3 mistakes everyone makes with their mattress: from hoovering it to making the bed each day

We all know how important sleep is. A major part of how well you snooze at night will depend on how comfortable you are. And a major part of that is to do with your mattress. 

Today's best mattresses are often a bit of an investment – even if you manage to score a cheap mattress deal – so how can you protect your purchase and ensure your mattress continues to provide cushiony comfort for years to come? According to the mattress experts at And So To Bed, there are certain steps to take to care for your mattress, but they might not be exactly what you'd expect, or what you've been told before. Read on for three big mistakes people make with their mattress, which might be affecting its lifespan. 

1. Making your bed each morning

Are you diligently pulling your duvet and bed sheets back into place every morning before work? Stop! "Most people are probably not aware that you should air out your mattress regularly, and daily in the summer," say the experts. "Pull back the bed linen to give the mattress the chance to breathe and for moisture to evaporate. This is recommended as moisture can get trapped between the mattress and the linen, causing discolouration and potentially odours."

2. Hoovering your mattress

This is a bit of a controversial one, but And So To Bed reckons you shouldn't vacuum your mattress. This is one of the classic tips for getting rid of dust mites, but it might curtail the lifespan of your mattress. 

"The powerful suction of a vacuum cleaner can cause the filling to become dislodged, which can lead to bumps and dips," they explain. Their recommendation is to use a soft brush to brush debris onto the floor, and then hoover that.  

One way to help the situation is to invest in one of the best mattress protectors, which will provide an easily washable barrier to dust and debris (on which note, you're probably not washing your sheets enough, either). 

3. Forgetting to flip it

It seems like a faff, but flipping or rotating your mattress, especially when it's new, is a key way to prevent dips forming. The approach you take will depend on exactly what mattress you have, and you should check the brand's own recommendations before you do anything. In general though, spring mattresses vs memory foam mattresses require different approaches. If you have a double-sided spring mattress, the experts recommend flipping once a week for the first three months after purchase, then monthly after that. 

Single-sided memory foam or hybrid mattresses should not be flipped, but you might still want to rotate them – the experts suggest following the same schedule as you would with the spring mattress, but rotating head to toe rather than flipping upside down.