How to refresh an old mattress

If you’re hard on cash or you are trying to save the world, you might want to try to refresh your old mattress instead of buying a new one. We’re supportive. Thrifting is one of the absolute best ways to help save the planet and a really great idea if you’re not quite ready to buy something new.

Or perhaps you just think your mattress could do with a little bit of a facelift and want to know how to give it a good clean.

That makes absolute sense. When we sleep we sweat, and our mattresses can become a little stinky or discoloured. That’s not what you need when you are looking for a restful night of sleep.

Cleaning and refreshing your mattress is also important because layers of skin cells and sweat can build up on the mattress over time and cause allergy-like symptoms, like feeling itchy, coughing and sneezing.

To avoid this, you should refresh your mattress once every six months or so, but the more frequently you can manage it the better.

Here is our step-by-step guide on how to do it.

1.  Use baking soda

Baking soda should be best pals with your mattress. That’s because sieving baking soda onto your mattress can freshen your mattress by neutralising odours.

You’ll want to make sure your mattress is free from any dust or debris before you do this, so give it a good hoover. Then you’ll want to pour the baking soda through a sieve, spreading it evenly across your mattress.

If you want a lovely smelling bed, you can even mix some essential oils in with the baking soda. We recommend lavender, as this is a scent that promotes sleep.

If you want your mattress to smell nice, you can mix essential oils into the baking soda to create a long-lasting and pleasant smell. For those wanting a relaxing night’s sleep, lavender essential oils are a great choice.

2.  Let it work

Once you have covered your entire mattress with baking soda and your lovely smelling oil, let it do its work for half an hour or so. The longer you can leave it the better. If you can, make sure you keep your windows open, to let the air circulate and refresh.

3.  Hoover your mattress

You don’t want to sleep on crumbly bits of baking soda, so you’re going to want to use your upholstery attachment to hoover your mattress.

Make sure you get in all of the little crinkly corners, where the baking soda is likely to have hidden itself away.

Your mattress will now smell clean. If you’ve added essential oils, you’ll get a lovely hint of it every time you pull back your duvet to climb into bed.

4.  Keep on top of this routine

We know you have a really busy life, so you might let this routine slip a little bit, but this is a really good way not only to refresh an old mattress, but to keep a new mattress in good condition.

Where you can, you should try to stick to this routine once every six months. This is the best way to have a nice smelling, healthy mattress.

5.  If you haven’t got one, get a mattress protector

Mattress protectors are an incredible invention. They are really reasonably priced and they’re there to save your very expensive mattress from the damage we cause when we sleep.

A mattress protector will protect your bed from sweat and spillage, keeping it looking and feeling like a pleasant place to sleep.

Ely sells mattress protectors made from all natural materials, to help air circulate and keep your mattress clean, dry, and smelling fresh.

6.  Get your mattress professionally cleaned

If there is really bad or smelly damage to your mattress, you might need to have it professionally cleaned.

You can find a whole load of very nicely rated mattress cleaning companies online. Most of them use high quality steaming equipment to remove dirt and grime.

7.  Consider it might be time to upgrade your mattress

We know you might feel guilty about getting rid of your old mattress and trading it in for a new one, but all mattresses need throwing out eventually. If your mattress is beyond refreshing, consider opting for a new eco-friendly brand, to limit your impact on the environment.

We’ll help you recycle your old mattress and our two-man team will deliver your brand new Ely mattress to a room of your choice. You’ll get a ten year warranty, and when its life is over you can guarantee that your Ely mattress won’t outlive you like traditional mattresses do, because it’s made from 100% natural materials, which biodegrade in nature.

We chose cotton, wool and horsehair for their comfort and durability. For more information, read about our thirteen layers.