So you thought there was nothing you needed to know about mattresses and box springs? We think you will be surprised how many no no’s your guilty of. Go ahead, test yourself and see if you do any of the…

Top 10 Things You Should Never Do To Your Mattress and Box Spring.

1. Stand, Jump or yes even sit on your mattress. Mattresses have many layers of padding that make them comfortable. These layers rest on steel coil springs. We realize most adults don’t stand or jump on their mattress but often their kids do and nearly everyone sits in bed or sits on the edge of their bed. This will force the layers into the springs and will damage the mattress and shorten its life.
2. Never flip your mattress over if it is one sided and sleep on it. The majority of mattresses are built in a one sided design today and should not be flipped over. There is no padding or comfort layers located here. It will not hold up or feel good because only the one side is designed for comfort and support.
3. Leave your mattress in the same position that you installed it. Many manufacturers now have never turn or rotate warranties and that is fine. However this does not mean you won’t have problems. While you don’t have to rotate or put air in car tires we all know what happens when we don’t. Turn or rotate your mattress regularly at least once a month to minimize body impressions and extend bed life.
4. Not using a mattress pad or mattress protector is one of the big no no’s that people seem to do. A mattress pad or protector is an important safeguard that absorbs moisture and can keep mattresses from getting stained. Mattress warranties are usually void if they have a stain on them.
5. Not using sheets. This seems like a no brainer but I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this happen. Like a mattress pad a good sheet set will help to protect the mattress. Perform regular mattress care and maintenance. Once a week the bed sheets need to be washed and mattress pads or protectors every 2-4 weeks as needed. Lastly while bedding is removed this is a great time to vacuum the mattress to remove loose dirt and dust.
6. Let your mattress get wet. Water or any other type of moisture can damage the upholstery. If moisture is not dried it can become a haven for mold and mildew and become a health hazard for the sleeper.
7. Clean your mattress yourself. If the mattress is dirty there are ways to clean a mattress however we encourage and recommend you seek out a professional upholstery cleaning service. They will see to it that the mattress is cleaned properly, stains are removed or  minimized while limiting unnecessary moisture that can cause more serious problems.
8. Bend or Fold your mattress. Mattresses either have steel border rods or foam encased edges along with steel coils. All of these things can be damaged or even ruined if bent or folded.
9. Use your mattress and boxspring without a proper supporting bed frame is probably one of the most often don’t do’s that people do. A proper supporting frame will help properly distribute weight evenly on the boxspring. Without a frame the boxspring will bow, sag, or even worse break. Seek out manufacturers or retailers advice on how to support a box spring correctly.
10. Stain your mattress. Do not smudge or stain your mattress, most mattress manufacturers have a disclaimer that says if the mattress is stained, smudged or marked up they reserve to the right to refuse warranty coverage. One way to protect your bed from such marks or scuffs to to wrap it in a couple fitted sheets and carry it instead of dragging it if you are  moving.

Not so long ago I was once a mattress dealer that sold this prestigious name brand mattress and I can tell you over all, the experience with the beds where better than other brands. Recently Consumer Reports polled its readers and hands down Tempur Pedic won the “Would you buy this mattress again question,” an answer many manufacturers would have loved to have received. With that said,

what are the biggest Top 10 Tempur Pedic visco elastic memory foam bed complaints?

1. Mattress is Too Heavy
While it is true that these mattresses are heavier than most they do use more foam in a cubic foot of mattress space than most which means longer life and unfortunately a heavier mattress.

2. Fluctuating Firmness
Visco Elastic foam is temperature sensitive and will vary in firmness in accordance to room temperature. The sleeping area does tend to become more stable as it evens up with body temperature over time.

Tempur-pedic by mstephens7

3. Sleeps Hot
While I disagree that overall memory foam sleeps hot for everyone, one cannot ignore the complaints. The Tempur Pedic  Airflow System™ is supposed to have alleviated the heat issues.  Some would argue that the initial contact foam which is temperature reactive is where the real issue lies where as the Airflow System™ is buried deep where it may be significantly less affective.

4. Off Gassing
I was unable to find any information that specifically addresses the issue on Tempur Pedics website, however the issue in my opinion is one of concern for many potential buyers worried about possible affects. Affects that may be associated as result of mattresses that are  synthetic petroleum based.

5. Tempur Pedics’ Price
There is no doubt when comparing Tempur Pedic to other brands and especially other memory foam mattresses that they can be one of the costliest mattresses to purchase these days. However in fairness they have earned their steep price tag. They are well marketed, which costs money and creates brand recognition. In my opinion they are probably the best which is why everyone else seems to compare themselves to the original, Tempur Pedic.

6. Getting out of Bed
One of the most common complaints is getting out of the bed due to the temporary support hole that develops when you are lying there sleeping. The surrounding foam is often firmer making it tough for some people to get out of or climb out of as others describe it.

7. Turning Over
Truthfully this is related to the previous problem listed in #6; however adding to it was the common complaint of turning over which was often described as quite strenuous and often wakened them. The extra work of turning over was said to be by some as counterproductive to the less tossing and turning marketed feature of the beds’ design. A feature that is related to pressure relieving foam that  significantly reduces overall body pressure.

8. Feeling Trapped
This really goes along with the previous two issues but we wanted to make sure it was included.  See #6 and #7

9. Not Comfortable Quick Enough
When a person first lays in some memory foam mattresses the initial feeling can be a bit shocking, but almost as quick as you think that, you slowly start to feel your body melt as some people call it, into the mattress.  Tempur Pedic offers models that responds faster and that are softer than their earliest beds helping to solve such issues.

10. Do Tempur Pedic Mattresses Smell?
It’s true that they can have a chemical type odor as do many of the comparable products associated with them. Most agree that this tends to dissipate quickly once the mattress is removed from its packaging in usually just a matter of a few days to a couple of weeks.

1. Can make a small room look bigger

Tiny bedrooms can often look smaller and one of the best designer’s tips to making a room look larger is not using a footboard. Headboards that are thinner, less bulky, or even have a style that lets the wall behind show through are all affective ways to give a room a more spacious feel.

Top Ten Reasons To Buy A Headboard Only

2. Lots of styles

Headboards only offer an infinite range of styles and colors to match any décor or mood you are trying to design and Colors are endless. Materials can be simply metal, brass, or iron or come in common woods like pine or oak or exotic like teak, or bamboo.

3. Fit a wide range of budget’s

Which ever style you choose set a budget before you start. Know that simple metal, or fast growing woods, or painted headboards are often the cheapest. Bed styles that are made from more unusual or hard to find materials or have complicated manufacturing processes can cost more. In addition slow growth woods can also increase head  board cost.

4. Easier to make up

No one wants to do it and some of us don’t… that’s right making the bed. If you have a bed with  both a head and foot end you can save yourself some aggravation, annoyance, and perhaps even save some busted knuckles and a couple of fingernails. Tucking bedding is hard and not having a footboard frees up the space needed to easily and “joyfully” make your bed in the morning.

5. Great for people who are taller

Beds that use a head board only are a better choice for taller people. While not adding the foot piece doesn’t solve every problem that comes along with being tall, it will keep you out of the tangle of a footboard so the taller person won’t be kicking it at 3:00 in the morning. It’s a great way to add sleeping space and add comfort for no extra cost.

6. Frees up additional space for a bedroom

While not having a footboard leaves space for your feet in bed just keep in mind it will leave space for your feet when their out of the bed too. Walking around can be a dream especially in a smaller room. While it does make the room look bigger an even better benefit is that you won’t have anything to run into or stub your toes on in dark of the night or when you least expect it in even in the day. Hips, toes, thighs, and shins will thank you.

7. Easier to assemble

While headboards can be attached in a variety of ways, most either bolt up or hook in, the steel bed frame does everything else. Not adding foot board not only saves money and space but also saves time with less assembly required.

8. Sitting on the end of the bed

It is not recommended that you use your mattress as a chair,  yet we realize that people  sit on the sides and end of their bed when getting dressed and putting on their shoes. Having a headboard only frees up the end of the bed and over time can reduce side wear of your mattress.

9. Bed Skirts and Dust Ruffles Fit Better

Not only is it easier to make a bed that only has a headboard, but finding the bedding to fit it can be less of a chore. Beds that have foot boards and side rails usually require bed skirts or dust ruffles that are specially designed for such an application. These are split on the corners in order to hang freely.

10. Some people prefer a headboard only.

There are many reasons why people may not want a foot board and want just a head board only. Personal preference may be the biggest reason of them all.

Do you find it difficult to turn over in your current mattress?

Perhaps you have thought about something that most people don’t when they begin considering and planning for their next mattress purchase, the difficulty of changing sleeping positions.  While it’s true we all have our favorite snuggle spot in the bed where we like to nest, it’s inevitable that at some point our body is going to cry out as result of lying in the same position for an extended time. In order to relieve the discomfort from pressure points, repositioning and flipping over is a must and depending on the type of mattress you own, more work may be necessary and in the case of other mattresses it may be nearly impossible to do the simple things we take for granted like turning over.

1.)Water beds hard to turn over in

The two waterbeds, soft sides and hard sides both can be difficult  when it comes time to change sleep positions. Mattresses that have less baffling will move more and offer less support and have been known to give many people trouble when moving or changing sleeping spots. Our tip to remedy the problem, purchase a high quality fully baffled mattress. The industry offers no motion beds that give maximum support and reduce the strain and effort needed to move around.

Also consider a soft side waterbed, they are modern day styled and often offer or come standard with the baffled mattresses we just mentioned. Not only do they reduce the difficulty of sleep repositioning, but are far easier to get in and out of.

2.)Memory Foam Mattresses are hard to turn over in

Similar to waterbeds modern day NASA foam beds are phenomenal at reducing the pressure points on the body that cause us to toss and turn. However the price that comes along with that is a sleeping surface that is often very difficult for some people to move around in. While some memory foam mattresses still have temperate reactive foams that are slow to recover leaving you in a temporary nest of sorts, know this Our tip to remedy the problem is quicker responding temperature stable memory foams are now available that make changing positions easier. While they don’t solve all of the issues concerning turning over and repositioning, it’s likely enough difference that most people can enjoy the latest innovations in sleep technology that actually reduces the need to turn over throughout the night.

3.)Pillow Top Mattresses are hard to turn over in

Pillow top mattresses may be the greatest and worst advancement of the bed to happen in the bedding industry. Pillow tops were the answer to the waterbed industries answer to firm mattresses and boards positioned between the mattress and boxspring. Having stole their business back, the mattress industry acknowledged comfort advancement by offering beds with a softer pillow top surface over a firm coil spring core. While turning over in these beds are rare problems sleep repositioning issues begin to arise. Over time the foam and fiber padding break down leaving the sleeper in a hole in the shape of a body impression with a ridge running down the middle of the mattress. The solution is to look for mattresses that offer high resiliency foams that don’t break down. Such products are being offered by companies like King Koil and Comfort Solutions. Another solution for those who love the feel of pillow tops is to purchase a firmer bed and add to it a replaceable mattress topper.

Top Ten complaints about visco elastic memory foam toppers…

Mattress toppers sell like hot cakes but are they really any good? Below we share the Top 10 Problems with Memory Foam Mattress Toppers at the end of this blog be sure to check out the link where we share the benefits.

1. Memory toppers break down: It’s interesting when we hear this complaint because the fact is all foams break down at some point and time. Memory foam is no exception. One thing that makes it different is that it can and usually does last far longer than tradition polyurethane foams.
2. Memory foam mattress toppers sleep hot: It is true memory foam can cause people to get hot especially for persons that use little covers at night. The solution is newer generations of foam products that can dissipate heat faster.
3. Memory Foam off gasses: It is loaded with a lot of chemicals let’s just call it that new car smell, we won’t get into that today, but just like we need fuel for a fire we also need oil / petroleum to build memory foam. They can accurately be described as man-made or synthetic products.  The best way to deal with off gassing issues is to give the foam some time to air out / cure in the same way we would open windows to air out a house to let paint dry.
4. Hard to turn over in: This can be a problem for people who are not as healthy and agile. Most foam is slow to recover making it harder to reposition. The up side is that due to its unique pressure relieving capabilities people turn over less throughout the night.
5. Toppers are expensive: Memory foam is more costly and especially brand names. Rest assured there are less expensive alternatives that are warranted to last just as long.
6. Fly by night product or fad: Memory foam mattress toppers aren’t going anywhere but up in sales. Consumer Reports asked its readers if they would buy their mattress again and Tempur Pedic led all other brands of mattresses with the answer yes. Memory foam mattress toppers can be part of a poor man’s memory foam mattress for people limited by budget.
7. Gets soft with age: Toppers made utilizing memory foam just like their sister the mattress can get softer with age, what they rarely get is deep valley’s and body indentations like traditional foams.
8. Memory foam health issues: While I think memory foam is one of the most comfortable product ever made I do think the jury is still out on this one. We will leave it up to the foam industry who has a much better knowledge of the chemical and the health risks if any that are involved with purchasing a memory foam topper. We do suggest letting a memory foam topper air out especially with older versions that trap VOC’s.
9. Memory foam isn’t comfortable: It seems to be a love hate relationship with people and this new-fangled memory foam stuff. People either love it or hate it. The great thing about toppers is there are many different thicknesses and ILD’s (firmness’s) available not to mention mattresses the topper will be placed on. All of these things can affect the feel. So take your time and try different combinations.
10. Not Eco Friendly: It is true toppers made with so call NASA foam for the most part aren’t made using sustainable resources or Eco Friendly building methods. Foam is petroleum based however more sustainable methods by companies like Anatomic Global’s Eco Series Memory Foam who uses plant base oils substitutions, recycled materials, and bamboo address this topper construction issue.

Top 10 Benefits of Memory Foam Mattress Toppers. Coming Soon!