Seven Simple Steps for Storing Your Mattress

It's possible that you'll need to store a mattress in the future. This could be the case if you're downsizing your home, turning a spare room into a gym, or sending a teen away to college. The right precautions taken during storage can extend the life of your expensive mattress. You've found the right place if you've ever wondered where and how to put away your mattress.

Leaning your mattress upright in the attic or squeezing your bed under other pieces of furniture in the garage may seem like a good idea at the time, but it can cause permanent damage to the mattress or even the growth of bacteria. Follow our steps instead to keep your mattress in pristine condition during storage.

1) Vacuum your bed frame and mattress

Dust mites, sweat, and dirt can accumulate on a mattress even if you wash it regularly. When you store a mattress that has been soiled, you increase the risk of mold and mildew.  

The good news is that there's a simple way to get your mattress clean and sterile for storage. Mattresses can be made to feel like new with very little effort.

In order to maintain the mattress's quality, follow these steps:

• Take the mattress off the base and remove all bedding from it, including the pillows.
• Scatter a little baking soda across the mattress's exterior and let it sit for an hour. Leaving the baking soda on the mattress for a while can help get rid of smells and stains.
• After waiting an hour, vacuum the baking soda up with a vacuum extension.
• Make sure your bed is completely dry by letting it air out for a few hours.

The next step in storing a mattress is taking it out of the room and putting it in a clean, dry, and well-ventilated area.

2. Use a mattress protector on your bed.

Protecting your mattress from dust and dirt by wrapping it in plastic is a must. In this way, you can keep dust from settling on the surface of your bed and migrating into the fabric.  

Use of thick plastic covers should be avoided as they can trap moisture and promote bacterial growth. You can use a quality mattress bag or a thin, permeable plastic wrap secured with duct tape.  

Lastly, load up your bed into the moving truck.

Putting your mattress on the roof of your car or cramming it into the back of a pickup truck is not the best way to transport it. Either way, you run the risk of destroying the inner structure of your mattress. But the alternative is even worse: your mattress could fly out of your car and onto the road.

As a result, when putting a mattress into storage, it's recommended that you use a moving truck. Cover your mattress's exterior with old blankets and sheets before loading it into the moving truck to keep it in pristine condition.

In order to make room for other items, you can temporarily lay it on its side in the moving truck.

Put Your Mattress in a Flat Position When Not in Use

You can temporarily transport your mattress standing up, but this is not recommended because it will damage the mattress's inner components. Sleeping too heavily on one side of the bed can eventually wear down the padding and distort the inner structure, making for an uneven and unpleasant surface.

If you must lay your mattress flat to store it, protect the floor from any potential spills by placing a tarp or other material beneath it. Put it on top of some other furniture if you don't have a flat surface.

Objects should be removed from the bed.

When putting your mattress on a flat surface in your storage unit, make sure that no other items are stacked on top of it. The inner workings of a mattress can be damaged if you store heavy objects there.

You can permanently damage your mattress by putting heavy objects on it. No one enjoys the idea of sleeping on a mattress that has been distorted in some way, so it's best to avoid them.

Sixthly, make use of a temperature-controlled storage unit

When storing a mattress, it's best to do so in a storage unit that is climate-controlled, as this will help keep the mattress safe from the varying temperatures that can occur throughout the year. Protect your mattress from scorching summers and freezing winters with this type of storage unit.

Keeping your mattress in a climate-controlled storage unit will also protect it from the moisture and mold that can develop in a non-climate controlled space. The healthiest mattress can be maintained by keeping the temperature and humidity at ideal levels.

Home mattress storage tips

Cleaning and stowing a mattress in a garage requires the same methods as those described above. However, due to the high humidity in garages, fungus and mold can easily grow on your mattress. Consider purchasing a portable dehumidifier for use in your garage if you are not able to use a climate-controlled storage unit.  

Get Rid of That Stinky Smell!

There's always the chance that your mattress, despite your best efforts to maintain it, will retain some odor after being stored for a while. Remember to unwrap your mattress and give it a few hours of fresh air before getting into bed that night.  

Mattresses should be cleaned after they have been allowed to air out. If your mattress smells musty, sprinkle on some baking soda, let it sit for an hour, then vacuum up the crumbs and let it air out for good. After this process, your mattress should smell great, be clean, and be ready for use.

Matters to Think About Depending on the Mattress You Own

When storing mattresses, there are a few extra steps that should be taken to ensure their safety. How to store a mattress, whether it's made of memory foam, a hybrid, springs, or latex.

Storage Tips for Memory Foam Beds

It has already been mentioned how important it is to keep your mattresses flat and without anything resting on top of them when not in use. Because of their delicate exteriors, memory foam mattresses require this precaution more than any others. Forcing memory foam to stand up straight for too long causes it to permanently sag.

The proper way to clean a memory foam mattress before and after storage is another matter to think about. Avoid using upholstery cleaners on this mattress, as the porous material will absorb the liquid and make it difficult to dry. Clean it with baking soda instead, and you won't have to worry about this!  

A Guide to Storing a Hybrid Mattress

Because of their shared foam-based construction, hybrid mattresses require the same care as traditional foam mattresses. Avoid using an upholstery cleaner and laying it on its side to store it, as you would with a foam mattress.

It is recommended to rotate these mattresses every few months while in storage, as the coils can develop bumps from constant pressure in one area.

Tips for Keeping a Latex Mattress in Storage

Because they are heavier than other mattress materials, storing a latex mattress presents its own unique challenges. Damage to both the exterior and interior of this mattress type can result from storing it on its side.  

Your bed will sag to one side as the upper portion of the mattress sinks due to the pressure of your weight. Best practices recommend laying your mattress flat when not in use to prevent the foam from degrading.

Instructions for Storing a Spring Mattress

Mattresses with springs are significantly less adaptable than other options. The situation is complicated further when it comes to stowing a spring mattress. Damage to the frame and inner structure of these mattresses can result from bending them while loading them into a storage unit.

Clearing off your mattress is especially important for spring mattresses because they wear out faster than other mattresses. You can avoid these problems by leaving some extra space in your storage unit when storing a spring mattress.

Tips for Storing a Mattress Pad

Storing a mattress and a mattress topper share many similarities, but there are also key distinctions. You should first clean your mattress topper with baking soda, just as you would your actual mattress.  

After you've dried and sterilized your mattress topper, you can roll it up to save room in your storage facility. In contrast to a standard mattress, this will not cause any harm to the topper's inner layer.

A storage bag or thin plastic wrap works well for protecting your rolled-up mattress topper until you're ready to use it again. Keep your mattress topper in a dry, climate-controlled space, just like you would with a mattress.

It's Crucial to Give Your Mattress the Proper Care When Storing It

You can do a lot to prolong the life of your mattress by following some simple storage guidelines. An inexpensive mattress protector can shield your bed from dust and mold while it's in storage.

You can increase the likelihood that your mattress will be clean and odor-free when you pick it up in the future by adhering to these instructions.