Mattress Care Guide
To ensure your memory foam mattress maintains its quality for the longest amount of time possible, there are a few essential things you have to do in order to take care of it. Not only will this save you money by making your mattress last longer, but it will also help you get a better quality of sleep each night.
In this mattress care guide, we will offer instructions on how to properly care for your new memory foam mattress and maintain its quality for longer.
How long will a memory foam mattress last?
A quality mattress is an investment in your sleep for a significant period of time in your life and you should expect any mattress to last around 10 years if cared for correctly.
Our mattresses are manufactured to a quality standard that give us the confidence to guarantee them for many years: 15 years for our Dormeo Memory Range of rolled memory foam mattresses and 20 years for our unique luxury range of Octaspring mattresses.
Caring for memory foam
If you are new to owning a memory foam mattress it is important to remember that your new mattress has different care requirements to a traditional mattress. Here are some key instructions for looking after a memory foam mattress:
Taking care of your new rolled memory foam mattress
If you have bought a new rolled memory foam mattress, avoid using sharp objects when opening as these may damage the mattress itself. Upon opening lay the mattress flat in a warm room to recover to its normal shape - this will usually take 15 minutes.
Rolled mattresses will be ready to sleep on in up to 8 hours and can take up to 24 hours to reach their full depth. New mattresses may have an initial chemical smell, but this is nothing to worry about and will dissipate after a few days to a week with sufficient airing.
Rotating your memory foam mattress
As our mattresses are carefully designed with multiple layers to ensure the best support and comfort, they do not need to be turned. Instead, the mattresses should simply be rotated to maintain equal wear and tear. This is because most people will sleep in the same position every night and leave an impression on the supportive memory foam layer. This is normal for memory foam as it moulds to your unique shape.
Please note that if a mattress has handles, it shouldn't be lifted using them as they are not design to support its full weight. Use them only to adjust its positioning on a divan or bed frame.
All mattresses are designed to support body weight when it is spread evenly in a lying down position, as opposed to a seated position where pressure is directly applied to a small area.
Our mattresses are designed and tested to withstand years of use including the movement of getting out of bed, however sitting on the edge of your mattress for prolonged periods of time can significantly accelerate wear and tear on an isolated area of the mattress.
Whilst the edge of your bed may be a comfortable place to sit, it is more important to keep it a comfortable place to sleep and using it in this way may not be considered as 'normal' use according to warranties.
Protecting your mattress
Covering your mattress with a protector underneath your fitted sheet will guard against spills and stains. It's also more hygienic as it prevents contact with body moisture. We advise to always use a mattress protector as failure to do so may invalidate the warranty. We recommend our Evercomfy Anti-Allergy Mattress Protector for this job.
Airing your mattress
To air your mattress, remove your bed covers off your mattress for 20 minutes each day after getting up. This will allow body moisture to escape and air to flow through your mattress.
How to clean memory foam
Memory foam has more specific care requirements than a regular mattress, so you may need to adjust your cleaning practices when making the move from a more traditional mattress to one containing memory foam. Here are some tips that can be applied to each mattress in our memory foam mattress range:
Check instructions first
We advise to always check the washing instructions for your mattress before any cleaning, as they can vary between mattresses. Many mattresses are composed of several layers made of different materials, as well as having specially designed mattress covers, which may require specialist cleaning methods.
Our Memory range of mattresses have memory foam sewn directly to the cover for comfort, so they need to be spot-cleaned. However, our Octaspring mattresses can have their cover completely removed and machine washed.
How to clean stains from memory foam
To minimise stains on memory foam, we recommend always using a mattress protector, which should be changed regularly along with your bed sheets. Stains or spills should be treated immediately, avoiding the use of strong chemicals to treat stains.
Try a small amount of dishwashing liquid diluted with water and mixed until it becomes only bubbles. Use a clean sponge in a circular motion to spread the cleaning solution around the stain.
Drying memory foam
Always make sure memory foam is completely dry before using it again. Using damp memory foam can result in some unwanted odours and mildew.
Never dry it under intense direct sunlight or using a hot hair dryer as the heat may damage it. Instead, place the memory foam in the shade to dry, ensuring there is adequate air flow - a breeze or fan would be ideal for this.
For faster drying, try sprinkling baking soda on wet spots to absorb any dampness before vacuuming.
Vacuuming memory foam
To remove dust and other external deposits from the outside of your memory foam mattress you can use a vacuum cleaner. A handheld model works best, as it allows you to reach the more difficult areas. Make sure to use a brush attachment to avoid catching any part of your mattress, which could result in a tear.
How to clean a memory foam topper
Follow the same instructions as above when cleaning a memory foam topper. If the topper needs to be washed as a whole, remove the cover and following the washing instructions. Never immerse the memory foam in water, instead spot clean stains as described above.
How to wash a memory foam pillow
Different pillows are composed of different materials, and each will have their own individual washing instructions.
Memory foam is not suitable for machine washing and should not be immersed in water. Instead, all memory foam components of a pillow must be spot cleaned using the methods described above. It may possible to remove the foam components and wash the rest of the pillow. For example, with our Octasense pillow, you can easily remove the memory foam neck support prior to washing.
We hope these tips are helpful for keeping your memory foam mattress, topper and pillow fresh and comfortable for a great night’s sleep. If you have any questions about the advice in this guide, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our Sleep Experts.