How To Make Your Mattress Last Longer The Next Time
Beddings tend to last longer for people who weigh less. It looks like obesity poses not only as a life risk but also a mattress-risk. Sleepers weighing significantly more than 200 pounds need mattress protectors and mattress toppers to secure the even distribution of their weight. Presence of an added layer on top of the bedding also makes it more comfortable for the sleepers.
Some manufacturer warranties require the users to buy protectors. The lifespan of your bed can extend from 6 years to 10 years if you manage to find the correct topper and protector duo that go with it.
Mattresses last longer with the right box spring pair. Some manufacturers explicitly state in their warranty terms about the mandatory use of box springs with their bedding. The modern beds with wooden slats or platform beds do not need box springs. They can provide optimal support to almost all kinds of contemporary mattress designs.
Nonetheless, the box springs can add a few years to your precious mattress. You bedding may cost nearly 6 to 8 times that of a box spring, so investing in one makes all the more sense.
Donate Your Memory Foam Bedding
If your memory foam bedding is in fairly decent condition then donating it may be an option.
For example, good quality memory foam mattresses tend to last around 6-8 years .
And if yours isnt sagging, heavily indented, stained, or infested with bed bugs, then you may be able to give it away along with your topper or pillows if you have them and they are also in good nick.
The best thing to do is contact a local charity and ask them FIRST if they would be interested in taking your old memory foam mattress or bedding items .
Youll typically find that lightly used mattresses in good condition will be accepted by the Salvation Army , Goodwill Industries , Habitat for Humanity, and Furniture Bank Association .
In the UK, the British Heart Foundation will accept mattresses and upholstered bed bases with fire labels click here to book a free collection.
Recycling Of Mattresses And Foam Rubber Mats
Recycle Content
Some allergies are easier to control than others. A food allergy, for example, can be controlled by simply not eating and staying away from the food. Hay fever, on the other hand, can be more difficult to control, although staying away from outdoor activities during allergy season can help.
While dust mites can live in many different places, the mattress is always the main breeding ground. Therefore, this is also the starting point for eliminating dust mites and improving the state of household allergies.
First of all, it is important that the mattress cover used by the allergic person is impervious to dust mites. This makes contact between the allergic person and the dust mites and their feces as difficult as possible, as long as a high-quality cover is used .
A good allergy-proof mattress will come with a washable cover. The mattress cover should be removable and washable at 60 . This temperature will be sufficient to effectively kill dust mites in the cover and seal the mattress. The mattress cover should be washed regularly to effectively protect against allergies.
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Simple Ways To Dispose Of A Memory Foam Mattress
Image by Johannes Wünsch from Pixabay
Nothing lasts forever, and nor does the memory foam mattress. No matter how good your foam mattress is, it would need to be replaced after a while. The average life of a mattress is of 8 10 years. Some people change the mattress because they are interested in a new model or their comfort requirements have changed. But whether you want or not, youll someday have to change your memory foam mattress.
The process of researching and buying a new comfortable mattress may be a fun part. But then you have to figure out ways for your old mattress disposal.
There are a number of ways to get rid of your old mattress. Some of them are recycling, repurposing, or even you can donate a mattress or contacting mattress disposal pickup services. The way you dispose of your memory foam mattress depends on different conditions, such as mattress condition, location, availability of mattress disposal pickup, and donation services.
We have broken down these old mattress disposal methods for you to choose the right one and get your job done. Lets take a look at each of them.
Repurpose Or Diy Recycling
Many people love DIYs! If you are one of those creative and crafty people, you can easily repurpose your old mattress. If you are out of ideas, there are numerous ideas available online.
Break down the mattress. Mattress and box springs have materials like steel, memory foam, latex foam, natural fibers, wooden parts, nails, screws, and more. You can use these materials for the following:
1. Break Down the Mattress And Recycle the Parts.
If you have the needed tools and time, you can easily break the mattress and the box spring into recyclable parts. If the recycling centers are not accepting the whole mattress, they might take the parts. Contact your local recycling facilities to learn if they take the mattress parts.
2. Garden
You can use the wooden parts of the mattress for gardening. Wood can work great as a lawn mulch or a composite bin.
3. Decoration
You can melt the coils and spring of the mattress and use them as candle holders, ornaments, and more.
4. Home Projects
You can use foam and cotton to make pet beds, pillows, carpet padding, fillers, and more.
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What Is The Correct Process Of Mattress Disposal
Sometimes, when you have no other way than to junk your old bed and go for a new one, you need to make a few tough calls.
First, you need to overcome that urge to hand it over to the garbage truck in the morning. You cannot just throw a whole mattress out in the street, and your state law probably forbids you from doing that.
Second, follow up on your states mattress recycling and disposal laws. This step will save you a lot of hassle and a lot of money in the long run. Thirdly, follow these steps carefully
Resell Or Give It Away
If you’d like to make a few bucks from your mattress, you can also consider selling it. We only recommend selling beds that are in excellent condition without any central sagging. Your mattress should also be clean and come from a smoke-free home.
Sites like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Craigslist make it easy to sell or give away items to local buyers. Simply take a few pictures of your mattress, upload them to these platforms, and state your listing price. Then, buyers within your area can reach out to you to arrange a time and place to pick up the mattress.
If you’re simply trying to get rid of your mattress, listing it for free on one of the above platforms could save you some time and effort. If your bed is still in good condition, people may be willing to pick it up from your house and haul it away for you, saving you the work of taking it to a donation center.
You can also reach out to friends and family members to see if anyone is interested in taking the mattress off your hands. Your friends may be more likely to trust that the mattress is clean and in good condition than total strangers would.
Get More Info:How to Sell Used Mattress
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Does Memory Foam Get Harder Over Time
NO! On the contrary, memory foam mattresses become softer overtime. Memory foam loses its cell structure after a couple of years, and thus its shape, responsiveness, and support get distort. Sleepers start feeling sinking in the bed, and in short, we can say the mattress starts breaking in.
When you buy a new memory foam mattress may feel firm initially but gets softer with time. Another reason a mattress can feel hard is that the foundation may be rigid.
Again Memory foam mattresses are temperature-sensitive. If the room temperature gets lower , the foam will get very firm and harder.
Eventually, a foam mattress gets softer with age compared to the innerspring mattress that gets harden with time.
Due to continuous one-sided use in sleeping, sitting, etc., the memory foam mattress may start losing its shape on that side . So its advisable to rotate and flip it from time to time to avoid the structure getting lumpy.
What Is Mattress Removal And Do You Have To Pay For It
The cost of removing a mattress can vary wildly, from free if someone offers to pick it up, to over $150 if you rent a dumpster. Junk removal services such as LoadUp offer a fully comprehensive service, and you can schedule a pickup online. The average cost with LoadUp is around $80, but this varies from state to state. Shop around for different recommended companies online.
Some municipalities also offer curbside pickup, which can be free or cost up to $15 check the details before you commit to this option, as not all will take mattresses.
If you buy a mattress from online sleep brands, some of them will remove your old mattress as part of their white-glove delivery service. Some offer this service for free, while other brands request that customers pay an additional fee. Either way, this service takes the hassle out of mattress removal, leaving you to enjoy your new mattress immediately.
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The Real Questions About Mattress Disposal Every Homeowner Needs To Ask
American citizens dispose of close to 20 million mattresses each year. This trend comes after the demand for new bedding has significantly gone up in new homes across the country. Mattress companies have created a movement of mass mattress buying that has claimed over 132,000 square miles of land.
Over the last few years, traditional methods of mattress disposal have become stringent. People have seen the introduction of several regulations. Authorities and environmentalists are putting more stress on recycling and reusing old mattress more than ever.
There has been a sharp rise in the number of non-profit organizations in every state of the US that can transform mattresses into other products.
Recycling centers have been trying to make a difference by reclaiming the land that discarded beds take away each year. There are only about 40 mattress recycling centers in the Northern States. That outlines the enormous gap between the discarding and reclamation process.
How To Throw Away A Mattress
If none of the above options works for you, your last resort would be to throw away the mattress. This option is best suited for mattresses that are no longer usable, are excessively dirty, or have experienced bed-bug contamination. If your mattress is in an unsafe or unsanitary condition, disposing of it can reduce the risk of spreading this contamination elsewhere.
While throwing your mattress away may seem like the easiest option, you’ll still need to follow specific procedures to dispose of the bed properly. For example, you may not realize that dumping a mattress is illegal in most cities. You can’t simply place your mattress in a dumpsterdoing so could leave you with up to $10,000 in fines or even incarceration.
Instead, you’ll need to dispose of your mattress in one of four ways:
- Taking it to a landfill
- Setting the bed out on heavy trash day
- Breaking it down and throwing it away in garbage bags
Keep in mind that the availability of each of these options depends on your local waste removal regulations. You’ll want to be sure you understand your city’s policies before proceeding.
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Option : Resell It Or Give It Away
If your mattress is in good shape and recycling or donating arent options for you, try reselling it. You may not make a ton of money, but you never know someone in your network might need a used mattress and be interested in purchasing it from you. Take advantage of your social media channels by posting that you have a used mattress up for grabs. You can also utilize online marketplaces like OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, NextDoor, or Craigslist. Just post a picture of your mattress on one of these sites and offer up a price. When all else fails, you can list it as free on Craigslist.
Ways To Recycle Memory Foam
Memory foam can be recycled .
However, memory foam is made from polyurethane a polymer of plastic that once manufactured into a foam cannot be broken down to make a non-foam, polyurethane product it can only be shredded to make new memory foam or other foam-based products like the padding for car seats .
For example, a memory foam mattress cant be recycled to make a non-foam product like a watchband, and must instead be cut up using a machine to be repurposed as shown in the video below.
Furthermore, a large amount of manual work is required to actually get the memory foam out of the mattress pushing up time and costs to the point where manufacturers of memory foam products typically find it cheaper to create them from scratch using fresh polyurethane.
This means that whilst memory foam toppers and pillows are easier to recycle than a memory foam mattress because you dont have to cut through several deeper layers to get to the memory foam, theres typically not much demand for reclaimed memory foam.
This can make it difficult to find a recycling center near you that will take your memory foam mattress, topper, or pillows.
But it is possible.
And in the rest of this article, Im going to show you 4 ways to recycle or otherwise dispose of your memory foam mattress, pillows, or topper in a way thats more eco friendly than just dumping them in the trash.
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Contact Your Mattress Topper Manufacturer
Most memory foam manufacturers understand that the materials they use arent environmentally friendly, and offer resources to assist their customers with recycling options. Some manufacturers will take you old foam topper through a buy-back or disposal agreement. But this information isnt always on the label. Cant find recycling information?
- Visit the manufacturers website and search for their contact information.
- Contact the store where you purchased the mattress pad and ask them about recycling options
Allergies Dead Skin Body Oil And Dust Mites
People buy expensive memory foam mattresses as they are hypo allergic. And if your mattress is not able to perform on this health factor, then its a final sign thats you need to discard your mattress.
Sleeper developing allergies such as constant breathing issues, sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, or itching sensation your mattress might have an accumulation of allergens and irritants .
In fact, research says that a used mattress can house up to 10 million microscopic bugs. Timely Cleaning may help remove most of the nasty stuff at bay, but the old mattress should be replaced ASAP if allergies erupt frequently.
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Different Ways To Repurpose The Old Memory Foam Mattress
Below are 8 different ways you can repurpose your old memory foam mattress.
- Make new cushions and pillows Alternative bedding like floor quilts, old sofa, or bean bag filler /stuffed animal filler
- Reuse as a bed for your pets
- Reuse the memory foam mattress box springs as decorations
- Make rugs
- Use the foam mattress as sponges
- Use it for camping
Lets discuss each one in detail:
Find A Second Home For Your Mattress
If your mattress is in good condition and you do not want to throw it away or recycle it, finding a buyer is an excellent way to dispose of it. You can easily find someone who does not want to pay the total price for a new mattress. There is an excellent online market for no wear and tear mattresses. You can utilize platforms that allow you to place free ads in your nearby area and post it on social media groups and channels.
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Can You Donate Your Mattress
You can donate your mattress to the following organizations.
1. Bedbugs
If you have any kind of infestation in your mattress, avoid donating it. Infestations like bed bugs and mold can be harmful to sleepers. They can worsen your skin allergies and infections.
2. Stains
Mattresses with significant as well as minor stains should not be donated. If the stains are not that prominent, you can use a handheld vacuum cleaner or a non-toxic enzyme cleaner to get rid of them.
3. Odors
If your mattress has a mild smell, you can try sprinkling baking soda on the top and let it sit for some hours. Afterward, vacuum off the baking soda and air it outside.
Can You Cut Up A Mattress For Disposal
A mattress isnt exactly a small item – and you may be considering cutting it up to transport it for disposal moreeasily.
If you have pre-arranged a removal service to collect your mattress, you should leave the mattress in one piece.
If youre disposing of your mattress yourself and need to transport it more efficiently, or you want to reclaim or recycle the materials, then you can cut it up.
Before you start, ensure the following:
- You use safety glasses and cut-resistant work gloves when cutting the mattress.
- You have the necessary tools
- You have a safe outside area to work in.
- You have previous DIY knowledge or experience with tools.
We also recommend having someone nearby to assist and watch out for your safety.
The below video shows how you can safely cut up your mattress for disposal:
As you can see, you should cut up the mattress layer by layer, starting with the cords, removing the outer fabric, and then each of the individual layers.
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