The Truth About How to Buy and Clean a Mattress

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Better Sleep Council for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. Affiliate links are used.

When my husband and I got married five and a half years ago there was one thing that we knew we were going to buy for ourselves, and buy brand new – a mattress. After years of sleeping on college apartment, used mattresses, and growing up sleeping on used mattresses, I wanted something that would be great for sleep and great for my back.

Back problems tend to run in my family. My dad had back surgery more than a decade ago and still has lingering back issues to this day. Pretty much everyone in my family has frequented the chiropractor, especially as Scoliosis runs in our family.

As a mother now of three children, the sleep I do get is very, very important. I don’t want to be tossing and turning to fall back asleep; that’s wasted minutes of sleep! And the less sleep the less patient I am with my children the next day. The less sleep the more snappy I am with my husband. The less sleep the less focused I am at writing blogs, driving well, paying attention to my children’s cues, and more.

Sleep is mega important in my book, despite my secret wish that we didn’t have to sleep so we could squeeze more into our days. The better sleep helped me do better when I was in college and then when I was raising twins! I even attribute our new-mattress buying decision to the awesome sleep I got even when I was pregnant! Yes, I am one of those obnoxious women who could still sleep at the end of her pregnancies, even with twins floating around in there. I really think great mattresses are important!

And The Better Sleep Council would tend to agree with me.

Better Sleep Month – Get on Top!

May is Better Sleep Month and this year, the Better Sleep Council is telling everyone to Get on Top… of a new mattress that is! The campaign encourages consumers to stop making excuses for their old, non-supportive mattress and to get on top of a new one to experience the positive difference a new quality mattress can make in getting a better night’s sleep, and thus improving quality of life, because faking it negatively impacts sleep and health.

The Lowdown on Mattress and Your Sleep

In order to confidently make an investment in yourself and your health by purchasing the mattress of your dreams, it’s helpful to know more about those mattresses and your sleep.

Poor Sleep = Poor Health

50% of all Americans say they would feel somewhat or extremely frustrated if they lost an hour of sleep at night and it wasn’t by choice. Clinical educator and sleep expert, Terry Cralle, explains that poor sleep results in irritability and exhaustion, and sleep deprivation can negatively affect your immune system and led to unhappy things like weight gain, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Just to name a few.

Even infants and children need high quality sleep. Maybe the above mentioned irritability or crabbiness of those teenagers and tots is a result of their mattress! If a mattress isn’t comfortable for you to sleep on, it’s not good enough for your child either.

However, it’s also a fact that a good mattress can improve your quality of life.

Sleeping with a Spouse

If you sleep with a partner (I hope it’s your spouse!), then consider a mattress that allows each of you enough space to move easily. Couples sleeping on a “double” may think they have enough room, but each person has only as much sleeping space as a baby’s crib. We currently sleep on a queen-sized mattress but would love a King – it would make family snuggle time in our bed much easier and much more comfortable.

However, 60% of women say their sleep environment keeps them awake more than their sleep partner. You can check out this infographic for even more facts about sleep and your health.

Aging Mattresses

A mattress that has been used for five to seven years may no longer provide the comfort and support your body needs. A scientific study conducted at Oklahoma State University echoes this in its findings that participants with mattresses 5 years old – or older – reported significant improvements in sleep quality and comfort when sleeping on a new mattress. This research linked a new mattress to better sleep quality and a reduction in back pain, stiffness, and shoulder pain due to sleeping when compared to mattresses five years or older. Be sure to check out a guide for how to get better sleep.

However, I have learned a few tricks on how to make a mattress last longer.

How to Properly Care for Your Mattress

Thanks to my month-long stint as a Kirby vacuum saleswoman, I learned a lot about mattresses, because as part of our sales-pitch, we showed potential buyers how to vacuum their mattresses and educated them on why they should vacuum their mattress.

Many people admitted that they had never, ever, vacuumed their mattress. Most didn’t even think about why they should. Some had been sleeping on their mattresses for 20 years. But, you should vacuum it in order to keep your mattress clean, just like you vacuum other pieces of furniture in your home.
I am so thankful that when we bought our mattress we also bought a bedding cover. This zip and block anti-allergen breathable waterproof mattress encasing would be even better than the one we have because it also covers the bottom of your mattress, and your pillows. Mattress protectors help you prevent stains and take care of your mattress easier (mattresses don’t exactly fit in your washing machine). You should regularly wash these mattress and pillow encasings with hot water as often as you wash and change your sheets. And your pillows should either be washed in hot water or just generally replaced every few months or so.

But, even with a mattress encasing protecting your bed, it’s still a great idea to vacuum your mattress every few months as part of a proper care routine for your mattress. I haven’t done it before prepping for this post, but that is in part because we didn’t own a Kirby vacuum until July of 2013. (I know… still had plenty of months between July and now!)

But, now you are wondering why does a Kirby vacuum make a difference? First of all Kirby’s have the best suction power. No, really they do. And this makes Kirby vacuums perfect for vacuuming mattresses because they can clean all the way to the bottom of your mattress (about 14″ deep). You don’t need to flip over your mattress (although you still may want to; it’s also not a bad idea to vacuum the box spring and sides of your mattress).

So, if you don’t have a Kirby, borrow one, or buy a used one. We scored our old G6 Model off Craiglist for $100 complete with all the accessories (like the awesome carpet shampooer). And then vacuum your mattress, especially if you have never done it, or if you have never used a dust mite mattress protector. It’ll help your health, as well as help the health of your mattress. Even without a Kirby vacuum, vacuum it!

And don’t forget to flip or rotate your mattress every few months too.

So, is it time to stop “Faking It” in the bedroom?

But, ultimately, it just might be time; it might be time to stop faking it in the bedroom, with your mattress of course.

Are you taking medication to help you sleep at night? Do you drink a cup of coffee in the morning or have to drink caffeine throughout the day in order to function? Do you settle for an old, unsupportive mattress and blame other things for not sleeping well at night? If this is you, it may be time for you to stop faking it once and for all.

If you need to know if is indeed time to stop faking it in the bedroom, then be sure to check out the Better Sleep Council’s Replacing a Mattress Guide.

Get on Top this Memorial Day Weekend

So, if you’ve decided that investing in a new quality mattress is the right thing to do, now what?

Everything a consumer needs to know about mattresses, including mattress buying guides, comparison shopping, caring for a mattress and mattress disposal should check out how to buy a mattress. It even includes the SLEEP test and the EASE test. I know many are raving lately about the mattress by Purple! 

Now get on top of some mattresses this Memorial Day weekend when the sales are hot!

I know that when my husband and I bought our mattress before our marriage, we were unprepared shoppers. We didn’t know what to look for. We only knew everything felt amazing compared to our college apartment mattresses. And we certainly didn’t know how much mattresses should cost. Since having children and looking for other furniture pieces we’ve realized we definitely overpaid for our mattress.

We found that many warehouse furniture stores, as well as dedicated mattress stores, carry top name-brand mattresses and at amazing prices. Plus, many run sales during holidays like Memorial Day weekend.

Also, haggle the price. Through even simple hesitation we received bed sheets and the mattress protector for free. Prices can be always be lowered on mattresses!

$50 VISA Gift Card Giveaway for My Readers! {ENDED}

In addition, The Better Sleep Council is giving away a $50 VISA gift card to one of you, my readers! To enter comment below with your sleeping troubles. How would a new mattress help? This giveaway is only open to US residents who are 18+. The contest ended 5/30/2014. IZEA will select a winner. Read the official rules for more details (and more giveaways).

Good luck and Happy Mattress Shopping!