Mattress Maintenance

Many of our customers ask the question of how they should care and maintain their mattress.  Whilst many know to ‘turn’ (flip it over so the underside becomes the top side) your traditional sprung mattress ‘regularly’ there is little information on how regular this should be. In terms of Memory and Hybrid foams the rules change slightly, as you dont need to turn them due to their construction method.  Here we have provided you with a guide for looking after and maintaining your new mattress.

Why do I need to maintain my mattress?:  Just like a new car will over time get dirty and require washing and a service once a year, your new mattress requires a similar, if less expensive kind of maintenance.  Failure to look after your mattress will result in a reduced mattress lifespan.  A lack of maintenance may result in your mattress getting dirty, suffering from inconsistencies such as isolated compression (one specific area being lower than the other), or the rare case of the mouldy mattress!

Rotating your mattress:  The construction method of Memory foam means it does not need to be turned over.  It also means that you can’t usually turn it like a traditional mattress.   So rotating your mattress, spinning it around on the same side, once a month will allow you to distribute this wear more evenly. When we talk about rotating we mean spinning the mattress like the hands of a clock so the head end becomes the foot end and the foot end becomes the head end etc.

No Turn Mattresses:  We have covered how the no turn benefit is really just down to the construction method.  At John Ryan Contemporary though we have crafted our beds to be either fully turnable in the case of the Fusion Latex range, or partially turnable with Genesis and Hybrid.  This means that the topper layer can be turned, flipped and rotated as often as you like.  We recommend you do this once a month as well.  So you can rotate the base mattress but turn/flip the topper.  This again extends the life of your mattress and ensures consistency as it beds in and wears over time.

Ridges in the centre of your bed/mattress:  Some customers, particularly with Super kingsize mattresses, have noted that a ridge can appear in the middle of the bed and are concerned this means the bed is sagging.  John explains this as the Virgin Mattress Syndrome.  This is where the centre of the bed receives little to no use so keeps its uncompressed state, whilst the two other sides compress slightly.  Human nature means we are creatures of habit and tend to sleep in the same position every night meaning this areas get more wear and compression than the rest.  Regular turning and rotating can help with this.  It doesn’t mean the mattress has sagged or dipped as in failed, its just the nature when you have two people using the same parts night on night.  It is more of an aesthetic problem and not construction failure, if you have concerns please call us directly though.

Mouldy Mattresses:  This has occurred in a few instances online.  This usually occurs when maintenance is neglected and moisture is allowed to sit under the mattress especially in high humidity areas.  Regular rotating and turning of the topper should prevent this.  See our post here for more details on this. This issue is rare but as always we provide some advice on it!

Mattress Protectors:   We can’t stress enough how valuable a mattress protector is. These can be purchased from most department and homeware shops.  They are a slightly padded usually fitted sheet that goes over your mattress and topper.  They are a cheap and easy way to prevent the 3 evils from damaging your mattress.  If you don’t have a mattress protector a duvet sheet in the size of your mattress can be used as an alternative.  The benefit is these can be removed washed or disposed of if necessary after periods of wear.  They keep your mattress secure from the 3 evils that will over time damage them.

Deep fitted sheets: Due to the depth of our full range of mattresses ranging from 18cm to 32cm in depth.  Standard fitted sheets probably won’t suffice to keep your bed adequately covered.  A number of high street shops sell deep and extra deep fitted sheets keeping your bed perfectly covered in whatever fabric, colour or design takes your fancy!  Please note:  Our depths are of the foam only and don’t include the covers.  The cover can add 1cm-2cm to the depth along with the quilted undulations.  We advise you double check once the mattress arrives before purchasing any specific depth fitted sheets.  We don’t include the cover as we find it misleading to quote the cover as part of the foam.

Spills and stains:  If you do by accident spill or wet your mattress our guidance is to take off the sheets as soon as possible and strip the mattress back to its core. Clean up any liquids with towels and then allow the mattress to air dry.  Never use a heat source which could damage or warp the materials.  Once it is fully dry re-make your bed with clean dry bedding and allow ventilation to ensure any residual moisture in the room or the bed can escape through evaporation.  Stains maybe a slightly different problem, we advise against using cleaning chemicals on the mattress for stains which may compromise the foam.  This can lead to it becoming damaged or failing.  If your bed is covered with a protector and sheets usually these can be washed with stain removers or simply replaced if beyond cleaning.

Cuts or damage to the mattress:  We can’t stress enough, especially when opening your mattress that cuts or damage caused to the foam will affect the condition of the foam and ultimately the mattress comfort depending on how severe.  Cuts and damage are not covered by our love it or return it guarantee.  We therefore recommend wrapping up Christmas presents, cutting ribbon or anything else is done away from the mattress!!

Other forces of nature:  We also need to stress that whilst it sometimes seen as a good idea to use a mattress as a toboggan down the stairs or a trampoline it will cause untold damages to the mattresses.  This too is not covered by our guarantee as our mattresses are only guaranteed to be slept on.  Whilst we agree it can be fun, we unfortunately can’t guarantee the mattress if they are used as an adventure playground!