The 6 Biggest Mattress Care Mistakes

We all know that getting your eight hours of sleep is important to get your mind and body recharged for the day ahead. 

And a good mattress is the key. 

But how well do you look after yours? 

6 Ways You’re Ruining Your Mattress

You spend many hours a week cleaning, but it’s likely you’ve been neglecting your bed. These are the 6 biggest mistakes most people make when caring for their mattresses. 

1. You make your bed immediately

Our apologies to parents of teenagers everywhere, but making your bed first thing in the morning isn’t the best thing for your mattress. 

Some of the research we found stated that making your bed the moment you wake up will create a warmer, moister environment for microscopic bugs, such as dust mites, which feed on your dead skin cells. 

An unmade bed means that your mattress and sheets are exposed to fresh air and UV light from your open windows for longer. UV light kills dust mites, while fresh air will dry out your sheets, meaning there’s less moisture that encourages bacteria growth. 

2. You don’t wash your sheets enough

How often do you wash your sheets? 

A 2020 Choice Facebook survey found that almost half (approx. 49.4%) of the 1001 respondents washed their sheets weekly, but 13 respondents put bedding through the machine once a year. 

Dirty sheets mean there is more chance your mattress will be harbouring bacteria and is more susceptible to dust mites and their excrement. 

Wash your bedding on a warm or hot water cycle to effectively kill germs, and dry it in the sunshine if you can. 

On a side note, experts advise against sleeping on a mattress without sheets or a cover. 

3. You don’t have a mattress protector

Mattress protectors are worth every cent. 

Your mattress is one of the most used items in your home, so it makes sense you need to protect it. 

A mattress protector will prevent dust and grime from reaching your mattress, limit how much body perspiration or liquid from any drink spilt soaks into it and wear down the mattress foam. 

Better yet, a mattress protector can be taken off and washed with the rest of your bedding. 

All of this will help keep your mattress healthy and increase its lifespan. 

4. You don’t rotate your mattress

Whether you need to flip or rotate your mattress will depend on the design of your mattress. Most King and Queen mattresses are now made with a support base and pillowtop surface, which means most modern mattresses can’t be flipped. 

Rotating your mattress every 3 months is the best step you can take to minimise wear and the dreaded “dip” in the mattress where you sleep. This is because rotating spreads out the impact of pressure points equally and prevents sagging. 

5. You let the kids jump on the bed

Yes, your mother was right. Jumping on the bed is a bad idea. 

Continuously jumping on the bed concentrates weight in certain areas, and as fun as it may be for the little ones, your bed’s springs aren't designed to withstand the load. 

This will reduce its support while decreasing its lifespan dramatically. 

6. You don’t get it professionally cleaned

You should call a professional mattress cleaner such as Electrodry if you’ve never had your mattress cleaned before, if you want a freshly clean and hygienic mattress, or if you have someone at home who suffers from allergies or asthma. 

You should have an annual professional cleaning to guarantee that dust mites and their excrement aren’t sharing the bed with you, along with germs and bacteria. 

If you need to disinfect a mattress, you should also get in touch with us. We use industry-standard technology and utilise effective, safe cleaning products that treat contaminants and ensure a fresh, clean, and revitalised mattress.