How to Keep Unwanted Guests Out of Your Bed

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in a Mattress

February 11, 2008
Healthy SleepHow To

Mattresses and box springs have been around for over one full century, but hopefully, your mattress hasn’t been. The typical person spends eight hours a night or one-third of their lives in bed. Here is an interesting wake-up call; do you know what may be in that bed with you? According to research body oils, perspiration, saliva, urine, blood, semen, and pounds of dust mites and dead skin are just some of the things found in the common coil spring mattress.

You may want to think about these 2 important questions for a moment, do you know how old your current mattress and box spring is and how long was that mattress set designed to last? It is common knowledge in the industry that people keep their mattresses way too long. Studies show that the average person keeps their mattress and box spring 10,15, and yes even 20 plus years. All we can say is yuck, but that mattress looks new, right? Think again. One thing seems to be for sure, we always seem to neglect our mattresses.

So how can I care for my new mattress and when should I replace the old one you ask? If you want your mattress to give you years of comfort and support and a cleaner sleeping environment, we suggest using these plain common sense tips to help ensure a healthy sleep atmosphere. The first thing is to recognize when it’s time for a new mattress. Comfort life is usually 6-10 years and physical life can exceed 20. If you see the signs: sagging, discomfort, or even dirt, don’t ignore it replace it.

There are things that can be done to achieve a longer healthier mattress life. Life expectancy on two-sided mattresses can be extended thru monthly rotation and flipping. One-sided mattresses can only be rotated from head to toe and we suggest monthly rotation for them as well. Haven’t we all heard the cliché an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? We suggest even with maintenance-free mattresses just a little monthly attention in the form of head to toe rotation is well worth the effort. Rotating and/or flipping your 2 sided or double-sided mattress is as important as changing the oil in your car regularly and will extend the mattresses comfort life and will also assure a smoother mattress surface.

Today as rule mattresses are designed very thick and luxurious for comfort and include many inches of polyurethane foams, cotton, and polyester fibers that unavoidably compress. In addition, most of these thick layers of foam and fiberfill will squash and matt down, which is the major contributing factor to more rapid breakdown and or less even wear in the mattress surface. Complaints often include extremely unsightly or deep holes in the mattress top where the body lays forming body impressions that can make the bed uncomfortable. It is not uncommon for these mattresses to look worn in a very short period of time. The good news is that most of these problems can be minimized by properly caring for your bed.

Next, vacuum your mattress regularly to extract the loose dirt and dust mites. You won’t get them all but this will furthermore contribute to a cleaner sleep environment. Keep moisture and dirt to a minimum inside your mattress by means of a quality mattress pad. Find one that absorbs moisture and is very breathable. Waterproof mattress pads are on the market that will do both so invest in a good one. Most importantly do not forget to regularly clean your mattress pad and sheets along with any other bedding. Following these simple mattress care instructions can help increase mattress life expectancy and improve the health of allergy and non-allergy sufferers alike. So pleasant dreams and don’t let the bed bugs bite!