Friday, December 21, 2012
Posted in
Environment
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Life
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Products
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Jordan's Furniture, a New England retailer, recently ran an ad that contained a lie that I think is pretty serious. The lie is that a mattress can double in weight during its life from soaking up dirt and accumulating dust mites and their poop, and that you should buy a new mattress every eight years. Let's be clear: No mattress doubles in weight unless you leave it out in the rain. I read up on the subject, and various experts have estimated that a mattress may gain a few ounces of dirt over the years, but not much more than that. And if you use a mattress cover, your mattress may gain almost no weight at all. All my life I was told that a good mattress could last twenty years or more, and my own experience bears that out. Indeed, mattresses are usually sold with 10-, 15- or 20-year warranties. It seems pretty obvious to me that Jordan's advice to change your mattress every eight years is self-serving. They are, after all, a furniture dealer that sells mattresses.
So how long can you use a mattress? If you purchased a well-made, high-quality mattress -- and if you use mattress covers on it for its entire life -- you may be able to use your mattress for thirty years. Yes, it may contain dust mites, but dust mites are a fact of life. If you buy a new mattress, it will have dust mites in it after just a couple years, so does that mean you should change your mattress every two years? (I'm sure that Jordan's Furniture would like it if you did!) If you are really concerned about dust mites, you can buy mattress covers that have impenetrable barriers that will drastically reduce the number of mites. But keep this in mind: The mattress cover itself will develop some dust mites, and washing it will reduce the effectiveness of its mite barrier. (Another option is to cover your mattress with plastic, and then put a regular mattress cover over the plastic.) In short, mankind has been living with dust and dust mites for ages; it really isn't a big deal.
Let me point out also that dust mites inhabit upholstered furniture and rugs, but you're not about to throw away those items, are you? There's no way to eliminate mites from your home altogether -- at least, no way that doesn't involve a great deal of work and expense.
I said above that Jordan's Furniture's lie was "serious", and here's what I mean: Old mattresses are a significant environment issue. They contain a mixture of materials, and to the best of my knowledge they are never recycled. It would be an environmental nightmare if everyone changed their mattresses before they really needed to. In order to cut down on waste, people should be encouraged to use their possessions for as long as possible; they should not be encouraged to throw them out prematurely, which is what Jordan's Furniture is doing.
So how long can you keep a mattress? My experience is a good example. Around 1988 I purchased an excellent mattress. For the entire time I've owned it, I've kept it covered with a mattress cover (a mattress cover goes between the mattress and the bottom sheet). The worst thing that happened to my mattress was that I had a cat that pee'd on it about five times over a two-year period (in each instance, I soaked up as much urine as I could, and then used an odor-removing chemical on the stain). Today the mattress appears almost new. Except for one spot, the padding is still thick and comfortable. In that one spot (which is worn more than the others), the mattress is still comfortable, but just a little less so than in the other spots.
From being moved repeatedly, the pieces of plastic that shield the corners of the box spring have come off. Also, the handles have come out of the sides of the mattress -- but neither of those things affect the way it feels. The mattress is now 24 years old. I am in my early 60's, and if I live to 80, I may need a new mattress before I die -- but then, I may not. I have already purchased an imitation fleece cover that will extend its life.
Now, if the mattress you bought was cheap, and if, after eight years, it is sagging, or the padding is migrating into the springs, then by all means replace it. But don't replace it because of imaginary dirt that you can't see and which isn't bothering you. There is no reason to be so wasteful.
Some Random Thoughts About Mattresses
Solid-foam mattresses and mattresses with air bladders in them are now all the rage. My experience with solid-foam is limited, so I can't say much about it (except that solid-foam mattresses are worse for the environment than inner-spring mattresses unless the foam is recycled). I also have no experience with air-bladder mattresses -- but let me make these points: Plastic ages, just as everything else ages. As an air-bladder mattress ages, the bladders are likely to develop leaks. If the mattress is made up of discrete bladders, you may be able to replace them individually -- but you should look at the manufacturer's warranty first to find out who pays for the replacement bladders. (Also, can you be sure the manufacturer will be around in ten or twenty years?) If the mattress has one giant air bladder in it, then you may have to throw it out entirely when that bladder becomes compromised. Also, in order to keep the mattress at the correct firmness, an air pump has to be operating all the time. That would make noise, and would also cost money for electricity. In my opinion, a well-made inner-spring mattress is the way to go. If the padding is thick enough, and properly attached to the springs, you will never feel the springs. And if you do start to feel the springs after ten years, then a "mattress topper" can be purchased which adds a new layer of padding to the top.
Shopping for a mattress can be difficult. You will find both good and poor mattresses being sold under all brand names (in other words, a particular brand name does not insure a quality mattress). It is very hard to compare prices from one store to the next because the model number used for a particular mattress will change from one store to the next. Generally speaking, the more money you spend, the better your mattress will be.
So how long can you use a mattress? If you purchased a well-made, high-quality mattress -- and if you use mattress covers on it for its entire life -- you may be able to use your mattress for thirty years. Yes, it may contain dust mites, but dust mites are a fact of life. If you buy a new mattress, it will have dust mites in it after just a couple years, so does that mean you should change your mattress every two years? (I'm sure that Jordan's Furniture would like it if you did!) If you are really concerned about dust mites, you can buy mattress covers that have impenetrable barriers that will drastically reduce the number of mites. But keep this in mind: The mattress cover itself will develop some dust mites, and washing it will reduce the effectiveness of its mite barrier. (Another option is to cover your mattress with plastic, and then put a regular mattress cover over the plastic.) In short, mankind has been living with dust and dust mites for ages; it really isn't a big deal.
Let me point out also that dust mites inhabit upholstered furniture and rugs, but you're not about to throw away those items, are you? There's no way to eliminate mites from your home altogether -- at least, no way that doesn't involve a great deal of work and expense.
I said above that Jordan's Furniture's lie was "serious", and here's what I mean: Old mattresses are a significant environment issue. They contain a mixture of materials, and to the best of my knowledge they are never recycled. It would be an environmental nightmare if everyone changed their mattresses before they really needed to. In order to cut down on waste, people should be encouraged to use their possessions for as long as possible; they should not be encouraged to throw them out prematurely, which is what Jordan's Furniture is doing.
So how long can you keep a mattress? My experience is a good example. Around 1988 I purchased an excellent mattress. For the entire time I've owned it, I've kept it covered with a mattress cover (a mattress cover goes between the mattress and the bottom sheet). The worst thing that happened to my mattress was that I had a cat that pee'd on it about five times over a two-year period (in each instance, I soaked up as much urine as I could, and then used an odor-removing chemical on the stain). Today the mattress appears almost new. Except for one spot, the padding is still thick and comfortable. In that one spot (which is worn more than the others), the mattress is still comfortable, but just a little less so than in the other spots.
From being moved repeatedly, the pieces of plastic that shield the corners of the box spring have come off. Also, the handles have come out of the sides of the mattress -- but neither of those things affect the way it feels. The mattress is now 24 years old. I am in my early 60's, and if I live to 80, I may need a new mattress before I die -- but then, I may not. I have already purchased an imitation fleece cover that will extend its life.
Now, if the mattress you bought was cheap, and if, after eight years, it is sagging, or the padding is migrating into the springs, then by all means replace it. But don't replace it because of imaginary dirt that you can't see and which isn't bothering you. There is no reason to be so wasteful.
Some Random Thoughts About Mattresses
Solid-foam mattresses and mattresses with air bladders in them are now all the rage. My experience with solid-foam is limited, so I can't say much about it (except that solid-foam mattresses are worse for the environment than inner-spring mattresses unless the foam is recycled). I also have no experience with air-bladder mattresses -- but let me make these points: Plastic ages, just as everything else ages. As an air-bladder mattress ages, the bladders are likely to develop leaks. If the mattress is made up of discrete bladders, you may be able to replace them individually -- but you should look at the manufacturer's warranty first to find out who pays for the replacement bladders. (Also, can you be sure the manufacturer will be around in ten or twenty years?) If the mattress has one giant air bladder in it, then you may have to throw it out entirely when that bladder becomes compromised. Also, in order to keep the mattress at the correct firmness, an air pump has to be operating all the time. That would make noise, and would also cost money for electricity. In my opinion, a well-made inner-spring mattress is the way to go. If the padding is thick enough, and properly attached to the springs, you will never feel the springs. And if you do start to feel the springs after ten years, then a "mattress topper" can be purchased which adds a new layer of padding to the top.
Shopping for a mattress can be difficult. You will find both good and poor mattresses being sold under all brand names (in other words, a particular brand name does not insure a quality mattress). It is very hard to compare prices from one store to the next because the model number used for a particular mattress will change from one store to the next. Generally speaking, the more money you spend, the better your mattress will be.
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