How to Buy the Best Mattress

The ultimate guide to the best mattress types and brands.

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What is a Box Spring?

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CC Flickr Photo courtesy of blmurch. The box spring is the thing underneath the mattress on top in this photo.

You might be asking yourself, “Do I need a box spring? And what is a box spring, anyway?”

Let’s clear it up for you.

A box spring is essentially the support system for a mattress. The boxed spring itself is a series of springs that have been enclosed in a wooden frame and then covered with a cloth to keep the springs and frame from being visible. The box spring is placed under the mattress on the bed frame. It keeps the mattress from sagging and falling off the bed frame. Without the boxed spring it will be harder to get in and out of bed as the mattress will be closer to the floor.

With a box spring the mattress is raised off the floor and getting into bed is much easier. It also acts as a shock absorber. When you lay on your mattress the box spring bears your weight more than the mattress. This will help prolong the life of your mattress. Without it there would be very little support for the mattress; the sleeping surface would not be flat and not very comfortable.

When choosing a mattress you must also consider the box spring as well. The life of a spring is not long and often they need to be replaced after several years. It has been said that choosing the box spring is as important as choosing a mattress as they come in a variety of types and styles.

For example, there are variations in height of the box spring just as there are with mattresses. The number of springs and the material covering them also vary, which can affect the comfort of your bed. You may even consider choosing a mattress that does not require an inner spring.

There are several types of beds on the market today that do not require a boxed spring underneath them. However, there must be some sort of frame to support the mattress; otherwise it would fall onto the floor. Some of these beds include futons, baby cribs and bunk beds. All of the mentioned beds are not known for their comfort. Unless you purchase an extremely expensive, high quality mattress for these beds, you are not going to be able to sleep on these mattresses for long periods of time. Without the boxed spring there is no flexible support for the mattress. There are no springs to bear the weight of the person lying on the bed. There is a hard flat surface.

It is important to buy a boxed spring that matches the size of your bed frame and your mattress. It would be pointless to buy a box spring that is smaller than the mattress as you would roll off. Buying one that is larger than the mattress would simply not look right.

The only time you would not buy a box spring that matches the size of your mattress perfectly is when you buy a king size bed. In this case, you would sometimes buy two twin box springs which equal the size of the mattress. This has been done simply to make transportation of the king size bed easier. It would be very difficult to move a king size box spring around a corner in your house.

More Box Spring Resources:

Buy Box Spring Sets at Amazon

Metafilter has this interesting thread about the pros and cons of using box spring sets.

Is your box spring set giving you cancer? Doubtful, but here’s an interesting take by Scientific American.

Can box spring sets be used in an Evil Plot? This “Best of Craigslist” post apparently thinks so.

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Disinfecting Mattresses

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CC Flickr photo courtesy of sarahbaker. Does your mattress need disinfecting like this one?

Is disinfecting mattresses even possible? Let’s see.

It’s important to keep your mattress clean. Just like you would not live with dirty sheets and comforters, you should not put up with an unsanitary mattress. Mattresses gather germs and foreign microorganisms quite rapidly, so it is recommended to give it a good cleaning at least once each month.

You might be thinking, “But, I don’t know how to clean a mattress!” Actually, keeping your mattress clean is quite simple, and there a number of natural methods that can be employed without having to use any strong chemicals that would force you to have to sleep on the sofa until the smell wears off.

Useful Mattress Disinfecting Tips

One of the first things you should do each month besides giving it a thorough vacuuming is to check your mattress for stains. Stains may be removed using a mixture of one part vinegar to one part water. Apply the solution to the stain, being careful not to soak the fabric (otherwise you could cause other problems, such as mildew). Let it sit for a few minutes, and then rub the area with a clean, damp cloth. If any part of the stain remains, repeat the process.

Secondly, utilize a dry steam cleaner to kill any germs, bacteria and dust mites that may be lurking in the fibers. If you’re thinking how to clean a mattress, steam cleaners are great tools, because they do not require the use of any chemicals or solvents, and are effective disinfectants. They also can be used in other locations around the house, so they are a great investment if you don’t already own one.

Don’t forget that there are also UV cleaners designed specifically for cleaning mattresses.

If you plan a thorough mattress cleaning but don’t have time to steam clean, you can use rubbing alcohol as a disinfectant as an alternative. Simply spritz the rubbing alcohol on the mattress and allow it to go to work. It dries quickly and helps to reduce any odors and bacteria.

Lastly, to keep your mattress smelling fresh, sprinkle some baking soda over it and rub it in. You may wish to vacuum off any extra residue as well. Baking soda has long been known as a natural freshener and is very useful if you have a bed-wetter in the house.

Additionally, if your household has been ransacked by cold or flu bugs, be sure to give your mattress a thorough cleaning at the same time that you clean your sheets and comforter. It’s better to “leave no stone unturned” rather than to risk reinfection.

A Clean Mattress is Important for Your Health

Keeping your mattress clean is quite simple and is certainly not time consuming. Just taking approximately 30 minutes once a month to remove stains, kill bacteria, and freshen the fibers is helpful to keep your mattress sanitary. Sure, there are professionals that offer mattress cleaning services, but why spend a lot of money when you can do it yourself with products that you already have around the house? Just a little vinegar, steam, rubbing alcohol and baking soda can make a big difference in the cleanliness of your sleeping environment, and you might even find yourself getting better rest at night as a result!

Advanced Planning Allows for a Truly Disinfected Mattress

There’s a brand of mattress cover called Crypton that is actually EPA registered as a fabric that can be completely disinfected. They make both mattress covers and pillow covers. The mattress covers are both spot cleanable and washable, and also have a proven allergen and moisture barrier. You can buy them in case quantities from the manufacturer, or you can buy them individually at Amazon. Crypton Aloba Full Mattress Pad. Or the Crypton Aloba King Pillow Cover.

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Mattress Cleaning

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CC Flickr photo courtesy of jamiecat. Hopefully, your mattress isn't as filthy as this one!

Need to learn about mattress cleaning? Here’s what we’ve got for you.

How often do you clean your mattress? Do you even know how to go about cleaning your mattress? If you are like most people in America you will say no to both. To most people taking the bed sheets off of the bed and putting them in the washing machine is all they need to do to keep the bed clean. All too often people neglect to actually clean the mattress that is underneath the sheets and this too can become dirty and worn out.

There are preventative measures that can be taken to prevent the mattress from becoming stained, worn out and in some cases smelly. There are protective covers known as mattress pads that can placed over the mattress to keep dust, allergens and stains off of the mattress. They can be made from cloth or plastic. Plastic mattress covers are mostly waterproof and can be wiped off with soap and water, whereas a cloth cover cannot. The cloth cover can be removed and put in the washing machine same as a sheet can.

Mattress cleaning companies can be used to professionally clean your mattress if you are unsure of how to clean a mattress. These companies will send people to your home to clean your mattress in a short period of time. This can save you a great deal of time and energy, however it will force you to spend money to get the mattresses cleaned. Mattress cleaning can be done at home with very low costs associated with it. Knowing how to clean a mattress will enable you to do it yourself and obtain the same results as if you had a professional come to do it.

There are several steps involved in mattress cleaning. The first step that must be done is that all the dust must be removed from the mattress. Using a vacuum cleaner is a great way to get the dust out of your mattress. Some vacuum cleaners even have upholstery attachments that can be used on mattresses and mattresses covers. If you are trying to remove a stain from your mattress you can begin by using a simple upholstery cleaner.

There are also specific products designed for mattress cleaning, like UV mattress cleaners.

There are products on the market that you can spray on to the mattress and then used a scrubbing material to remove the stain. If this does not work then you can use what is referred to as an enzyme cleaner. This cleaner is designed to break down particles in the stain for easy removal of the stain. If you are unsure of what the stain is you should try a simple household cleaner first. One of the hardest stains to remove from a mattress is blood. To loosen the stain you can try using peroxide first then follow up with a strong stain remover.

A mattress that smells is just as bad as one that is stained. Removal of odors and bad smells from a mattress can be a simple process that just takes minutes. The most commonly used products to control or remove odor from a mattress are scented sprays such as Febreeze and similar products. Baking soda can be sprinkled over the mattress to remove and prevent stinky smells.

Does something about this post suck? Is there something obvious that we’ve left out? Do you have your own favorite mattress cleaning method?

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Foam Mattresses

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foam mattress
CC Flickr photo courtesy of kylepeyton.

When it comes to sleeping, the most important component is obviously the bed and mattress. Over the years, much advancement has been made in the way of mattresses and one new up-and-coming technology in particular is the foam mattress.

A foam mattress is made almost entirely of something called visco elastic foam. This is essentially foam that is firm, yet still has some “give” to it to make it comfortable. Most memory foam mattresses can range anywhere from a few inches thick to over twelve inches thick. Like one would expect, a foam mattress also comes in the same sizes as a normal innerspring mattress.

Many people agree that foam mattresses seem to be the method of sleeping of the future. They are generally considered to be very comfortable and there are many reports of memory foam mattresses alleviating back pain caused by traditional innerspring mattresses. Most foam mattresses tend to be on the firm side, but still have enough given that they comfortably conform to a person’s body no matter their shape or size. This is an important factor in relieving stress on many parts of the body that make contact with the bed, like the back and shoulders.

Are Visco Elastic Foam Mattresses Suitable For Everyone?

Memory foam mattresses are not completely perfect. Even though visco elastic foam is considered to be a revolutionary breakthrough in sleeping technology, because it brings relief to the pressure points and provides you with a better sleep, it can be quite tricky to pick a suitable memory foam mattress.

Many people report that these foam mattresses are too firm and can get unusually hot during the night. Due to the nature of some foam mattresses, they can retain a lot of body heat given off, which can cause a person to feel uncomfortably warm at night. Some other problems that people have identified are that memory foam tends to be very heavy.

A larger foam mattress can weigh as much as one hundred pounds. One annoying thing about memory foam is that when first unpackaged, a foam mattress will emit a very strong chemical smell for the first two days or so. Every mattress company assures its customers that this smell is harmless, but is nonetheless still annoying.

If you are thinking about purchasing a memory foam mattress, you may want to start saving up your money, since a decent quality mattress could run anywhere from $800-$2000 or more. While the price tag does seem to be fairly high for some mattresses, many owners still agree that a foam mattress is worth the purchase price since you can see an improvement in your sleep the first time you use a foam mattress.

Before you decide to buy a memory foam mattress, read the reviews online and try one out in person at a local furniture store. While fairly confident that you will be very happy with these new mattresses, they are not made for everyone and therefore you need to be certain that this type of mattress will be good for you.

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Waterproof Mattress Pads: Protect your mattress from urine and liquid stains

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Stained Mattress bedwetting
CC Flickr photo courtesy of duchamp.

Waterproof mattress pads are an important requirement for any mattress. Not only do they protect against spills, blood or urine stains, but also against dust mites with many models.

Whether you have small children or are an adult who suffers from incontinence, bedwetting is something that may happen at some point in life. With a few proper precautions, your mattresses do not have to suffer a premature fate. It seems paramount that you protect your mattress from any unfortunate accidents that could ruin it, not to mention all the money you might spend in mattress cleaning. As it turns out, waterproofing a mattress is a lot easier than it sounds, and in most cases it is just as easy as changing the sheets.

Waterproof Mattress Pads & Covers

Cleaning your mattress with just a vacuum cleaner is not enough to keep it completely clean and protected. However, there is a permanent solution that will help you avoid dealing with all those nasty stains and protect your mattress from bedwetting accidents – a waterproof mattress cover.

Placing a waterproof mattress cover over your mattress is an easy and very effective way to protect your mattress. These covers are usually made out of some kind of plastic or vinyl and usually tuck under your mattress like a normal fitted sheet. The plastic barrier will ensure that no liquids get through to the mattress. One of the upsides to using these waterproof mattress covers is that they also provide protection from many other harmful substances that can taint or ruin a mattress. These mattress covers can easily stop dust, dirt, and any other kinds of accidents.

For the most part, a general duty vinyl plastic mattress cover should be strong enough to handle a person sleeping. However, if you have children that like to jump on the bed or find that you need a heavy-duty waterproof cover, they are also available. Usually the more heavy-duty waterproof covers are made of thicker plastic and even backed with cloth to prevent tearing.

Not only are these waterproof mattress covers easy to put on, but they are easy to take off and wash as well. If bedwetting has become an increasingly prevalent problem, then covers with zippers and fitted elastic can make removal and reinstallation a breeze.

As you can imagine, this is usually the most popular option for waterproof mattress covers and preventing unnecessary mattress cleaning.

Waterproof Mattress Padding

If the waterproof mattress covers don’t quite fit the bill, there are a few alternatives out there like waterproof padding for your mattress. Some people even put the padding over their waterproof mattress cover to provide a double layer of protection. Absorbent padding can be placed either above the mattress or even above existing waterproof mattress covers to absorb accidents and stop the excess from getting the rest of the bedding wet.

Whatever your situation may be, remember that a mattress is usually a large investment that you want to protect and of course, extend its lifespan as much as possible. Whether you have small children or an elderly person who suffers from incontinence, a ruined mattress or unnecessary mattress cleaning can be a thing of the past with the usage of a waterproof mattress cover.

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