We all have to change our home or apartment for some good reasons, right? Last year I changed my apartment to a new one, and the first thing that came to my mind was how I should shift my mattress. It’s heavy and bulky at the same time. So you should know how to protect the mattress when moving?
Should I get rid of my old mattress and buy a new one? But I am low on my budget, and besides, I like this mattress.
So I decided to shift my mattress along with my other things. But wait for a second; not only should I be concerned about its being heavy, but I also need to protect my mattress through all the odds.
I followed some steps from researching How to protect a mattress when moving, and I successfully moved my mattress into my new apartment unharmed.
Why do you need to protect your mattress when moving?
A mattress is part and parcel of our day-to-day life. We need our mattress to be clean and tidy for better sleep.No one will want to sleep on a dirty mattress after a whole day of tiredness.
So when someone is planning to move his mattress, he needs to protect it from any kind of threat that would come in the way of shifting.
Either you or the moving company is moving your mattress; it can get dirty. The moving company usually uses a truck to move your belongings. In almost every case, it is a pickup truck. Since this type of truck doesn’t have any protection, your mattress can get dirty in many ways.
Like the dust and water from the road can make it worse. Besides, you have to be careful about the weather as natural calamities can destroy your mattress entirely. But you don’t have to worry about these if they use a covered moving truck.
You have to be very careful about bed bugs. They can get into your mattress when packing and start living there. So, you need to protect your mattress from bed bugs as well as dust and water.
Supplies and prerequisites for moving:
There are several ways to protect a mattress when moving. To be effective, though, you’ll need a few tools and equipment. Here are some prerequisites before moving your mattress:
Measuring tape
First, you need a measurement tape. You don’t want to just rely on the name of your mattresses like king size mattress, queen size mattress, double mattress, or single mattress.
You have to be more specific than that. Take the measuring tape and lay down your mattress. You don’t want to miss a single piece of information here. Height, length, width, everything matters because you will need an exactly same-sized mattress bag.
You can have a bigger one than the mattress itself in choosing a mattress bag, but don’t choose the smaller one. With a smaller mattress bag, you won’t cover the mattress, and eventually, it will get dirty. So, a measuring tape will surely help you here.
Mattress bag
A mattress bag is usually a plastic bag to cover your mattress from every possible dirt and infection. One kind of heavy-duty mattress bag is also available in stores. But the work for both is the same. Mattress bags come in various sizes, and you have to select the right size of the mattress.
Due to plastic construction, the mattress bag doesn’t let any dust or water come into direct contact with the mattress. So having a mattress cover is mandatory if you are going to shift the mattress.
Packing tape
Packing tape is also an essential tool for shifting your mattress. You need to seal the mattress bag once you have finished packing your mattress. You need to make sure if the bedbugs or any kind of dirt cannot enter through the bag.
Some people consider using duct tape instead of packing tape. But remember, packing tapes are stronger than duct tape, and they are specially made for packing these kinds of plastic bags. So don’t compromise if you want to succeed.
Rope or straps
If you are moving your mattress in a truck, you need to stick it to one place because the moving van can destroy your comfortable mattress. Despite your best efforts, you will end up with a massacre, especially if you use a memory foam mattress.
Moving trucks have to cross many high and low roads, so it’s constantly shaking inside. You can use some ropes or straps to stick it to the wall. Or you can just tie it when lying down to the floor. In both ways, it’s going to be safe from any kind of trembling.
Scissors:
Some people tend to use a box cutter when cutting the wrapping of a mattress bag. But using a box cutter could be dangerous because you could end up cutting the mattress itself.
The Box cutter is not helpful in cutting the wrapping tape. The wrapping tape sticks together with the mattress. So if you don’t want to cut the mattress, you will want to use a scissor to cut the wrapping tape. It’s a slower but safe process.
Processing of movement:
Moving your mattress while keeping it safe may seem difficult to you initially. This transition can damage your mattress pretty badly. So, you want to be 100% sure if your mattress survives the journey. Here, are some step-by-step instructions on how to pack your mattress for moving:
Measure the mattress:
The first thing you want to do is know the perfect size of your mattress. It’ll help your working process. As you know the size of your mattress, you know exactly how much space it’s going to take on the moving truck, what size bag it will need, how it will deal with the tight corners, and much more.
You just can’t estimate the size of your mattress. You’ll have to know the exact size of your mattress, and a measuring tape can help you there. Lay your mattress down and measure your mattress by inches.
Purchase a mattress bag:
Choosing the right mattress bag cover is vital as it’ll protect your mattress the whole way down. There are different sizes of mattress bag covers available in a shop, like king-size mattress covers are available for king mattresses.
If you own a queen mattress, buying a double mattress cover won’t do the work. You need to be a lot more specific than that.
So if you have measured your mattress on your own already, you could buy the perfect mattress bag. Just go to the shop, take your measuring tape out, and choose the right one.
Check the mattress thoroughly:
The next thing you want to do is check the mattress if it’s dry and clean or not. If your mattress is damp, you need to dry it in direct sunlight. Damp mattresses can be highly unhygienic and can accommodate bed bugs.
If you want to get rid of the bed bugs and dirt, you need to clean it with a vacuum cleaner. Remove mattress protector, if any. Then keep the mattress to direct light exposure for at least 1 hour.
Start packing:
Before starting packing, check the plastic mattress cover if it’s wet. A wet bag cover might cause damage to your mattress. Once you are sure your mattress bag is dry and clean, start packing it up. If you have a mattress protector, remove it before starting.
You can use another plastic cover to protect a mattress protector.
To pack your mattress, make it stand upright against the wall. Then start inserting the plastic cover from the top. Then lower the cover straight down to its bottom. Now after being packed, seal it with packing tape.
Be careful if you are packing a foam mattress. Foam mattresses have memory foam that keeps track of your body. So you don’t want to ruin the memory foam when packing.
Take cautious steps when moving:
Most of the mattresses are heavy. You can lift a heavy mattress on your own. So when you are thinking of moving it to the truck, consider yourself taking a helping hand or two.
You need to be very careful during the moving process. Keep an eye out for tight corners, doors, stairs, and narrow corridors.
Be cautious about fragile items on your way to the truck and see if you can remove all the valuables before moving the mattress. It’s easy to pack and move the mattress at the very last moment.
Place it accordingly in the moving truck:
You need to keep the mattress in the truck and tie it down with some rope and straps. Usually, it’s idle to lay down your mattress and tie it properly. But if you are using an encased coil mattress or memory foam mattress, you need to be a bit more careful.
You must tie the foam mattress to its horizontal position as it has memory foam in it. You can’t keep it vertically as it’ll mess up the memory foam inside.
In the case of an innerspring or encased coil mattress, you need to tie it vertically to the wall of the truck to secure the inner part. But you can put a box spring mattress both vertically and horizontally.
Storing the mattress after being moved
You may have to store your mattress for weeks or even months for some reason. So you need to protect it in storage in the meantime. So, you may have asked how I can protect the mattress in storage. Storing after moving the mattress is an easy process if you follow these thoroughly:
- Make sure the place you are keeping the mattress is dry and clean. Check if the storage area doesn’t get wet and has sufficient light and airflow.
- Clean the mattress with some vacuum cleaner and disinfect it with some insecticide and dry it in direct sunlight if you can before preserving
- You can keep the mattress in the same cover you used to move, or you can use a different storage bag.
- If possible, you need to keep lying down to the roof because keeping it vertically(sticking to the wall) would damage the innerspring or valuable inside parts.
- Try not to keep anything above the mattress if it’s lying on the floor, as it will ruin the mattress’s memory foam.
- Check it at least once a week, and if you can, turn it upside down while checking.
- At least once a month, take the mattress to direct sunlight, and it will protect your mattress from getting damp.
Conclusion:
Mattresses are one of our basic needs in our day-to-day life. We just can’t think of sleeping without a mattress. So, when someone’s shifting to his new apartment, it seems hard to get the mattress moved safely. Sometimes It would seem right to buy a new mattress than to move with the old one.
But buying a new mattress is not always easy, and in some cases, you would prefer the old one. So you need to move with your old mattresses. You can protect your mattress from becoming dirty or getting harmed if you are cautious enough.
If you are interested to know Why Does My Mattress Squeak? Click the answer.
FAQ:
- Can mattress cover prevent bed bugs?
A mattress cover can indeed prevent your mattress from bed bugs. But you need to ensure that your mattress doesn’t contain any bed bugs. You’ll need to clean the cover too before starting packing. After that, you’ll have to seal it properly to prevent contamination.
- Can you use a sheet as a mattress protector?
A mattress protector protects your mattress. But a sheet is used just for covering the edges of your mattress and for looking good. But you can’t use a sheet instead of a mattress protector.
- How long can a mattress be kept in storage?
If you can take proper care, your mattress can survive at least ten years. But if you are not paying attention to your mattress in storage, you can damage your mattress beyond repair in just months.
- Do moving companies wrap mattresses?
Yes, they wrap your mattress. But you need to bear the cost of plastic bags, moving tapes, ropes, straps, etc. Some moving companies don’t wrap your mattress, though. So, you better check for better companies.
- How to move a mattress by yourself?
Can you protect your mattress when moving all by yourself? Well, yes, you can, but it would be a bit risky. If your mattress is heavy enough, don’t try to move it yourself. Just hire one or two workers.
- Should I wrap my mattress before moving?
Yes, you should. If you don’t want to end up with a filthy, wet, infected mattress, you should adequately wrap it with a plastic cover bag.