I work for the housekeeping department in one of the most reputed hotels in my town and mattresses are my specialty. Everything from purchasing decision to their maintenance is handled by me. So, I guess I should not be surprised if every other day one of my friends or their friends calls up to asks me “How do I clean the mattress?”. Everyone wants a tip on how to clean the mattress.

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.

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Those of us who think that mattresses are just something to plunk ourselves on and while away the night, couldn’t be more wrong. We simply might have to rethink again. The fact is that we spend one-fourth of our lives in bed and what should demand our maximum attention often goes unnoticed- for example the mattress that we sleep on.

We make the mistake of undermining the importance of mattresses by considering them to be just another part of our furniture. But this is not so. A bad mattress can be worse than the cavity in your tooth. It can cause spinal problems, muscles aches and sleep problems. The net result would be a stressed head over an equally unhealthy body.

So be very careful about choosing the mattress where you will be spending a good proportion of your life.

There are different types of mattresses available in the market today and what we decide to buy depends solely on our needs and specifications. For some foam mattresses might be the ideal choice while you may find others swearing by a spring mattress. Waterbeds and airbeds are other popular form of mattresses with their own set of merits and demerits to follow. The reason why people don’t prefer air- beds is because they are designed for temporary sleeping rather than daily usage. Its good to have an air mattress around when you are out camping or if you have guests over at your place. As for the water -beds, they aren’t considered to be very practical either because of the weight that they carry. Many homes are not designed to take the weight of a waterbed in one place.

A very popular myth running amongst most people is that hard mattresses are better in comparison to the softer ones. But this is not necessarily true. What is more important is the consistency of the surface of the mattress. The mattress should not cause pressure points in your body and leave you feeling sore. It should feel comfortable and should be in alignment with your spine so as to avoid any unwanted pressure on your other muscles and body parts.

What Is The Right Time To Change Your Mattress?

It is very essential for the user to know when his mattress needs to be replaced. Sometimes the regular use of the mattress might leave behind the impression of your body on it. In such cases you should try rotating or turning your mattress every three months at the least. Moreover the most important signal that your mattress might give you will be its inability to help you in a good night’s sleep. That’s right- when you start feeling uncomfortable in your old mattress or if you get up every morning with a sore back you can be sure that your mattress is desperately crying out for its retirement.

If you are prepared to buy a new replacement for your mattress be sure to check it out for yourself. Lie down on it and see if you are comfortable enough. If it meets both your price as well as comfort level then you can be sure that you have made the right choice!

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It still amazes me to see that in almost every walk of life, consumers are looking for the latest and greatest on the market. Except when shopping for a mattress, it still seems that people are drawn to the ’same old same old’ one mattress fits all coils and springs. Ouch! But that’s not the big kicker; the big deal comes when you actually price these mattresses. To get a top quality coils and springs mattress you have to pay between $1500US -$3000US to get the comfort levels you want and then you are still really buying an expensive foundation with a memory foam pillow top, which is what is providing the comfort you feel. So, let’s say you spend $2000US, you now own a 100lb wooden box filled with coils and springs and what sold you was the $200US pillow top.

So why not just take the time to really see what options are out there? You will find so many other choices that take advantage of our newest technology, are not only half the price but provide a much healthier environment for you to sleep. All the new types of mattresses and beds are specifically designed sleep systems that provide the right support to minimize pressure to acceptable levels for different body types and sleeping postures, maintaining back and spine alignment. The coils and springs mattresses can only say this when they come with the memory foam pillow top. The coils and springs can’t really “fill in the gaps” to support the parts of your body that do not sink into the coils, such as your lower back.

Coils and springs mattresses’ biggest claim to fame is that the coils work independently so when you move, your partner doesn’t. Great, but how much does that matter if you’re not comfortable and you wake up tired and stiff? And in all honesty, I don’t know anyone who actually “bowls” in bed.

So what are the options out there? There are four different types of new technology sleep systems that really are a great bang for the buck and are very affordable and provide many health and convenient benefits compared to coils and springs.

1) Air Mattress Beds - Air Mattress Beds cradle and cushion your body, providing more even weight distribution without the poking and prodding possible from a standard coil spring mattress. Easy to use handheld controls and a state of the art ultra-quiet air inflation system allow each sleeper to quickly adjust the firmness of their side of the air bed to the perfect comfort level, with just the touch of a button. Imagine, now couples can individually adjust each side of the air bed to the exact firmness and comfort level each partner prefers. (Tip: Look for horizontal baffling and contoured foam edges for quality construction.)

2) Adjustable Beds - Now any sincere mattress salesman won’t push the watching TV or reading in bed, it’s not something that we should recommend. But with today’s lifestyles this has become a normal way of life for some people. So if that’s the case then you really should think about doing it right! With the touch of a button, adjustable beds move into hundreds of relaxing positions. All without creating pressure, stress or strain on your body. Touch a button again and experience a new concept in comfort, while your own personal massage system helps to relieve tired, sore muscles, and reduce everyday tension and fatigue. Encourage restful sleep through relaxation. (Tip: Concentrate on the frame construction, don’t fall for the “mattress included” it’s rarely of any quality.)

3) Latex Beds - Latex mattresses provide the most comfortable sleep surface in the world. Already immensely popular in Europe, Latex Mattresses are beginning to boom here in the United States. More and more Americans are learning about the tremendous advantages of Latex Mattresses everyday. The Talalay Process produces the highest quality, most resilient and consistent latex foam in the industry. Its consistent cell structure and exact density result in the most even firmness and feel possible. You can also buy Natural latex products. (Tip: Look for US made foam with layered construction, as this gives you quality foam and creates a variety of comfort levels to choose from.)

4) Memory Foam Beds - Well I think the word is out on this one, I’m sure you’ve heard all the NASA explanations of why this is used in the Space Shuttle and seen the “handprint” pictures. But, in case you haven’t, Visco Elastic Memory Foam Mattresses utilize amazing, space age and NASA developed Visco Elastic Memory Foam. Visco Elastic Memory Foam is temperature sensitive. It actually reacts to the heat produced by your body, conforming to your body in a way no other material can. Where your body is making the most contact with the memory foam, the foam reacts and becomes softer. Where your body is making less contact, the foam stays cooler and remains more firm. The result is pressure being evenly distributed throughout the sleeper’s body, leading to fewer pressure points and a more restorative sleep. (Tip: Again, look out for problem European foam; US made Sensus with layered construction for the same quality and comfort level benefits.)

All of these new age sleep systems can be purchased for a fraction of what a coils and springs mattress goes for and depending on the mattress, you can adjust the foam layers to personalize your comfort level as you please. And don’t forget about the many major sleep benefits from all the sleep system technology. You just can’t miss, if you have to purchase a mattress or sleep system, you owe it to yourself to check these out, not only for your health but for your pocketbook too, ouch again!

Tune in to my next articles where I’ll break down what to look for in each of the new age sleep systems.

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