you have purchased a mattress in a new, larger size, you'll be on the way to the store any way. Before you go, measure the mattress. Many of the new mattresses, especially the fancy pillowtops and the memory foam beds use a larger, (I call it "taller") fitted sheet set. The mattress is thicker and the sheets need to fit the mattress properly. You don't want them to come undone in the night, or slide around. These "bigger" bed sheets are now commonly available, everywhere. I never recommend buying sheets at a mattress retailer. These sets will have huge mark-ups, and very few choices of color or patterns. All the department stores, (JCPenny or Macy's) and the specialty stores (Bed Bath and Beyond) and all the discounters (Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target) will have a wide range of choices to fit your new mattress...... if you know the measurements, when you are shopping. A Queen-size bed is NOT a Queen size bed, is NOT a Queen size bed, if you get my point. 6] Keep the bed clean and immediately clean up any spills or stains. The mattress pads and bed sheets should take care of this. If you do somehow get a stain or a dirty spot, clean it promptly. Use minimal pressure and a mild soap with the tiniest amount of cold water. You do not want to get your mattress "wet" and be sure to completely dry any dampness, especially below the surface, before covering the area with sheets again. Avoid all "dry cleaning" chemicals. These solutions can be harmful to the various fabrics and/or underlying materials in your mattress. Some "spray cleaners" can dissolve glues and weaken stitching that holds internal parts in place. Vacuuming is really the only recommended cleaning method. I recommend you do it to the "top", before you rotate / flip your mattress, then vacuum the new "top", before adding the sheets and bedding. This removes surface dust and "stuff" that just appears out of nowhere in a home. 7] Remember you purchased a mattress, not a trampoline or a "play area" for the kids. Your new mattress set was designed for spreading your body weight evenly, during sleep. One of the worst things you can do to any mattress is place your entire body weight in one spot the size of your foot. Jumping up and down, by even smaller children could do damage to the interior support construction of your mattress. 8] Rotate your mattress as the owner's manual recommends. This little chore is the one thing that is most likely to extend the life of any mattress. Read "How to Rotate and Flip a Mattress" elsewhere on this web site. Rotating a mattress spreads the "wear and tear" to different areas and helps prevent sagging in the one spot you sleep. Let me also say that all mattresses will conform to the shape of your body. Most mattress manufacturers engineer beds to do this, and not just the memory foam beds either. The "spot" where you sleep each night will take on, what is called in the mattress trade, "body conformity". You may or may not notice it, it will occur within a few weeks. Just like a new pair of shoes, your new mattress will "mold" to your body and become a comfortable "spot" for you. If you begin to notice some impressions in the fluffy surface area of the new plush, pillowtop-type mattresses , don't be concerned. This is also a normal "settling" of the padding inside the quilt cover. Lastly, if you've done all of the above, your mattress should last an expected life of 5 to 7 years. I know many warranties promise longer lifecycles, but if you've shopped for the correct bed and gotten a good value, buying a new mattress in this time window is optimal and affordable. If you and your partner weight less than the average adult, if you travel frequently, and take good care of your new mattress, it will have a longer life span. In closing, Let me mention two "old wives tales" that are repeated often, but are not true. The first one is.... "It's illegal to remove the tag from your mattress". This isn't true for YOU, but it is illegal for a retailer to sell a mattress, without the tag. It lists the original manufacturer, the fire code compliance and other important details. The mattress tag is also a means of identification, if you have a warranty claim. Most mattress retailers (and the bedding manufacturers) will NOT honor your mattress warranty without these tags attached. The second bit of "folklore" that needs to disappear is "Putting a board between the mattress and foundation will give you a firmer bed." This one is dumber than " It's illegal to remove the mattress tag". At least the words "Do Not Remove" really is printed on the tag. I've never found any tag that says, "stick a 4x8 sheet of plywood under this mattress for a firmer bed". If your mattress needed a board, it would come with one, or the helpful salesman in the store would being trying to sell you one, at an insane profit margin. Right? If your mattress is saggy and droopy, and you are thinking about adding a sheet of plywood, you need to read "How to shop for a new mattress" and schedule a trip to go shopping this weekend. |
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Graham Challenger is a retail store marketing specialist for City Discount Mattress, www.citydiscountmattress.com. City Discount Mattress is a Tampa, Florida-based marketing team that specializes in helping small retailers compete with the large chain and franchise stores. City Discount Mattress helps consumers buy a better mattress for less money by training store owners to offer more product information and less meaningless advertising hype. CityDiscountMattress.com promotes a sales system that delivers more customer service, less sales pressure, and recommends a wider variety of brand choices than is commonly available at big box retailers. If you are a small, single-store or low-unit retail mattress merchant and want to increase sales, ask how City Discount Mattress can help you increase the total sales in your store, while allowing you sleep at night, knowing your business practices are consumer-friendly. Learn how we do it by contacting Graham [AT] citydiscountmattress [dot]com. Visit retailers with City Discount Mattress relationships. Florida www.Tampa-Discount-Mattress.com (Tampa, FL 33604 / 33608 / 33610) and www.Palm-Harbor-Discount-Mattress.com (Palm Harbor, FL 34684 / 33688 ) and www.Wesley-Chapel-Discount-Mattress.com (Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 / 33544) and www.Clearwater-Discount-Mattress.com (Clearwater, FL 33789 / 33790 ) and www.Brandon-Discount-Mattress.com (Brandon, FL 33510 / 33512 ) and www.Naples-Discount-Mattress.com (Naples, FL 334102 / 334103) and www.Ocala-Discount-Mattress.com (Ocala, FL 33470 / 33471 ) and www.Orlando-Discount-Mattress.com (Brandon, FL 33510 / 33512 ) Georgia www.Atlanta-Discount-Mattress.com (Atlanta, Ga. 30030) |