How often should you replace your mattress? Mattress replacement is a necessity for every individual as we all aim to have nights of sound sleep free from pains and nightmares. Or do you think a mattress can’t be the source of a nightmare?
It is a natural rule to replace anything bought for three reasons; either you are tired of the thing in question, you misplaced it or it has reached its expiration date when it can no longer perform its original purpose.
The average lifespan of a mattress is 8 years. Once it reaches this it must be changed without hesitation. However, there can be slight changes for some mattress brands. Best mattress brands can last longer than you can imagine especially if you regularly take care of them.
So the question of how often you should replace your mattress is simple – you must replace your mattress within the recommended years of expiration. Every mattress lasts for as long as 7 to 10 years. Meaning if you change your mattress within this time frame, you must replace the new one again once it clocks this year of expiration.
Types of Mattress and Their Year of Expiration
1. Innerspring Mattress
The innerspring mattress lasts for exactly seven years. It gives way when the spring in its inner support begins to crumble that it lacks the strength to support the weight of any sleeper. Once you notice body pain or small squeak sounds, check for any broken spring(s).
It is a symptom that your mattress needs replacement. Each of the springs was made to last as long as 7 years, hence when they begin to give way; it means your mattress needs a replacement.
2. Memory Foam
These types of mattresses are one of the most used types of mattresses due to their wide support range and durability. They last for a maximum of 10 years.
3. Hybrid mattress
A hybrid mattress lasts for a maximum of seven years. It has a similar makeup to the innerspring mattress. It gives that bouncy feeling just like the innerspring as well as providing higher feelings of support.
4. Gel Mattress
It is manufactured in an exact manner like memory foam. The unique difference is that it has a gel component. Just like the memory foam, it lasts for 10 years.
5. Pillow Mattress
This mattress type is a little different from every other type of mattress. It is constructed with a pillow top as the name implies. It lasts for 9 years.
6. Latex Mattress
It has the shortest life span among other mattresses. It lasts for 6 years. Ironically, it also has the longest span. A latex mattress can be made of natural or synthetic latex, this is why there are variations in how long it lasts.
Synthetic latex is proven to last as long as 20 years, while natural or organic latex can last for just 6 years.
Signs of a Bad Mattress
The following are signs you should pay attention to if you want to fish out a bad mattress so you won’t be risking your health as a bad mattress can cause bad sleep which is harmful to your health.
1. Joint Pain
Body pains should be far from you if you are having good rounds of sleep. However, if pains have become a routine when you wake you must look into your mattress to replace it. It simply means the makeup component of the mattress is weak and they can no longer provide support for your joints anymore.
2. Sagging
A mattress that sags at different parts of the surface needs quick replacement. A sag is a small portion of a hole in your mattress. These portions slack the surface of your mattress and you will no longer be comfortable sleeping on your bed.
Risk sleeping on a sagging mattress will only result in pains in the bones. So you know the solution, replace that sagging bed you deserve better.
3. Allergic Reactions
There are chances that you develop allergies from sleeping on a mattress. The main reason is that you have used the mattress for so long a time. Therefore your body system has gotten used to it and negative reactions are now taking place. Such reactions are allergies. Imagine having allergies anytime you lay on your bed or about to. That’s very bad.
Your mattress must never scare you out because your bedroom is your place of solace and peace – your personal hideout.
4. Lack of rest
Rest is sweet only on a good mattress. Ever compared the sleep you had when you just bought a mattress and that of the one in about one or two years. The difference is crystal clear. As a mattress gets older, you will get a low level of rest when you sleep on it. This is a sign that it requires replacement.
5. Hammock in the Mattress
Your bed at home can turn into a hammock bed when gets old. When you search for sags on the bed and you do not find them just to give yourself a look. You should know for sure that your bed in the hammock stage. The bedroom mattress was not made to be used as a hammock. They are straight beds and needed to give back and body support.
A bed that hammocks have reached its expiration moment. To save yourself from body pains you should get into a store to get a new mattress or even shop online if need be.
6. Bad Smell
Lack of personal hygiene is the only reason your bed will develop a bad smell. That is why it is recommended to clean and dust stains immediately they are sighted. Procrastination might be a thief here sometimes, avoid it.
What if personal hygiene is in place yet, your mattress smells bad and you can not say detect the reason why it smells like that. Worry no more, the most common reason why a mattress will smell badly is because of moisture present in it. Moisture creates from your body sweat or from the liquid you wiped out sometimes last week.
It is possible to solve this problem but if after doing this it persists, you know for sure what the problem is (your mattress needs replacement). All you need to do is spread your mattress in the sun. The heat from the sun is capable of drying all.
7. Sleeping better on another mattress
You probably have been in a situation when you concluded that you preferred to sleep in your sibling’s bedroom. Simply because you do not sleep better on your mattress anymore. This is to let you know that the mattress in question has reached its stage of replacement. Get a new one quickly.
How Can I Make a Mattress Last Longer?
1. Use bed protector
Irrespective of the thickness of your mattress cover, do not neglect the idea of getting a bed protector. You are saving yourself the stress of cleaning the mattress every time as you will only have to wash the bed protector.
Using a bed protector also helps in keeping to terms of the warranty given to you by the manufacturer. No manufacturer will agree to take back a mattress if faulty when you do not use a protector. Therefore, as you shop for your mattress keep in mind to also get a bed protector.
2. Keep your pets away
This can be a hard rule to keep but trust me you are doing your mattress the best good. Let your dogs and cats stay away from your bed. They do not have the human care instinct to maintain your bed. Therefore you there are chances that they can damage the surface of your mattress with their claws and teeth. They could even poo on the bed – sometimes that stain might remain permanent.
Besides, animals have tiny insects that stay on their body which you will sometimes not notice only at a closer look. These little insects are not palatable for your body as they could either sting you or cause body irritation.
3. Support your mattress properly
There are different bed designs you can choose from here and here that come with a stable and strong support system for your mattress. No mattress without strong support can hold the weight of any individual.
A less firm mattress requires a strong foundation while a heavy firm mattress needs extra support in the foundation to give it a good backup. You do not want your bed to hammock so get support for it so it can live till its designed expiration moment.
4. Hop into Your Bed Gently
Children are guilty of this, therefore as a mother, it is your duty to ensure they do not hop into their bed. Monitor them once in a while and you are sure that they do not turn their beds into a bouncy castle.
It is also possible for adults to be guilty of this. Well, you commit this unconsciously. Let it be a culture in you to hop gently on your bed every time you sit or lay on it. Frequent brutal hopping on your bed will only reduce the lifespan of the mattress as the inner foam or spring gets weaker by the day.
5. Take Your Food off Your Bed
Staying in a studio apartment might let you get used to eating in your bed. No matter how careful you are, an occasion will arise when droplets of food will touch your mattress and it will forever stick on the surface. Well, maybe not if you are using a bed protector.
One other reason why you should not eat on your bed is the fact that you draw food insects straight into your sleep arena. Insects such as ants or cockroaches might come visiting at night if attracted by the aroma left on your bed surface which you couldn’t wipe off.
Let your children also be aware of the harm of eating on beds. When all forms of items are far from your bed, your mattress will stay as long as you want.
6. Vacuum and Clean Your Mattress
The materials you can use in cleaning your mattress include, baking soda, soap, and hydrogen peroxide (you can get this at the store on request). Similarly, go ahead and vacuum your mattress one in two weeks to remove specks of dirt from every negligible corner. Using a vacuum cleaner is one of the natural do-it-yourself techniques you can employ to prevent and eradicate bedbugs from your mattress.
7. Flip Your Mattress
This method is proven to preserve your mattress from getting worn out quickly. When you change the position of your mattress, you are making sure that your body does not leave a permanent dent or impression on the surface.
Try out this experiment on a little foam; place a heavy object on the foam. Go back in three days and look at the impact of the heavy object on the foam. The same thing happens on any mattress. Even if it is an Airweave mattress; the air fiber gets so relaxed on one surface. But will be balanced if the other side is used in the same manner and time.
8. Put Your Mattress in Plastic
You decided to move to a new apartment, so you want to move your mattress. To effectively ensure that your mattress does not get scratched or pin by nails or any sharp object within the house, use a plastic wrapper when you are moving it. The plastic wrapper will also help in protecting your mattress from getting stained.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the main things to consider changing my mattress?
- You must consider the mattress brand
- How well you use your mattress
- And the material source of the mattress.
2. When should I flip my mattress?
A trick to making your mattress last longer is to regularly flip it. Not only does flipping makes it last longer, but it also gives you a new body arrangement and support. You can flip your mattress every week. The best time is the weekend – Sunday most preferably before the start of the new week.
3. What should I look for in a new mattress?
Your specifications of a new mattress must always tally with your type of sleep. Know your sleep type then you can look out perfectly for what you want in a new mattress. You must check the weight of the mattress, look out for the best mattress brands, your body size, sleeping temperature, and go for mattresses with coils.
4. What mattress type should I flip?
All mattresses should be flipped but more importantly, if you use any of these mattresses listed below you are advised to flip it regularly. The only mattress you should not flip or rotate is the Level sleep mattress
- Innerspring mattress
- Hybrid mattress
- Memory foam mattress and
- Latex mattress
5. What is the difference between rotating a mattress and flipping a mattress?
Flipping a mattress simply means turning the surface region of a mattress down to the foundation support of the bed design. While rotating a mattress means changing the positional length and breadth of a mattress.
In rotating, the region at the part of your head can go towards the side of your body (if it is a square-shaped mattress) or the foot’s side.
Conclusion
The joke here is that no mattress will burn or disappear if you use it for 30 years. This means no matter how long if you are not keen on replacing your mattress you are falling into the trap of having rounds of bad sleep at night. Take note of the time you bought your mattress as this will help you to know the time you should change your mattress.