Caring for your bed

Proper care will keep your bed in good condition. Always read and retain manufacturers care instructions and ask your retailer for advice, too. Otherwise, the following tips will help you to get the best out of your bed during its natural life.

• Use a washable, protective cover to protect the mattress (and pillows) from stains. Barrier fabrics for allergy sufferers are also available.
• In the mornings, throw back the bed clothes and leave the bed to air for 20 minutes to allow body moisture to evaporate.
• Turning your mattress over from side and side and end to end every few months (every week for the first three months) helps upholstery fillings to settle down more evenly.
• Some more luxurious mattresses, with much thicker layers of fillings designed to mould themselves to the contours of your body, may retain signs of these impressions, despite turning.
• Don’t make a habit of sitting on the edge of the bed and don’t let the kids bounce on it.
• Don’t roll up or squash a mattress to store or transport it – this can cause permanent damage.
• Handles are designed to help you position a mattress on its base – do not use them to support the full weight of the mattress – they may pull out and damage the fabric.
• Don’t leave polythene wrappings on a new mattress – dampness, mildew and rotting could all result from a build-up of condensation.
• Vacuum your mattress and base from time to time to remove fluff and dust. This should be carefully done so as not to dislodge fillings or damage tufts. Open windows while vacuuming -especially if there is an asthma sufferer in the house.
• When tackling stains, use mild detergent and warm or cold water. Never over soak a mattress or base.
• Putting a new mattress on a base for which it was not intended, a new mattress on an old base or a board between the mattress and base can impede comfort and reduce the useful life of the mattress – as well as affecting any guarantees or warranties.

Out with the Old: Once you’ve bough yourself a new bed, make arrangements to have the old one disposed of (many retailers will do this for you). Don’t give it to the children, relatives, guests or neighbours. If it wasn’t good enough for you, it’s not good enough for anyone else, either. In fact, it’s a veritable health hazard – get rid of it.