There’s nothing better than waking up after a good night’s sleep on a new, supportive mattress, feeling refreshed and ready to face the day ahead.
Your new mattress should last about 10 years if looked after properly – that’s about 30,000 hours-worth of sleep! So how do you keep your mattress firm and in good condition after you’ve bought it?
Warren Evans, founder and designer of Warren Evans, the award winning bed and mattress specialist, has these ten top tips to keep your mattress in good condition.
Tips to help keep your mattress in tip-top condition
- Cover it
Buy a washable mattress cover to protect against any stains and to keep it fresh.
- Stain devil
If your mattress does get stained though, sprinkle a little baking soda on top, and leave it for around 12 hours. This will help to lift it.
- Let it breathe
Throw your bed covers back at the start of each day to allow your bed to breathe. This will also allow body moisture to evaporate. I’d recommend doing this for around 20 minutes each day..
- Sturdy support
Ensure that you have a strong bed frame to support your mattress, ideally with slats, as this will prevent sagging and breakage in the middle of the mattress.
- Turning your mattress regularly
If you’ve bought a pocket or a coil sprung, it’s important to turn these types of mattresses once every six months - alternate between turning them from end to end, and side to side. This will ensure that it maintains its orthopaedic properties.
However, if you have a Tempur, or any type of memory foam, mattress, don’t turn it. The layer of memory foam on these mattresses needs to stay on top, and turning it can actually damage the mattress.
- Get vacuuming
As we sleep we shed skin and moisture, all of which can end up in our mattress. This can encourage bed bugs, as they feed off dead skin. So to keep your mattress clean, healthy and bug-free, I’d recommend vacuuming it once a month. Do be careful around the buttons and tuffs; if you pull on these, they can dislodge the mattress filling, which can leave you with a lumpy mattress.
If you’re an allergy sufferer I’d advise doing this once a week, or even better invest in an Organic Mattress, such as a Warren Evans Organic Sprung Mattress. The natural materials used in an organic mattress repel dust mites and means they’re not sprayed with fire retardant chemicals that could irritate sensitive lungs or skin.
- Put a wash on
Every couple of months put your sheets, duvet and mattress cover on a high temperature wash, such as 60 degrees. This will ensure that all dirt and any bugs are completely washed out, and won’t transfer onto the mattress and limit its lifespan.
- Ban the bounce
Bouncing up and down on the bed may seem like a lot of fun when you’re younger, but it can actually do a lot of damage to your mattress. It can affect the springs and dislodge the filling, all of which can leave for a lumpy mattress and a bad night’s sleep.
- Protect from fire and water
Fire and water will ruin your mattress, so try not to smoke, drink or put wet towels on the bed. If you do get the mattress wet, it’s a good idea to take it outside to dry in the open air for a couple of hours. If the mattress doesn’t dry properly, this could lead to mould developing, which isn’t very pleasant.
- Moving on
If you’re moving house, carry the mattress flat on its side. Not only will it be easier for you to handle, it will also be more difficult to damage it. Bending a mattress to fit round a door is also a big no-no, as this can upset the inner coil mechanisms. Flexing the mattress instead is much gentler.
