Congratulations, you just purchased a brand-new mattress! The next adventure in your sleep journey has just begun, with an extra comfortable piece that you can’t wait to set up at home. With all that excitement, it’s easy to forget the basic steps of mattress care (I know what you’re thinking: How many steps can there possibly be?). The answer is five, and they’re all super simple, yet super effective. Your mattress is your end-of-day sanctuary, your dream cloud, and your safe space, so you want it to last as long as possible for maximum sleep comfort. We’ll take you through the five tiny steps to make sure your mattress is perfectly prepped for your home.
STEP 1: Find the Right Support
The first step to mattress care is having the proper support. No mattress should be sitting directly on the floor, or sitting on a ‘supposedly’ supportive piece that causes sagging over time. Not too much, not too little, but just the right amount of reinforcement to ensure your mattress is fully yet gently supported. Below is a brief description of different mattress supports and how they fit together:
Metal Bed Frame: This is the metal frame that permanently rests on the floor. It has wheels on the four corners, and down the middle depending on the size of the frame (Bonus: most metal bed frames are adjustable to fit the size of your bed!). They come in a range of support levels from lightweight to heavy-duty, and the wheels (sometimes called ‘rug rollers’) are safe to use on both carpet and hard floors.
Foundation/Box Spring: These also come in a range of sizes (unfortunately, they’re not adjustable), from twin beds all the way to king beds. This piece sits on top of the metal bed frame and underneath your mattress. They’re a sturdy platform, usually made from wood or metal and covered in a soft material. Some foundations or box springs come with their own legs, meaning that they don’t need a metal bed frame at all!
Platform Base: Most commonly made with metal, platform bases are the hybrid between bed frames and foundation/box springs. They sit higher than a metal bed frame, and are strong/sturdy enough to hold your mattress on their own (no box spring or foundation needed!). Since they sit higher up, you have ample storage space underneath your bed, anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of height under your mattress.
Adjustable Base/Foundation: Again, these are kind of a hybrid between the metal bed frame and the foundation/box spring. These are a little more exclusive, since they’re made for specific mattress brands and types. With a remote, you can adjust the position of your head, knees, and feet. Some have extra features, such as massage, anti-snore technology, and sleep tracking.
It might be hard to decide what support is best for your specific mattress. Fortunately, Furniture Mart’s in-store Sleep Specialists have been extensively trained to find your perfect mattress support (and even your perfect mattress & extra sleep products!), so you never have to worry about not knowing what support your mattress needs. Your answers are just a quick question away!
STEP 2: Mattress Protection
Most of your furniture doesn’t have a cover or sheet on top of it, so why should your mattress? The funny thing is, you spend the majority of your time at home in your bed. Eight hours while sleeping, taking time to wake up, your bedtime routine, occasionally binge-watching TV from bed… your mattress is used every single day for hours at a time. Anything from food, drinks, dog hair, sleep sweat, and other stain-making things can wreck a mattress. Because of that, it’s important to give your mattress every layer of protection possible. The most common, and reliable, layer you can add is a mattress protector. Not only does it protect your mattress from exterior elements, but it’s also easy to remove and wash on its own.
For mattress protectors, you want one that’s both protective and breathable. If a mattress protector is too thin, it won’t prevent heavy stains. If it’s too thick, it will trap heat and cause you to wake up from being too hot. A quality mattress protector should be the perfect mix of breathable yet protective.
STEP 3: Cleaning Care
Even with a mattress protector, your bed will still need to be cleaned regularly. Again, you spend a lot of time on your mattress, so having a clean place to rest is crucial to a healthy sleep routine. A ‘regular’ cleaning schedule varies for each home, so adding your mattress to your home’s cleaning schedule is your best bet! For cleaning, you can use a vacuum with a handheld attachment and go across the entire mattress area. For accidental spills and stains, those should be cleaned right away. Gently scrubbing with warm water and mild detergent is the best way to go, with ample time to let the spot air-dry afterward.
STEP 4: Regular Rotation
This step isn’t always necessary, but it can help with long-term wear & tear on your mattress! This step is far less frequent than cleaning but should still be consistent; it’s simply rotating your mattress 180 degrees, so your foot side is moved to your head side, and vice versa. This can be done as often as once a month or one to two times a year. This changing of the distribution of weight will help prevent sagging, bumps, and mattress ‘pot-holes.’
STEP 5: Understanding Your Warranty
When purchasing a new mattress, remember to take time and read all your tags! Not just tags, but also ask any questions that haven’t yet been answered. Some of those may include overall warranty questions, how often your mattress should be replaced, what additional sleep products work well with your mattress, and so on. It’s important that you have a full understanding of your mattress purchase, and how you can take home the best sleep solution for you. Again, our Sleep Specialists are ready and eager to answer all your bed and mattress questions!
And now, we have a question for you: Are you ready for your brand-new mattress??
