How to maintain your mattress properly

Once you have purchased a new mattress set, you will want to be sure that this much researched, much needed and expensive investment lasts as long as possible. You have put much time, thought and energy into this purchase and you want to take good care of this mattress to be sure you get the longest life possible from it.

Maintaining your mattress is crucial in prolonging the life of your mattress set. You want to do your best to reduce abnormal body impressions. So you will need to turn and flip your mattress on a regular schedule. Flipping and rotating your mattress will extend the life expectancy of any mattress. Depending on the size of the mattress you have chosen, this can be an easy or cumbersome task. However, it needs to be done. If you have a twin or full, you may be able to handle this task on your own. A larger bed may require some help from a partner or friend. You want to be careful as you rotate and flip your mattress. Watch out for furniture, lamps, overhead light fixtures and fans. You don?t want to damage or break something else in the room while working hard to preserve this investment.

In general, flip and rotate your mattress every month or so when it is new. Once that initial 8 months or so is up, it is recommended that you flip and rotate your mattress every few months. Of course, you could do this more often if you choose.

Here is a simple way to make sure you get long wear out of your mattress. Once you are sure you want to keep the mattress you have purchased, take a permanent marker and put a "1" at the top left corner of your bed. Put a "2" in the caddy corner side of the same side of the mattress. Flip the mattress over. Place a "3" and a "4" in the same places on the other side. Every time you flip and rotate the bed make the next number in the sequence is at the top left of the bed.

It is also recommended to rotate your box spring head to toe every six months. Don't ever flip your box spring! The construction of the box spring is only intended for use in that one direction - do not flip. Rotating your box spring might prove to be a bit more difficult. First, you need to get the mattress off and out of the way. Then, although the box spring is typically lighter in weight than the mattress it is inflexible. Please be careful with surrounding furniture, lamps and other objects. This may not be a job to do alone.

Some thicker mattresses are being marketed as "never rotate" beds. If they are innerspring, latex or foam, we disagree unless they only have padding on one side. They need to be rotated to reduce the inevitable wear patterns, which develop on all mattresses.

Remember this mattress purchase was an investment of time, energy and money. Take good care of your mattress and it will last you a long time providing you with many nights of good sleep.  Ultimately the best mattress is the one that is cared for properly.