How to Get Rid of a Mattress - Best Way to Dispose of That Bulky Thing
Getting rid of bulky household items can sometimes be difficult, and this is certainly the case with a mattress. If you’ve ever been in this situation, or you’re looking to evict your current mattress, then take some time and read our guide of how to get rid of a mattress!
General
Shopping in the bed market is confusing and a pain in the brain as it is, but after you’ve finally made the great decision to buy a new mattress and you’ve brought the dream avenue home - you’ve now got a bulky mattress living in your home with nowhere to go!
You want to get rid of it, but it’s not that easy. Can’t put it out with the trash, certainly can’t burn it! So, what’s the answer? How do you get rid of the old mattress? Let’s find out!
How Do You Know When It’s Time For A New Mattress?
The decision to get a new mattress is not one that people make lightly, normally due to their huge price tags! A choice to get into the mattress market is normally down to the mattress deteriorating over time, or maybe your requirements have changed over the years.
A mattress can often get stiff, damaged with springs exposed, stained - or just straight up uncomfortable! Whereas, a person might develop new needs for a mattress due to weight shift, injury, or age related requirements.
It’s recommended in any case, that a mattress ought to be changed every 8 years. This isn’t always the case though, as some mattresses have a lower life expectancy and some have a higher life expectancy. Of course, this will depend on factors such as your weight, the amount of people using it, the materials and the exposure the mattress has (like temperature).
The two main sections for needing a new mattress are wear and tear and your overall quality of sleep. Here are some indicative signs you’re needing a new mattress!
Wear And Tear
- Saggy
- Lumpy
- A “U” shape like a hammock won’t change
- Springs and coils can be felt while you’re on it
- The springs make noises
Overall Quality Of Sleep
- You’re still tired in the mornings
- Takes a long time to get comfy
- You notice you and/or your partner are moving a lot
- You’re struggling to get to sleep and then wake up during the night
- The spring noises are bothersome
If however, you’ve decided on getting a new mattress because (maybe you’ve bought a pet and want it in the bed with you!) it might be because your current mattress cannot handle the extra weight and movements.
Whatever the reason, you’ve 100% decided you’re definitely in need of a new mattress and you’ve gone and bought one! Yippee! But what to do with the old one now?! Here’s some ideas:
Consider Donating Your Mattress
It can be a great idea to donate your mattress rather than disposing of it. It’s a good idea for you, the person who needs a mattress and the environment! And most importantly for you - donation gets rid of the old mattress that’s taking up a lot of room in your house!
It’s crucial that you know though, not every single mattress can be donated - regardless how much you loved it! Some mattresses are incredibly worn or simply are not fit for further usage - and therefore would not be eligible for donation.
Additionally, as our quality expectations and production of mattresses has improved over the years, alongside more affordability and the hygiene implications - shelters or charities might not just take anything they can get their hands on anymore.
There is a level of expectation when it comes to the quality of items that can be donated, so deciding to donate an unusable mattress to charity is both incredibly thoughtless and a waste of time - you’ll be asked to take it away with you, so more hard work for you!
So, you may be worried about how you would be able to assess if your mattress is worthy of donation. Here’s some pointers for you to consider:
Odors
It’s entirely possible that, if you’ve had the mattress a number of years, that you simply don’t smell the odors that emanate from your mattress anymore, sometimes this is called “nose blind”.
This isn’t your fault, but the best thing to do is to call upon somebody who doesn’t live in the house preferably, but if they do - uses a different room. Ask them if the mattress smells bad, and if there’s any other answer than “no”, do not consider donating the mattress!!
Infestation
It might be obvious to some, but others don’t realize. Mattresses can become infested with bed bugs or other critters. If you think that cleaning the mattress fully before donation (which is a good idea to do) is going to rid the mattress entirely of these pests, you’d be wrong.
They are now so deep into the mattress that eventually they will poke their heads over the top once more. So, if you see an infestation, or signs of an infestation - do not donate!
It’s Broken
Again, this may sound obvious - but if your mattress is broken, don’t try and donate it! This will include broken springs, rips, tears, exposure to the insides and burn holes.
Heavily Stained
Mattresses get stained, that’s just how it goes. But, if the stains are small - there are things you can do to get rid of them and make the mattress donatable again. However, if the mattress is beyond salvageable due to its amount of stains, you can’t donate it.
Who Can You Donate To?
There are some local charities or huge organizations that will accept mattresses (so long as they’re not in the above list of exceptions!), they include:
- Goodwill
- Habitat for Humanity
- Catholic Charities
- Furniture Bank Association of America
- Donationtown.org (find one in your area!)
Give The Mattress Away
You could always give your mattress away to a friend or family member - just use the same rules of donation to check if the mattress is okay to give away.
Recycling The Mattress
Recycling mattresses is incredibly important when we consider how much room is taken up in landfill from others’ mattresses.
There’s plenty of recycling centers to choose from, such as:
- Bye bye mattress
- Earth 9/11
- Local residential facilities
- The municipal offices
You could also decide to break the mattress down yourself and then recycle it that way! Just be sure you know where all the parts are going or how they can be used!
Waste Disposal
Sometimes, you can contact waste disposal companies to remove your mattress, but normally it’s for a fee.
Contact The Manufacturer
The manufacturer might have a recycling service, maybe for a fee, where they can collect your old mattress - or even in a deal for the new one! It’s always worth a check.
Last Words
Getting rid of your old mattress can be a headache, but don’t put it into the landfill! Choose a better option out of our suggestions above. We can help the environment, help our homes, help other people and make things a little easier for everybody if we do so!
