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How to Flip a Mattress
Most mattress manufacturers recommend periodically
flipping a mattress to even out the wear
and thus extend its useful life. However,
mattresses have four orientations, and often
times even owners with the best intentions
end up not flipping the mattresses in a way
that provides even wear in all four orientations;
this is because the often use the "rotate
and flip" approach only spreads wear
across two orientations.
Here's an approach to ensure consistent flipping:
- Flip your mattress every three months. We
like to do this around the first of January,
April, July, and October, but you can pick
a different schedule if it is easier for
you to remember (for example, the first day
of each season).
- Use a felt-tipped pen to mark the upper corner
of the top surface to indicate which way
the mattress should be for the next three
months. For example, we put a small "Jan"
on the surface next to the headboard on the
left (as you face the bed from the foot)
to indicate that this is the orientation
beginning in January. If you start this process
at a different time, put that date (e.g.,
"Oct") there instead.
- For the second flip, flip the mattress over
from side to side (like turning a page in
a book). This keeps the head end of the mattress
against the headboard but now puts the underside
on top. Mark the corner with "Apr"
(or what ever designation is appropriate)
on the top surface near the headboard..
- For the third flip, spin the mattress without
flipping it so that the head end is now at
the foot of the bed and the top surface is
still on top. Mark the top corner again.
- For the fourth flip, again flip the mattress
over from side to side (like turning a page
in a book) and mark the top corner.
- From then only, ever three months, reorient
the mattress so that the proper marking appears
beside the headboard.
You may decide it is easier to mark all orientations
at one time. |
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