Sunday, March 24, 2024
HomeTrendingWhat Can I Do With Old Mattress

What Can I Do With Old Mattress

Prepare Your Mattress For Its Next Life

What To Do With An OLD Mattress

Before you take any steps to get rid of your mattress, you should take time to clean it first. Start out by vacuuming the top of your bed with your upholstery attachment. This will get rid of most of the dust and dust mites and freshen up your mattress.

According to Lifehacker, you can also sift baking soda over mattress to freshen it up for whoever will get your mattress next. A few drops of essential oil in the baking soda will give your bed a fresh, new scent that will make sleeping on it even more pleasant.

If you have any stains on your bed, use a common DIY combination of two parts hydrogen peroxide to one part of dish soap. You can even add some baking soda into the mix for more deodorizing power. When cleaning your mattress, make sure to blot the stain using a damp white cloth and cold water.

Protein stains, the most common type of stain when dealing with mattresses, become set into fabric when warm water is applied to them. Using a white cloth minimizes color transfer into your mattress. Mattresses, especially memory foam, and water don’t get along well, so make sure to be sparing with the amount of stain remover that you apply to your bed.

How To Clean A Mattress Pad

  • Check the care tag on the mattress pad to know the cleaning dos and donts
  • Vacuum off the pad while also reaching all its crevices to remove dust and dirt
  • Spot treat the stains with mild detergent and water
  • Sprinkle baking soda all over the pad and vacuum it off the next day
  • Aerate the mattress pad outdoors
  • Ways To Dispose Of Your Mattress

    If possible, we want to avoid leaving old mattresses out for trash. You may be surprised to learn that this can actually be pretty damaging to the environment. TheMattress Recycling Council has estimated that in total, Americans discard 15-20 million mattresses each year. This annual amount is equivalent to 132,000 square miles of landfill space. In an effort to cut down on all of this waste, we want to encourage you to use alternative means of disposing. Youll find some helpful tips on how to do so below.

    Don’t Miss: How Much Does A Full Size Purple Mattress Cost

    Why Should You Repurpose Your Old Bed

    If you dont know what to do with old mattress, repurposing it saves you a lot of money. It removes the costs associated with recycling or disposing of your old bed. Plus, you can make a few dollars by selling the scrap materials.

    However, repurposing your old bed can be time-consuming and messy at the same time. Taking the parts of your old mattress may take a lot of space and time plus selling them takes time as well.

    Do you now know what to do with old mattress? Instead of just throwing them away, donate or repurpose your old bed. You are not only earning extra money on the side, but you are also giving others the chance to use your old bed.

    How To Find A Mattress Disposal Near Me

    What To Do With An Old Mattress

    If you are confused about where to dispose of a mattress, you can contact your local waste disposal services. Google can help you locate the nearest mattress disposal services for you,

    It can cost you around $20 to dispose of your mattress. It is not a hefty sum. So, make sure you take the help of waste disposal services for proper recycling of your mattress.

    But, how to dispose of old mattresses for free? You can donate it to a charity. Some of them even have their pickup services.

    Don’t Miss: What Is A Good Mattress Topper

    Understand What Mattress Recycling Services Are Available

    Mattress recyclers often provide two kinds of services: drop-off recycling and recycling pickups. Drop-off recycling is popular with those who can transport their old mattress to the back of their truck and haul it to the recycling facility. In comparison, recycling pickups allow residents to have removers come to their residence to haul their beds away.

    Besides asking yourself if you have the means to drop off your mattress yourself, also consider whether it is worth the drive. Not only that, but hours at recycling facilities may also vary. For example, Canadian Mattress Recycling closes its facility at 4:45 pm every day. If you work past that time or need to travel longer distances, will you encounter hassles like traffic that make you miss the last load times?

    Thats why recycling pickups are popular amongst many residents in Metro Vancouver. Canadian Mattress Recyclings pickup service hauls away residents old beds and ensures theyre recycled. Residents do not have to be at home during the pickup, as long as the mattress is easily accessible by the pickup crew.

    What Is Mattress Recycling

    Mattress recycling involves taking apart the components of beds and reusing them in other applications. It is different then mattress refurbishing or renovating, which involves reupholstering and reselling the bed.

    Most materials in a mattress can be repurposed once a bed is deconstructed , and enterprising entrepreneurs are constantly developing new ways to use old bedding.

    • Springs & Coils: Metal can melted and made into new items.
    • Foams: Mattress foams can be shredded and used in carpet padding , moving pads, and as a fuel source.
    • Fibers: Cotton and other fibers can used in filters, insulation or burned for fuel.
    • Fabrics & Upholstery: Can be reclaimed for use in other items.
    • Wood: Can be chipped for mulch or burned for fuel.

    Read Also: How Much Does The Dump Charge For A Mattress

    What To Do With Old Mattresses 15 Creative Uses For Your Old Mattress

    If your mattress has reached retirement, you may be about to throw it a party and send it on its way to enjoy its twilight years. But, hold on, you dont need to say a tearful goodbye to your faithful old mattress when you can upcycle it!

    While you can recycle old mattress, you could upcycle the materials and create some funky conceptual art, among other things.

    Donating your mattress to a thrift store or charity could give it a new lease of life

    Option : Repurpose Your Mattress

    How to Clean Stains from Old Mattress

    Another option you probably havent considered is in using the materials that make up your mattress in other products. Just because the materials are no longer needed in the old, worn out mattress, that doesnt mean they arent still good. The mattress materials that have a longer life-span than the mattress itself are the steel inner-springs, box-springs, steel wire, coils, mattress foam, box-spring wood, foundation wood, fabrics, and fibers.

    Don’t Miss: How Often To Replace Your Mattress

    The Life Expectancy Of A Mattress

    A high-quality mattress can give you years of comfortable sleepbut theres no magic number as to exactly how many.

    Typically, manufacturers recommend replacing your mattress every eight years. But according to Consumer Reports, a mattress thats well cared for could easily last a decade.

    In fact, most mattress companies, even the newer mattress in a box companies, offer a 10-year warranty. Some brands will even go above and beyond and offer a 20-year warranty or more. However, the length of the warranty and the length of a mattresss life are two different things.

    To ensure that your mattress lives a long, happy life, experts recommend giving it a little TLC. Some tips:

    • Dont let kids jump on the bed.
    • Rotate your mattress every two months. Rotate single-sided mattresses from end to end, and flip double-sided mattresses over.
    • Use a bed frame with a center support to prevent sagging.

    Still, even with the utmost care and attention, your mattress will eventually start to wear out. And when that happens, some not-so-great stuff is likely to follow.

    Getting Your Mattress Ready To Donate

    Some good nation-wide charities for collecting used mattresses include Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity.

    These organizations are usually willing to accept just about any kind of mattress so long as theres nothing wrong with it, but be sure to double-check your local outlets policies before driving off with your mattress.

    Charities will not typically accept mattresses that are broken, stained or unsanitary.

    Also be sure to let you charity know if your mattress is coming from a home with pets or cigarette smoke.

    Many people who come to these organizations are in poor health, and the last thing they need is for their new mattress to make things worse.

    This is especially important for people with asthma or allergies.

    You definitely shouldnt let this keep you from looking into donating, but just be sure to let the charity know.

    Also Check: What Can I Use To Make My Mattress Firmer

    Mattress Removal Services Near You

    The good news is, theres an easy way to get rid of your old mattress. If you need a hand with mattress removal, give 1-800-GOT-JUNK? a call. Well get that old mattress out of your way in no time and you wont have to lift a finger. Let us do all the heavy lifting for you. All you have to do is point! Were in your neighborhoodfind a 1-800-GOT-JUNK? location near you.

    Sell Your Usable Mattress

    What Should I Do with My Old Mattress?

    If you dont mind the hassle, you also have the option of selling your mattress on websites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc. When selling it, you want it to be in similar shape to as if you were going to be donating it. Before you find your mattress a new home, you should give it a thorough cleaning with the best DIY upholstery cleaner.

    Recommended Reading: What Is A Half Queen Mattress

    Find A Home For Your Old Mattress

    If you are replacing a mattress that is in good condition or have a like new mattress you no longer want, you may be able to sell it to someone who doesnt want to pay full price for a new model. The market for these gently used mattresses with no significant wear or damage is found primarily online.

    Craigslist allows you to place a free ad that will appear in your local area. Anyone interested in your mattress can then contact you directly through the Craigslist website. Social media platforms like are another alternative where you can spread the word among family and friends that you have a mattress for sale. All you have to do is post a description and photograph on your profile page.

    When considering whether to sell your old mattress or donate it, its best to follow the Golden Rule. If you wouldnt want it, then its likely not good enough for anyone else either. Your best bet may simply be disposal.

    Mattress Age And Quality

    Think back to when you first got this mattress, what year was it? Most mattresses are good for 7 to eight years, but if you are over 40 you may want to replace it closer to every 5 years. Remember when the last time you flipped the mattress was. It is good to flip a mattress frequently. If you recently flipped your mattress and it is still uncomfortable, this mattress is probably past its lifespan.

    Also Check: What Is The Cost Of The Purple Mattress

    What Should I Do With My Old Mattress

    Durable materials and increased lifespan notwithstanding, every mattress, no matter how sturdy, sees its last sleep. Eventually, an innerspring mattress weakens, the memory foam topper wears out, the cover grows thin, and every mattress eventually reaches the end of its days.

    And when the time has come to buy a new mattress, you also need to figure out how to dispose of your old one .

    Fortunately, the answer isnt as complicated as you might fear. There are essentially three options: government collection, private collection, and recycling or mattress donation.

    So How Do You Know If Your Mattress Is In Good Enough Shape To Be Donated

    What to do with an old waterbed mattress

    Every charity, organization, and shelter has its own standards for what is acceptable for a donated mattress. However, there are a few standard guidelines:

    Odors: Though people can sometimes be noseblind to odors in their own home, a particularly strong odor on a mattress should be noticeable to you. When in doubt, call in a third party, preferably one who you do not live with, to do a sniff test. If you find that the mattress has a slight odor, you can try sprinkling a layer of baking soda on the surface and letting it sit for a few hours. Afterward, vacuum off the baking soda, and then, if possible, let the mattress air outside. If the odor remains, you should reconsider donating the mattress.

    In general, figuring out if your mattress is up to donation standards is a matter of common sense.

    Make sure the mattress is structurally sound, clean, and free of any infestations or odors. The mattress is not going to help anyone if it cannot be used. Think about whether or not you would want to receive your mattress as a donation. If not, then consider other options.

    If you feel that your bed is in good shape for donation, then thats great! You can move on to selecting the right place to donate.

    Recommended Reading: How Does Mattress In A Box Work

    Repurpose Your Old Mattress In Your Own Backyard

    Kids love bouncing on the bed much to the dismay of their parents. Recycle old mattress by putting it in your backyard and have your kids bouncing for joy. Your old mattress can also act as a cushion under a jungle gym to prevent accidents. Children have fantastic imaginations and will turn that old mattress into a space-bound rocket ship.

    Can I Recycle My Air Mattress

    The vast majority of air mattresses are made from PVC, #3 plastic also known as polyvinyl chloride. PVC is known to release phthalates, which can be absorbed by the body. So if youre shopping for a new air mattress, look for one thats PVC-free.

    Unfortunately, PVC is not the easiest material to recycle, and up until the last several years, very few facilities accepted it. While more facilities accept PVC now, youll probably still have a hard time finding one that accepts PVC air mattresses. While the Earth911.com recycling directory lists locations that accept #3 plastics, you still need to call and confirm that they accept air mattresses, since these are a specialized product.

    Several companies now make PVC-free air mattresses. Most of these are made from TPU , which is a mixture of a hard plastic and a soft silicone, a form of rubber. While TPU is not any easier to recycle than PVC, it is more environmentally friendly.

    No matter which kind of air mattress you have, if you cannot confirm that your local recycling program accepts them, do not place your unwanted mattress in the recycling bin. Air mattresses can get tangled up in the recycling machinery and cause serious damage that can cost thousands of dollars to repair and the temporary shutdown of already overwhelmed recycling plants.

    Instead of throwing those old mattresses in the trash, lets look into a few other options.

    Also Check: Where To Throw Away Old Mattress

    What Can I Do With An Old Memory Foam Mattress

    Undeniably, deciding the alternative uses of an outdated memory foam mattress can become a challenging work. As a homeowner, you can determine the right kind of memory foam mattress for your home and consequently use them for a long time. What happens when you have used the memory foam mattress for enough time? You would get messed up with lots of questions about the alternative uses of the memory foam mattress which is old now.

    In the beginning, you would face problems to determine the right uses of the old memory foam mattress. Most people can throw away the old memory foam mattress and some will use it in other ways. If you want to determine the best ways of using an old memory foam mattress, you can explore the following paragraph ones after one.

    Will The Council Collect My Mattress

    How to upcycle mattress box springs

    Most, if not all, local councils offer a collection and disposal service for bulky waste, which includes beds and mattresses. But it can be surprisingly expensive, and theres often no guarantee that your mattress wont end up in landfill many local authorities simply say that they will recycle some or all of the waste where possible.

    Some councils, such as Liverpool City Council and a number of London boroughs, offer free bulky-waste collection, but theyre very much in the minority. Most councils charge a fee to collect bulky waste, and it can be expensive Argyll and Bute Council and Wealden District Council charge more than £50 for the service, the London Borough of Richmond charges £62 per collection, for example.

    If you live in England or Wales, you can find out how much your council will charge for bulky-waste disposal by typing your postcode into the gov.uk website. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, go to your councils website and search for bulky-waste disposal.

    Having the council collect your mattress from your home can be convenient, but make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully. Many councils charge a different price depending on the number of bulky items theyll be collecting, but bear in mind that a bed frame and a mattress will likely count as at least two items. And items will often only be collected if theyre left in a designated spot outside the house.

    Don’t Miss: What Mattress Is Comparable To Purple

    Mattress Fabrics & Fibers

    A number of renewable plant and animal fibers including cotton, wool, silk, sisal and coconut fibers are used in mattresses. Another renewable fiber is rayon, which is made from wood and other cellulosic plant fibers. Other textiles and fibers used in mattresses are made from recycled materials.

    Recycled Fibers: You can then donate these fibers to clothing stores, thrift shops or art communities. These fibers can also be reused as insulation or filters.

    Get Creative with Fibers: You can learn to sew and make clothing and kitchen towels. A very popular type of art is called fiber art that would be a great way to use these materials. View these fiber art products on Etsy to get an idea of different art that has been made with fibers.

    **Disassembling a mattress can be dangerous due to sharp objects. Be careful and proceed with caution.

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Most Popular