The first thought that comes to mind when buying a mattress is whether it will provide a comfortable sleep. Once you invest in a good mattress, it becomes equally important to maintain them properly so that they last longer. While no mattress lasts forever, one can extend its life by following a few basic steps.

Factors that affect the life of a mattress

The lifespan of a mattress depends on a few things, such as how well you care for it and the type and quality of material used to make it. Innerspring mattresses last around 10 years, higher quality foam mattresses can last as long as 15 years and hybrids are a combination of coils and foams and therefore their lifespan depends on the durability of the material used.

Steps to make your mattress last longer

1. Protective cover: Putting a protective cover on the mattress can be a game changer. No matter how neat and tidy you keep your bed, accidents and spills can happen at any time. A waterproof protector ensures that nothing gets from your duvet onto your mattress to ruin it. A fitted protector will keep your protector from shifting with every movement.
2. Prohibit bouncing on the mattress: Jumping on the bed for fun puts pressure on the mattress and eventually damages it. The mattress is designed to provide sound sleep and cannot withstand these unnecessary pressures for long.
3. Rotate and flip the mattress at regular intervals: Sleeping in the same place every day can damage the mattress in that particular area. Turning and turning the mattress from time to time is key to keeping the mattress in good condition. Rotate your mattress 180⁰ when the season changes.
4. Avoid eating in bed: Watching TV while chewing in bed may seem harmless to most of us, but the tiny crumbs we scatter and escape our eyes can attract bed bugs. If you are going to eat in your bed, be sure to change the sheets often.
5. Vacuum your mattress: Remove all the sheets from the bed and vacuum the mattress at least two to three times a year. Spending a little more time on the seams where most of the buildup tends to settle will help prevent dust and allergens from settling.
6. Keep pets away from your bed: Letting pets curl up in bed is an open invitation to germs, bugs, bacteria, and hair from your bed. Parasites such as hookworm and roundworm lay their eggs in pet hair, which can easily be shed on your sheets and cause illness.
7. Sunlight is the best disinfectant: To remove excess moisture from the mattress due to sweat and humidity, place the mattress in sunlight for two to three hours on a sunny day. This also helps keep the dust mite population in check.
8. Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions: To keep your sleeping environment clean and your healthy mattress, wash it according to the instructions given in the user manual. The soap-in-warm water solution is good enough for most stains, but make sure the mattress is completely dry before making the bed. To maintain foam integrity, avoid using harsh chemical cleaners.