It goes without saying that a mattress is a big investment. Lasting up to a decade, your mattress will support you night after night, playing an incredibly important role in how you sleep. So, with that in mind, what should you do to protect your investment?
In this post, we’re going to look at how to clean your mattress to promote not only the longevity of your investment, but the quality of your sleep as well. And, because pillows play an equally important role in sleep quality, we’ll touch on how to keep pillows clean, as well as other bedding essentials.
Sleeping on your mattress night after night, for eight or nine hours at a time means your mattress is exposed to a lot. From sweat and skin oils, to drool, skin flakes and hair, your mattress may also have to contend with various bodily fluids, indoor pollution and pet dander. But, while you may clean your sheets on a regular basis, how often do you get round to cleaning your mattress?
How you clean your mattress will depend on what type of mattress you have, whether that’s an innerspring mattress, a latex mattress, or a memory foam mattress, such as a TEMPUR mattress.
Start by stripping your bed, removing the mattress protector and all sheets and pillowcases for cleaning. Follow the washing instructions carefully. Next, vacuum the mattress. If you have an innerspring mattress, you may sprinkle it with baking soda. Leave the baking soda on the mattress for as long as possible to help absorb moisture and odour, then vacuum it again.
If you have a TEMPUR mattress, the TEMPUR material cannot be washed, sponged or dry cleaned. Soaking with water or using cleaning fluids will likely cause irreversible damage, and will also invalidate your guarantee. Instead of cleaning the mattress itself, remove the cover and wash or air it according to the care instructions.
You should also ensure your TEMPUR mattress is placed on a ventilated bed base to allow air to circulate freely, preventing moisture from accumulating. There is no need to flip or rotate a TEMPUR mattress.
Lastly, remake your bed using your clean or aired mattress protector, and your clean bedding and sheets.
According to a National Sleep Foundation ‘Bedroom Poll’, around three-quarters of those surveyed said they enjoyed a more comfortable night’s sleep on clean sheets*. How often should you wash your sheets then? It’s recommended that you wash your sheets every week, or every fortnight if that’s not possible.
While you should always wash sheets and pillowcases according to their care instructions, opting for a warm or hot wash will work best at removing bacteria and common allergens such as dust mites, pollen, mould and pet dander. You should also aim to wash duvets, pillows and blankets two to three times a year, again following care instructions.
If you have a Cloud TEMPUR pillow you may carefully wipe down the surface of the pillow with a well-wring cloth to remove surface stains or dirt. To wash the cover, turn it inside-out, close the zipper and follow care instructions. All TEMPUR Pillows have their own antimicrobial-treated, hypoallergenic cover, to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms.
For more on pillow care, read our post, When Should I Replace My Pillow?
Experts agree that our environment affects not only how fast we fall asleep, but how soundly we sleep through the night. Bedrooms that are filled with mess and clutter are likely to result in bad sleep, while tidy, clutter-free rooms should lead to better sleep overall. Whether you make your bed each day may also affect your sleep quality, according to the National Sleep Foundation**.
Getting good quality sleep is surely one of the best reasons to clean your bedroom. Aim to remove mess and clutter, leaving only the essentials, which may include your bed, bedside tables and good quality curtains or blackout blinds. Leave your phone and other devices out of the bedroom.
Read more about the benefits of a tidy bedroom in our post, Should You Marie Kondo Your Bedroom?
Innerspring mattresses typically last for six or seven years, while latex and memory foam mattresses can last anywhere between 10 and 15 years. In fact, TEMPUR mattresses come with a 10 Year Full Replacement Guarantee, while TEMPUR pillows have a three year guarantee, and mattress covers have a two year guarantee (for more on the TEMPUR Guarantee, see here).
Having opted for a TEMPUR mattress, you can ensure the longevity of your mattress by following the care instructions found here. Using a mattress protector should also increase the lifespan of your mattress, while also working to keep allergens at bay.
* https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/smell/fresh-sheets-better-sleep
** https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20110126/want-sleep-better-make-your-bed#1
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