You may not realise it, but the mattress that you sleep on could stay comfy a lot longer if you take care of it properly. Although all mattresses have a limited lifespan and will lose their shape over time, if you make sure to care for your mattress then that lifespan could be significantly extended. These are instructions for standard sprung mattresses – for less common mattress types such as memory foam or latex rubber, see individual care instructions.

Every six months, you should flip your mattress over. Think about it – you sleep on that mattress every night, but you are exerting pressure only on one side of it. Eventually, that side of the mattress will become very sunken in, making it uncomfortable to sleep on. If you make sure to flip your mattress every six months, so that you are sleeping on the opposite side (that was originally facing down) and with your head at the opposite end (where your feet originally rested) you will be making sure that the two sides experience equal wear. Depending on the size and weight of your mattress, this could be a job for two people.

You may also want to invest in a protective mattress topper or cover. This protects the surface of your mattress, where dust mites and dead skin particles can settle and embed themselves within the mattress fabric. Although this can happen with a topper or cover as well, these can be easily and frequently removed and cleaned, whilst the mattress cannot. Some covers are specially designed to be hypoallergenic, such as certain memory foam toppers.

If your mattress does become dirty and even starts to smell, you can sometimes reverse these conditions using an upholstery shampoo. You should be careful with this process, and be sure that the inside of the mattress doesn’t get wet or sodden as it could take a long time to dry out, causing mould and damp. If you are looking for a new mattress be it for a double or single bed, look no futher than dreams.co.uk