Karen writes:
Hi Pete,
I just got a new mattress delivered from a local store.
When I asked them about the best way to go about caring for the mattress, the salesman looked at me like I was suddenly speaking in a foreign language.
In fact, it was truly impressive as to how little he knew about anything, concerning this mattress.
Can you tell me how to go about caring for my new mattress, so that I can get the most from it?
Thanks, Karen
Hi Karen,
In the old days, the factories supplied a care & maintenance card with every mattress.
In the very old days, moms knew how to do that and taught their daughters.
Today, mattresses are intentionally made to last only a short time.
So, helping the consumer get the most out of their new mattress flies in the face of what they're up to.
And, this knowledge being passed down from one generation to the next, has become a lost art.
To start, every mattress should be outfitted with a waterproof mattress protector.
Like the one shown here:
There are many different types, but this one is made of organic cotton and actually works.
And it doesn't sleep hot, as do many others do.
There is nothing more damaging to the upholstery layers of the mattress, that getting them wet...or just damp.
And there's no greater source of dampness than perspiration.
Spills and accidents are more commonly considered, but rarely does someone think about all the perspiring that goes on during the course of a night's sleep.
Moisture breaks down the resiliency of the upholstery materials.
Then there's the flipping and rotating of the mattress for more even wear.
If your mattress is made to wear more evenly, it will remain more comfortable longer.
This is especially true when there's a large difference in weight between the two people using the mattress.
This is a common problem when you have a large male and a petite female.
Under these conditions, it becomes imperative that you flip or rotate the mattress more frequently than is recommended for two average weight people.
Today, most mattresses are one sided. However, there are some two-sided mattresses still being made.
How you take care of each of these, is a bit different.
One Sided Mattress:
A one-sided mattress can only be rotated.
For maximum longevity, rotate the mattress every month for the 1st year and once every 3 months thereafter.
For all sizes, except for a standard eastern king, the rotation can only be 180 degrees....head to foot.
A standard Eastern King is almost square...not quite, but square enough to rotate is 1/4 turn.
The most common problem with a king size is the hump that develops up the center.
Since people have a tendency to sleep further apart in a king size, the center tends to remain like new.
The 1/4 turn rotation helps to minimize this problem.
Two-Sided Mattress:
A two-sided mattress needs to be flipped.
Here too, once a month for the 1st year and once every 3 months thereafter.
You will alternate how you flip the mattress each time.
Sided to side and head to foot. You'll need to keep track of that.
You will also give an Eastern King a 1/4 turn rotation for the reasons mentioned above.
Stick to that regimen, and you will get the most you can from your new mattress.
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