Tips For Caring For Your Organic Mattress
You've invested in a high-quality organic mattress. Protect your investment by taking good care bamboo mattress topper of it with these organic mattress care tips.
Good foundation for your organic mattress:
Set yourself up to give your mattress a long life by putting it on a good foundation. If you've purchased an organic mattress made of natural materials like organic cotton, wool, latex rubber, or hemp, you'll need to let it breath, and a solid platform foundation will never do. A synthetic box spring foundation is also unhealthy for your mattress as it will not allow adequate air movement. Equally problematic is putting your organic mattress directly on the floor.
There are several options for providing adequate air movement to your organic mattress. Slatted platform frames or organic box spring foundations are both good options for allowing your mattress to breathe. If neither of these options is possible, consider drilling 1" holes into the solid platform of your bed frame to allow air to flow more freely.
Cover your organic mattress with organic bedding:
Equally important for your mattress is the bedding you choose to cover it with, and here organic bedding is the only way to go. Start by selecting a natural wool or cotton mattress pad or protector. This will allow your mattress to breathe while protecting it from stains and soiling. Select organic bedding made of organic cotton, bamboo, wool, hemp, and the like to finish off your organic sleep system.
If you want to get the most out of your organic mattress, avoid products such as magnetic sheets, synthetic foam toppers and barrier covers, and synthetic mattress covers. All of these will choke the air movement and prevent your mattress from breathing naturally.
Be sure to launder your organic bedding on a regular basis. Take this opportunity to let your mattress breathe even more than usual. Leave both the sheets and mattress topper off (airing in the sun if possible) of the mattress for several hours to let it air out. Some even recommend moving your mattress into the sun for a full air-out experience.
Flipping your organic mattress:
Whether you need to flip your organic mattress will depend largely on what type you have purchased. Here's a quick way to know whether you need to flip your mattress or not:
1. Monthly mattress flipping: Innerspring mattresses and futons should be flipped and/or rotated on a monthly basis to ensure the springs are worn evenly over time. Some manufacturers will recommend less frequent flipping and rotating - just watch how your mattress wears and flip more frequently if you notice uneven slumping or indentations.
2. No flipping required: If you've chosen a natural latex rubber mattress, you do not need to flip it or rotate it at all. Latex is a more durable product and will not experience the same uneven wearing problems that springs will.
Spot cleaning your organic mattress:
Hopefully your organic mattress topper will prevent your mattress from becoming soiled or stained, but in the event that something unforeseen happens, here are some natural cleaning tips for keeping your mattress looking and smelling as good as new:
1. Start by vacuuming the mattress first if the area is dry to get out as much debris as possible. Next, spot-dab the stain with a slightly wet sponge and a little bit of natural soap. Let completely air dry.
2. For unpleasant odors, try a mixture of 1:3 vinegar to water solution combined with sun drying.
3. For pet stains, sprinkle the area with baking soda and let sit. Then using a sponge soaked with dilute hydrogen peroxide and natural soap, work the moisture into the mattress. Allow to dry completely and repeat if the odor remains.
Keep your mattress even cleaner by vacuuming and airing it out at least once a year to remove any fine particulate matter and debris.
