While in the process of purchasing a new mattress, a common and logical question to ask is, “how often should I replace it?”. After all, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on something you’ll have to replace soon, right? When you should replace your mattress is essentially a personal choice. It is recommended by the Better Sleep Council to replace it every 7-10 years, but this varies widely. According to Mattress by Appointment, one of the mattress stores in Fargo, a mattress’s longevity is based on how well you take care of it, how often you rotate/flip it, along with many other factors as well.

Factors to Consider Before Replacing Your Mattress

Before you make the decision to replace your mattress, there are some things you should consider to be sure you are getting your money’s worth out of your mattress.

• Condition of mattress. The condition of the mattress is the main concern when deciding whether you need a new mattress. A lot of times it is obvious you do. If it is falling apart, has springs poking out of it, is sinking in in the middle of the bed, or whatever the case may be, it is most likely time to replace it.
• Has it been rotated? Rotating is a way of preserving the life of your mattress. If it has never been rotated, chances are you can rotate it instead of purchasing a new one and have more time with your beloved mattress.
• How long have you had it? This is the last question to ask because it isn’t as relevant as the condition of the mattress. If you have had your mattress for 20+ years and still see no problem with it, you may need a second opinion to decide for sure.

How to Properly Care for Your Mattress

You and your mattress can have a long, lovely relationship sharing decades of luxurious sleep with one another, if and only if you properly care for it throughout the years. Just like anything else, if you just use it and don’t keep it up, it wont last long. There is more to mattress care than that. There are a few important things to keep in mind.

Don’t Jump on the Bed

Don’t let kids jump on the bed. I’m not trying to kill anyone’s idea of fun, but jumping on the bed is a sure way to wear a mattress out before its time. There are plenty of great alternatives, like trampolines or bounce houses that are designed especially for jumping.

Keep It Clean

If you spill something on your mattress, cleaning it up immediately should make it simple to clean without leaving any stains behind. When cleaning your mattress, the first step is to vacuum it to get all the dead skin cells, dust, dirt, and any other loose particles. After that, use a hot soapy rag to eliminate any visible stains.

When you finish, allow your mattress to dry, then sprinkle baking soda on top of it to soak up moisture and eliminate odors. A dirty mattress can lead to mold, mildew, and other bacteria infecting your bedding. The best way to avoid this is keeping it as clean as possible.

Use a Mattress Cover

Using a mattress cover is an extremely effective way to preserve the life of your mattress because it prevents anything from getting in, including spills, bug, as well as unappealing smells.

When we sleep, we sweat an unbelievable amount and on top of that, according to KidsHealth.org, we lose as many as 40,000 skin cells per minute. A mattress cover will prevent all of that from ever reaching the mattress. That way, you can safely change your sheets 2-3 times a week without worrying about having to clean your mattress.

Rotate or Flip Your Mattress

Rotating or flipping your mattress is the best way to get the most use out of it because it evens out the pressure you put on it. This keeps you from sleeping in the same spot for long periods of time and that, in turn, preserves mattress life.

Rotating: To rotate your mattress, you simply turn it 180 degrees, which puts it in a position where the spot you normally lay your head on at night is now where your feet will be.

Flipping: Flipping your mattress is a little bit different. When you flip it, you will first turn your bed 90 degrees so that your bed looks like a T from above. Then stand it up on its side and slowly lower it down on the opposite surface. In this example, what was the underside of the mattress is now the surface of your bed.

Note: Not all mattresses can be flipped. For example, a pillow-top mattress that has a flat, hard underside can’t be flipped, so you will only be able to rotate it.

Signs That You Need to Replace Your Mattress

Regardless of everything else, there are some telltale signs that it’s time to replace your mattress. Here are a few things to look for:

• Sagging mattress: A sagging mattress is usually caused by people sleeping in the same spot throughout the life of the mattress. It is often associated with back pain because it can throw your spine out of alignment. This is one sure sign you may need a new mattress!
• Uncomfortable sleep: If you have always gotten amazing sleep on your mattress and now that same mattress is keeping you up at night, it could be worn out. When a mattress is worn out, it doesn’t support your weight the way it did before.
• Bad allergies: Dust mites in an old mattress can cause allergy symptoms such as hay fever, asthma, rhinitis, etc. This is another reason it’s important to keep it clean. Mold and mildew are also common allergens found on mattresses. If you suspect your mattress may be the cause of your allergies, it may be time to investigate your mattress and figure out if you need a new one or if you just need to perform a simple cleaning.

Key Takeaways

If you think it may be time to replace your mattress, take the time to examine it. If you notice any of the telltale signs above, it may in fact be time to replace it.

If it still looks good and isn’t causing you any problems, just follow the care recommendations in this article. Clean it, flip or rotate it, and keep it maintained so that you preserve the life of it for as long as possible.