No one wants to part ways with a mattress that makes their bedtime almost 'ethereal.' Yes, we're talking about our very beloved – Memory foam mattresses.
These soft-and-squashy mattresses are incredibly popular not just for their durability but for the creature comforts that come with the compressible layers of foam. However, just like all nice things in the world, these mattresses do not last forever, too, and you'll have to bid them goodbye at some point in time.
You may now wonder, "How long do memory foam mattresses last exactly?".
Well. When taken care of properly, one can expect a high-quality memory foam mattress to last for an entire decade! Certainly more than most other mattresses (that is, more than seven years).
We will explore ways to enhance the life of a memory foam mattress and some factors that can influence its longevity throughout this article.
How to Prolong the Life of a Memory Foam Mattress?
Although memory foam mattresses are designed to assure a comparatively longer mattress lifespan, everything depends upon the maintenance part in reality. So, just like any other stuff you possess, you'll need to take care of your mattress the right way so that you don't wear it out too soon.
Here are a few ways to prolong the lifespan of a memory foam mattress and keep them safe throughout the years.
Rotate Your Mattress From Time to Time
The memory foam mattress material tends to soften gradually, resulting in a saggy mattress over time. To avoid this, you'll need to rotate your mattress from time to time. Rotating will ensure that your body weight is uniformly distributed over the mattress surface while sleeping.
Since most modern foam mattresses have a one-sided sleeping surface, do not flip the bed. Simply turn it 180 degrees once every three months so that the positions of your head and feet are swapped. However, you may take notes of the bed care instructions to see what's best for your mattress.
Wash All Your Sheets and Linens Frequently
Regularly washing your bedding ascertains that your foam mattress stays equally clean. For this reason, you'll need to strip your bed and launder all the blankets, mattress covers, pillowcases, and other bedclothes more frequently – preferably once a week.
Frequent bedding-washes shall not only help extend the life expectancy of a mattress but will also take care of general cleanliness and sanitation in your bedroom.
Spot Clean and Vacuum Your Mattress
We recommend you spot clean your memory foam mattress once every two months to avoid any stains that may have developed over time. It would also prevent bacteria from building up and breeding on your mattress.
Once the mattress is cleaned, vacuum away all the junk fragments or debris that may have settled in the creases of your mattress. Vacuuming them will avoid debris crashing into the foam material to ensure that your mattress's stiffness doesn't get altered by any means.
Use a Good Quality Mattress Protector
However hard you try, you cannot wholly ward off dust, stains, dead skin cells, bacteria, or the occasional yet unintentional spills on your mattress. Wonder what the single best solution to this problem is? Just bring home a high-quality, water-resistant cover to accompany your mattress, and all is sorted.
Using a machine washable mattress protector can help keep your memory foam bed spotless for years, which makes it a must-have!
Keep the Foundation Strong
An improper foundation or weak support may bring about premature indentations, deformations, and sagging in memory foam mattresses. Don't forget to carefully read the manufacturer's guidelines to decide which foundation is best for your mattress – adjustable, slatted, or solid.
Without a supportive base, the core layer can deteriorate under tremendous pressure, which may end up developing bumps and lumps in your mattress prematurely. So, it's imperative to use a strong bed frame as a foundation for your mattress.
Aerate Out at Times
Due to their spongy textures, foam mattresses tend to absorb a lot of moisture whenever they're exposed to it. Keeping that in mind, it is advisable to remove all the top sheets and switch on your ceiling fan at times so that your mattress gets to 'breathe' a little.
Aerating out your mattresses in direct sunlight once a month is a great way to avoid any odor buildup or mold growth in the long run.
What Influences the Memory Foam Mattress's Longevity?
Like we already said, a good quality memory foam mattress can more or less last for ten long years (provided that there are no ongoing jumping sessions on your bed anyway).
In addition to time, certain other factors can also influence the longevity of a memory foam mattress. Let's have a look at them:
Material Density
The characteristics of the material used in making your memory foam mattress could be one of the most significant factors affecting its longevity. Material densities, in particular, can potentially decide the durability of these mattresses. High-density memory foams or polyfoams do not wear out as quickly compared to low-density ones.
Frequency of Usage
It's evident that the more frequently you use your mattress, the sooner it will wear away—the reason why your guest room mattress lasts longer than the one you use.
And the reason is simple – When a mattress has been bearing weight each night for continuous hours, material deterioration over the years shouldn't be a surprise.
Body Weight and Sleeping Positions
Your body weight and the position you sleep in are vital factors that determine the lifespan of your mattress. Even though your body weight gets dispersed as you lay down on a mattress, heavier weight can again contribute to its bagginess.
Sleeping positions also considerably impact the longevity of mattresses. The pressure points created around the shoulders and the hips are much more firm for a side sleeper than for a back sleeper. As a result, the mattress starts slumping excessively in those areas.
Maintenance or Care Routine
Memory foam beds absorb moisture and fill themselves with sweat, dead skin cells, dust particles, or other debris with time. If you don't clean them regularly, the chances are that the mattress material starts disintegrating much earlier than you'd expect.
Regular maintenance, routine cleaning, and using protective mattress covers will help you avoid any unpleasant odor or mold and mildew growth on your mattress and keep it safe all through its life.
Signs You Need a New Memory Foam Mattress.
Knowing when to replace a memory foam mattress is crucial so that you do not keep using a clapped-out mattress and end up having frequent sleep disturbances. But, how do you do that? Well, we're here to help you out.
Here are a few signs you need a new mattress:
Sagginess
A bed that sags is a sure-fire sign that it's time to move on to a new mattress. So, if you do observe dips, u-shaped depressions, lumps, or bumps in your mattress, you may have to consider replacing it already.
A lumpy mattress will no longer provide you with the pressure relief you need and will instead cause you to sink into the compressed areas as you lie down.
Uncomfortable Sleep, Back Pain, or Allergies
The surest indication that your mattress is of no good now is that you feel uncomfortable as you sleep on it. Consequently, you may develop pain in your back, shoulders, hip, or neck region.
A worn-out mattress will also accumulate dust mites and other irritants over time, even with the best care. So, you may wake up having an allergy or an uneasy feeling if the mattress is on its last legs.
Ten Years are Over
When it comes to mattresses, age is more than just a number. That means it does matter. And, if it has already been over ten years since you've had it, your mattress sadly needs a retirement now.
Your mattress has done a pretty good job of giving you comfortable sleep and bearing all the dirt and jumping sessions on your bed. It's time to give it a tight hug and bid farewell.
Conclusion
With proper care, a high-quality memory foam mattress won't leave you before a reasonable time of ten years. Maybe taking care of them is a little challenging, but it's worthwhile. After all, what's better than the dreamy, bouncy, and comfy feeling these mattresses entail? Yeah, absolutely nothing!
