Mattress Cleaning

As I kept repeating these tips time after time, I realized that there might be others who would want to know how to clean the mattress. So hear is what I learnt:

How to clean the mattress: Step 1-Prevention is better than cure

You must use a mattress pad. That is the first step to cleaning a mattress. Make sure that it is easy to wash and easy to remove and fit back.

How to clean the mattress: Step 2-Good old vacuuming

Vacuum the mattress often. Vacuum its sides, the box springs and every nook and corner. You set a routine. Vacuum the mattress every time you take mattress pad out to wash.

How to clean the mattress: Step 3-Flip and rotate

Flip the mattress and rotate it from time to time. This prevents rough use of the mattress and the pressure zones don't get defined.

How to clean the mattress: Step 4- Stains and pains

Stains are inevitable; if you must clean them try using mild soaps. It would be even better if you could get upholstery shampoo.

How to clean the mattress: Step 5- The trade secret
We use something called Dry Suds to get rid of stubborn stains. It is easy to make. Mix a little detergent with warm water, beat it up in a beater. Now remove the froth and the stuff that remains is ideal to clean these stains.

How to clean the mattress: Step 6 Dry is Clean

Make sure that your mattress and mattress pads are dry and clean. You can occasionally air them in sun.  If you work in the hotel industry like me and have to dry the mattresses at short notice before the customer arrives, there is nothing like a blow dryer. The hair dryer is ok at such times but it does not have the anti-bacterial properties of the sun. So drying it out in the sun is definitely the best option.

MATTRESS TOPPER

Mattress topper extends the life of your mattress and also makes your bed more comfortable. The terms mattress pads and mattress toppers mostly refer to the same thing. 

By using mattress topper you can save money on replacing your old mattress. It buys you time to save up for the next time you want to buy a mattress. It also slows down the weathering of the mattress.

You could even cover your "normal" mattresses with "special" mattress toppers like memory foam topper or air mattress topper and feel the same sensations as you would have felt when sleeping on memory foam topper or air mattress itself 

There are as many types of mattress toppers available as there are mattresses. Here are a few:

Memory foam mattress toppers: Memory foam mattresses are made of material that traces the body contour and gives peaceful sleep.  Memory foam mattress toppers are also made of the same material as the mattresses. A thin layer of memory foam mattress topper gives the comfort of sleeping on memory foam mattress. Of course, it comes with the inherent disadvantages of memory foam mattress. They emit a pungent smell and they become hard in cold temperatures. 

Air mattress toppers: Most of the people who people who experience a night on air mattress toppers seem to enjoy the feeling. The feeling of sleeping on air mattress has to be experienced to be understood. The mattress toppers are no different. It can at times get punctured and leak. Most of the mattress toppers come with a repair kit.

Latex mattress toppers: There are two kinds of Latex mattress toppers- synthetic and natural mattress toppers. Natural latex mattress toppers are supposed to have longer life than synthetic mattress toppers.  Natural latex is also safer as they are less likely to cause allergic reaction.

On the topic of allergy, latex mattress toppers are considered best for those suffering from allergic problem. The latex mattress eliminates all allergy-causing pollens. Thus they are ideal for ones with allergic asthma. Latex mattress topper users also claim relief from arthritis pains. 

Mattress Gallery

"Mattress gallery.... Mattress gallery... Mattress gallery...", the name seemed familiar but I just couldn't place it. I kept repeating it to myself. I had heard of Mattress gallery somewhere, but where?

Oh, you must be wondering what this is all about. Let me begin at the beginning...

It all began with my colleague, Kevin, doing some market research on mattresses.  He had to find out the most popular brands of mattresses. He wanted to know the address of Mattress gallery in relation to his work. And that is what set me pondering.

Someone said, "Why do you need to do a research, I can name all the popular brands-Sealy, Serta, Simmons...  "

Simmons...yeah, that rang a bell. Now I remembered, Mattress gallery was the best known place to go for Simmons mattress...

We had just moved into California. We had not packed any of the heavy stuff; we could always buy all we wanted here. My wife was every brand manager's dream and nightmare. Nothing would shift her brand loyalties.

When it came to mattresses, it had to be Simmons and nothing else. It was then that I had come across the name Mattress gallery. With over 57 branches in Southern California, they were the best place to get our Simmons. Now several years later, I could vaguely remember the purchase.

But I did recall the warmth of the person at the desk in Mattress gallery. The dealers knew their profession. We even got a discount.

Since my wife's death three years ago, I have started realizing the value of her choices. She had been fiercely loyal about certain things and she had always been right about whom she showered her loyalty on.

I turned to Kevin. I did know the address of Mattress gallery. Actually, I had been looking for a new mattress for my teenaged twins, who required their privacy. I had forgotten all about Mattress gallery. Now that I remembered it, I asked Kevin if I could come along. I knew it was the place where I would get the best deal.

Mattress Ratings

"When it comes to mattresses, randomly select one from the brochure and pray hard"

 This was my 74-year-old mother's advice when I set out to purchase a new mattress. According to her there was no way to distinguish one form the other. Thankfully for me, she was wrong. One great way to choose a good mattress was to go by the mattress ratings.

These days’ mattress ratings are available for most of the famous mattresses. Over the Internet there is a whole plethora of information available. There are detailed reviews and mattress ratings that look into all aspects of the mattress and declare their judgments.

A standard mattress rating has some symbol that represents various categories on which the mattress is judged.  Most common are stars, the more the number of stars, the better the mattresses. There could be other symbols like thumbs-up signs, colored circles etc to denote the mattress rating. I know of one site that uses the symbol of mattress to depict its ratings!

There are yet others who may use a scale of numbers, say one to ten or one to five for mattress rating. Mattress rating could also be represented as a percentage, for e.g.: Comfort level= 75%. Some of the mattress rating sites enter all possible properties and tick off those that apply, for e.g.: Firm /Soft     

Mattresses are usually rated on:

1. Comfort: Mattress ratings give us a clear understanding into how comfortable a mattress is.

2. Finish: Are there any flaws in the finishing of the mattress? Can the finishing be considered good enough for purchase? These are few of the questions mattress rating on finish addresses.

3.  Firmness: This is for those who need a mattress to be firm for specific purpose like back pain or those who find firm mattresses unpleasant.

4. Durability: Endurance of the mattress is very essential when one wants to make long-term investment on the mattress. Mattress rating on durability helps in such situation.

6. Looks: One does not want a ghastly looking mattress in one's guest room. One would also be interested in investing in a good-looking mattress if one has taken pains in decorating the bedroom. The mattress rating on looks could alternatively be mattress rating on style.   

Besides this there are many mattress rating sites that spell out the pros and cons of buying a mattress.

With so much information available, buying a new mattress need not necessarily a blind gamble.  
      

Mattress Dimensions

How important is the mattress dimension while selecting a mattress? The answer is, very important.

Before you start laughing at this obvious reply, consider this: most of the sleep related problems are connected to wrong mattress dimension. That is not to say that all the sleep related problems are caused by the wrong mattress dimension, what I mean is that wrong mattress dimension can cause many of the sleep disorders.

Most people take into consideration the size of the room while deciding on their mattress dimension. This is a very practical thing to do. But one should never forget one's own comfort while deciding on this. If you have to share your bed with someone, atleast a twin mattress is must and if you are one of those people who want lots of space to spread your arms and legs, you should consider king mattresses.

Mattresses dimensions vary to suit the varying needs. They could be as follows:

Twin Mattress could be 39" width and 75"  length
Twin Extra Long Mattress could be 39" width and 80"  length
Full Mattress could be 54" width and 75"  length
Full Extra Long Mattress could be 54"  width and 80" length
Queen Mattress could be 60" width and 80"  length
California/Western King Mattress could be 72" width and 84"  length
King Mattress could be 76" width and 80" length

The more popular of the brands like Kingsdown, Serta, Simmons, Sterns, Sealy and Spring Air etc offer mattresses in these standard sizes. Besides this, many have mattresses dimensions unique to their brand. Some manufacturers also custom-make mattresses to meet your specific mattress dimensions.

While taking deciding the mattress dimensions, keep in mind the length and breadth of the room, the length and breadth of the bed, your personal needs and the height of the mattress you want. The comfort levels may vary according to the height of the mattress, so you ought to rest for some time on the mattress, lie down if possible, before making final decision.

The number of coils can differ according to the mattress dimension. The standard number of coils required for optimum comfort is like this:

Twin- more than 420

Full- more than 600

Queen- more than 736

King -more than 930.

Waterproof Mattress Pad

We had already bought a mattress for our little one. Being first time parent, Rick and I had bought all kiddie goods well in advance. As we had no one to turn to for advice, we bought everything we felt was essential without asking anybody. That is where we went wrong.

We regretted not having invested in a waterproof mattress from day one. We realized a waterproof mattress pad was going to be our solution. Every time the baby wet the mattress on the first day, our resolve to buy waterproof mattress pad hardened.

But buying a waterproof mattress pad was more easily said than done. Not minute could we spare. Little Reggie took up all our time. We tried managing with plastic sheets and what not but they were not the same as waterproof mattress pad.

Finally Rick got some time and went and bought a waterproof mattress pad. We thought our problem was solved, if only we knew...

The baby got sick the day we put him on the new waterproof mattress pad. He puked and puked and was very irritable. We thought that it had something to do with the waterproof mattress pad and took it off. Little Reggie turned normal. We didn't know what to do. We couldn't risk him getting sick again but putting him on unprotected mattresses was equally unhygienic.

One day, I was flipping through the channels when I came across "natural" waterproof mattress pad. According to the ad it was meant for those kids who developed allergies to plastic and artificial rubber. I decided to consult my doctor.

My doctor, when she heard our story, at first reprimanded us for not having discussed such a serious thing with her. She would have told us what kind of waterproof mattress pad to buy. She said the advertisement on "natural" waterproof mattress pad. Was right. Although she had never heard of the brand advertised, she could suggest some she knew.

Again it’s the difficulty in finding time. But this time Rick and I had decided that this was really important. We would go together to make the purchase and take the baby along with us. We bought waterproof mattress pad from the list of brands the nice doctor had suggested.

Next, came the test. How would our little angel react to the new waterproof mattress pad? We put Little Reggie on the new waterproof mattress pad, waiting anxiously. Moments ticked and the baby slept on peacefully. We heaved a sigh of relief. We had finally found our waterproof mattress pad.               

Mattress Cleaner

We spent a third of our lives lying on a mattress. How often do we clean it? Just because a thin bed sheet is draped over it doesn't mean it's clean. It gathers years of body secretions like sweat, saliva etc quite unknown to us. A mattress always hides behind a clean bed sheet all the time.

I never bothered thinking about a mattress cleaner till my wife brought a kitten home. A week later we found the first stain of cat's urine on the bed sheet.

Still ignorant of what could be a mattress cleaner, I took some bleaching powder and mixed it with water and applied the thick paste to the urine stain. The smell had gone but the dampness remained and there was the obnoxious odor of bleaching powder in the bedroom.

Two days later, I lifted the sheet and saw the mattress had faded at the spot and the cloth looked worn and about to tear. So bleach was out and exactly a week later, the kitten did it again. This time she did it on the pillow too.

My wife and I argued a lot about keeping the kitten but finally I gave in, on the condition that the kitten is kept out of the bedroom. This was difficult as my wife had grown terribly attached to the mischievous kitten and loved to sleep with it.  I used a floor cleaner and managed to get most of the smell away but the pillow had to be taken out. I'm a practical man and I knew something had to be done about this.

I was at the barber next day when I ran into, Nigel, an old friend who used to keep cats. He told me about Matt-clean, a brand of mattress cleaner and at first, I was hesitant. He even gave me the number of the salesperson who specialized I that particular mattress cleaner.

I called him up the next day and he gave me the address of the shop selling the mattress cleaner. I brought it home and applied it on the remaining smudge of urine and within a few hours it was dry and you could only smell it if you pressed your nose against it.

I then read the leaflet that came with the bottle of mattress cleaner and realized how dirty our mattresses actually were. We hide them always behind clean sheets. It's like pushing under the rug and we do it all the time. Dust mite that get into mattresses are responsible for allergies and can cause wheezing, hay fever, watering of the eyes, blocked nose (at night), sneezing or sinus problems and so on.

Most of our intimate moments are spent on a mattress. It's the clean sheet that's the culprit. Under the sheet lurk scores of harmful bacteria from the accumulation of dust, dirt and body secretions. Monthly cleaning of the mattress will go a long way in ensuring a clean place to sleep or make love. I clean my mattress every month. A light rub down with the mattress cleaner on both sides of the mattress every month will keep that mattress spanking clean.

INFLATABLE MATTRESS

We decided to buy inflatable mattresses for two reasons- 1.we needed a spare bed in our guestroom and 2. we needed a mattress that we could take along on camping trips.  Inflatable mattresses are portable and could perform the dual function of a guestroom mattress and a camping bed.

We started to look for possible brands we could purchase. After careful consideration, we narrowed down the choices for inflatable mattresses to Aero Aerobed Basic Bed and Coleman Quickbed.

We tried getting as much info on these two as possible. Money was not a very big issue for us. Inflatable mattresses are cheaper than normal mattresses and both these mattresses fell well within our budget.

What we were looking for in our inflatable mattress was "quality". We wanted comfortable mattress, that was not too difficult to use, did not need constant refilling, was easy to fix if punctured, looked nice and lasted long.

Loss of air is a very big problem with inflatable mattresses. We did not want our inflatable mattresses to start losing air while our guests slept on it! We knew that when we went for inflatable mattresses, a little leak once in a while was inevitable, also are would have to be filled from time to time, but we didn't want it to become a tedious, never-ending affair.

We started comparing the ratings of the two inflatable mattresses.  On the style front, both the inflatable mattresses were on par. Comfort levels of the two were also more or less similar. But in all other areas Aerobed had been rated over Coleman. Aerobed was easier to manage, easier to use and had a longer life.  The Coleman inflatable mattress had several complaints from the users.

They included leaking problems. Some complained the mattress did not even stay inflated whole night long! There were others who said that they never needed an alarm clock with this inflatable mattress, a flat mattress always woke them up in the mornings!

These kinds of comments were difficult to ignore. We chose the Aerobed inflatable mattress. Although we are yet to use it on our camping trip (we haven't been out camping since the time we got the inflatable mattress), our occasional guests seem pretty happy with its performance.

 Some have also made enquiries to buy the inflatable mattress for their homes. We were looking for a decent good quality inflatable mattress when we made the purchase. We can't say that this inflatable mattress disappointed us.        

PILLOW TOP MATTRESS

Pillow top mattresses are a recent phenomenon. Before 1970's one would not even have heard of the pillow top mattress.  Pillow top mattresses are sort of a covering over the basic mattress.

They are made of usually foam padding that makes firm mattresses softer and more comfortable. A good quality pillow top mattress will have foam padding on both sides of the bed.

Pillow top mattresses made of fiber are also quite common in the market but most people prefer foam pillow top mattresses to fiber ones. This is because fiber does not give the same comfort levels as the foam ones. The cushioned feeling is maximized in foam mattresses.

Pillow top mattresses have yet another purpose and that is to provide heat. They insulate the person sleeping and give warmth in cold nights. If one were looking for such a pillow top mattress, one would be advised to confirm with the retailers that the pillow top mattress does provide insulation.

Pillow top mattress should be tested before purchase. One should use the same scale of for deciding on a pillow top mattress as one would on for a mattress pad. There are many fake pillow top mattresses available in the market. These have no foam or fiber filling. The just stitch on an extra layer and pass it off for a genuine pillow top mattress. Be wary of such frauds.

 Another way of cheating ignorant customers is by displaying exotic embroidery on the pillow top mattress and charging extra. This pillow top mattress is going to go under the sheets, what purpose dos the fancy stitching then serve? Don't fall for this trick.

Pillow top mattress can also be added to the existing mattress. Another layer with foam/fiber will be stitched onto it. In such circumstances, remember that the height of the existing mattress will increase. One must make sure that one is ok with this.

Pillow top mattresses are meant for comfort but not pillow top mattresses are comfortable. One must make sure that one really feels the luxury and coziness of the pillow top mattress pad before making signing the check.

City Mattress

I have a diary where I note down all the interesting happenings of my life. City Mattress is mentioned quite a few times in this diary. Uptown New York is associated with many things but for me this place is synonymous with City Mattress.

I bought a mattress from City Mattress last year and it was a very memorable incident. I was turning through the pages the other day and decided what I had written would be worth sharing. Read on to find what I wrote...

Dear Diary,

I have been looking for a great mattress for sometime now. My old one is not bad but I want one of those mattresses sleeping on which is an experience in itself. Let's see what I'll find.

Minnie. (3/2/2004)

Dear Diary,

Charles recommended City Mattress as a good place to look. He says they have a neat set-up complete with sleep experts and all...hmmm... worth trying out, what do you say?

Minnie. (3/3/2004)

Dear Diary,

Went to City Mattress today. MY! What an experience. The people out there were oh-so-polite! The sleep expert I met was VERY courteous, and I thought good manners were a thing of the past...
They asked me all sorts of questions on my sleeping habits and lifestyle. Then they suggested a few mattresses... I said I'll decide and let them know tomorrow. But you know what? My mind is already made up. It has to be that lovely Sealy mattress...Ah! Can't wait till I buy it!
Lord! I'm so excited! Look at the number of exclamation marks! I never thought the idea of buying a mattress would get me so hyper!

Minnie. (3/4/2004)

Dear Diary,

I did it! I've placed the order.... I'll be getting my new mattress soon. Let's see.

Minnie. (3/5/2004)

Dear Diary,

I was so busy that I couldn't find time to write. My mattress from City mattress arrived. Been sleep on it.... it feel AWESOME!!!!!!!  I look forward to bedtime everyday now. And yes, the City Mattress delivery people were as courteous as the sleep experts, if not more.
Mom called up today. She doesn't know why I'm so crazy about a mattress of all things. That's because she has never bought at City Mattress.

Minnie. (3/7/2004)

I will excuse all readers of this articles for thinking that this is yet another ad for City Mattress. That's because I cannot show you my diary to show it's authentic. That's also because, I presume, like my mom, you too have never experienced City Mattress.

How to buy a mattress?

There is no straightforward answer to this question, but this was Jennifer Smith, owner of a leading mattress warehouse in New Jersey has to say,

 "The best mattresses for one could be the worst mattress for the other. Whenever someone asks me how to buy a mattress, I tell them the best way to find out is to lie on it."

Joseph Edinburgh, another warehouse owner recommends looking at what is inside the mattress. "How to buy a mattress not the question you should be looking at.

How to buy the right mattress is what you should search for. Like with men, in mattress too what is inside is more important than what is out side. " The quality of mattress changes according to the coils and the material it is made from.

Dr. Mat Robertson who runs an ortho-specialty clinic says that the when purchasing a new mattress don't go buy the claims of its health benefit. He explains," Not much research has gone into the mattresses per say and therefore most such claims are not dependable". If you want how to buy a mattress, your own experience should be the best judge.

"How to buy a mattress, hmmm... if you ask me, I'll say go by quality and not by price," says Ayesha Mohammed, a homemaker. "We often compromise on quality in the rush to get the price right. That is not the way to do things. In the long run we might lose out on health."

"Buy from reputed stores". This is the simple answer that James Edison, a mattress designer, gives when asked how to buy a mattress. According to him all reputed stores will take care of quality and give you the best bargains. They store only good mattress so you don't have to worry. They have their reputation to think of so they don't cheat and "they are always courteous".

So, how to buy a mattress depends on what you are looking for. But one this is definite, it is always better to educate yourself on mattresses before you go purchase one.        

RV Mattress

If you have an RV mattress you might not think twice before going off on a trip. Says Anthony Stevens, a teacher, "I love traveling but the cost of staying over night in the hotel stopped me from traveling more often. With a new RV mattress, I think I might be able to afford such dream trips at last!"

"I wanted to visit my mom more often but the 9-hour drive without break was just too much. That was before the RV mattress. Now I can take a shut-eye in between. I might take 12 hours now, but I reach home fresher and what's more, I meet my mom almost every alternate weekend ", says Rebecca Peterson, a resident of New York.

Some might prefer to get their RV mattress changed for a more comfortable mattress. "As I'm on the road most of the time, it has become my home away from home. I spend so many nights here that I would rather have something comfy to rest in during the night. A replacement for my RV ranger seemed like a good investment ", explains Sally Simmons, a journalist.

"I bought an air mattress instead of my RV mattress because my back would allow no other kind of mattress. There might be who don't understand the use of air mattress for pain relief but my back definitely does ", came from 54-year old Julie Rand.

Not all find RV mattress or any such options useful. As Jimmy Newman, a media planner puts "I do not grudge a few extra dollars for a good night's sleep. No RV mattress can provide me luxury of a hotel room and the room service..."
Peter Duran, a software engineer echoes the same view "I got an RV mattress imagining nights I could spend on it while traveling and cash I would save.

But after whole night of traveling, I just am not in the state of mind to rest outdoors. I need that roof over my head and somebody to serve me food at any hour. And most importantly I need a hot bath every night, which only a hotel can provide."

Therefore, when you decide to buy an RV mattress, do so after careful consideration.

How to clean a mattress stain?

How to clean a mattress stain?

This is the tail of a persistent stain and the Jeff's struggle with it.

"How to clean a mattress stain? HOW TO CLEAN A MATTRESS STAIN", Jeff's voice grew louder as his desperation increased. His parents had been out of town; any normal teenager knows that this is the most legitimate time to party! So, like any dutiful, loyal, teenager would do, Jeff promptly called his friends. They had a whole night of fun and today his folks would be back.

Of course, Jeff had to clean up. And boy did he clean! It was then that he noticed the stain. It was not a tiny little stain that he could hope his parents wouldn't notice- this stain was huge!

He was clueless about what to do. He logged on the internet- his only source of information. There had to be something....

How to clean a mattress stain... the first site advised using mattress pads to avoid staining the mattress in the first place. "Yeah, now you tell me!" thought Jeff.

How to clean a mattress stain...the next one said "use a upholstery shampoo". Jeff would remember that for the next party but right time, no chance.

How to clean a mattress stain... this one had a recipe for mattress stain remover. Jeff was about to close the site, when he thought, "why not give it a shot?". It said: "Mix detergent and hot water in a beater, remove the froth and use the remaining solution. Apply little solution on the mattress at a time and gently rub your fingers in circles over the stain. When the stain disappears, wet a rag cloth and clean the detergent from the spot."
"Hmmm..worth a try", decided Jeff.

Following the instruction, Jeff found the stain disappearing. Jeff made a mental note to thank the "How to clean mattresses stain", site number three guy. The stain was gone. There was one tiny problem though,  the spot was still wet.  Now, no one could say Jeff was not resourceful. He thought and thought, then it came "Blow dryer to the rescue".

A little blow-drying over the wet spot and the all traces of the previous night were gone. And just in time too, his parents were just parking the car. They entered . His mom asked "How are things?" . "Oh, the usual. All ok.", came Jeff's reply. And no one suspected a thing.
Don't you just love happy endings?