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Is your mattress over eight years old? If it is, it’s definitely time to swap it out. Why should you get rid of mattresses that get that old, though? Is it just because of comfort? That certainly is part of it. You use your mattress every day for hours at a time, so it will wear out eventually. As it does, it will no longer support you as well. You’ll definitely want to consider replacing it for comfort, but there’s more to it than that. An old mattress can actually make you sick or cause your current health issues to worsen. When that happens, you’ll certainly want to look into buying a new bed and finding a mattress disposal service in St. Paul. Here are some of the ways your old mattress could be impacting your health.
You’re Not Sleeping as Well
A worn-out mattress isn’t as comfortable as one that fully supports your body. This does more than just make you wake up with a few aches and pains. It can actually impact the quality of your sleep. If you find yourself tossing and turning because you can’t get comfortable enough to fall asleep, it’s time to get a new mattress. Without good support during the night, you’re likely to wake up with pain in your neck, back, hips, or other areas. You’re also likely to wake up during the night due to discomfort, and that can have a major impact on your body.
Waking up throughout the night means you’re not getting the rest you need. This can impact your health in a number of ways. According to the CDC, a lack of sufficient sleep can be linked to a number of different chronic diseases and health conditions. Cardiovascular disease, depression, diabetes, and heart disease can all be impacted by poor sleep. If you have any of these conditions, you need to be able to get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis. Even if you don’t, poor sleep can affect how you recover from illnesses and injuries. Your body may not be able to fight off infection as well if you’re consistently not sleeping well.
In addition to affecting your physical health, poor sleep also affects your mental and emotional well-being. You may find it more difficult to think through problems or find that your temper is on a much shorter fuse than normal when you don’t sleep well. Your reaction time can also be affected by fatigue. This can directly impact your physical health if you fail to react to an oncoming car or items falling off a shelf. You can more easily hurt yourself accidentally when you’re tired.
Your Allergies Get Worse
Mattresses slowly accumulate dirt, dust, and other gunk over time. There’s nothing you can do about this. Even using a mattress protector won’t completely keep dirt out of the mattress. Dust mites can get under any protector or sheet, and they are one of the main causes of allergies at night. Dust mite feces and decaying dust mite corpses slowly add up over time, and you breathe these things in during the night. Every time you sit down on the mattress or roll over at night, the mattress releases some of this gunk into the air.
If you have allergies or asthma, breathing this dust in can make the conditions worse. Your airway or nasal passages can get congested, affecting the amount of oxygen you get during the night. This can cause you to wake up multiple times, even if you’re not fully conscious and aware of it. While your mattress likely won’t cause you to develop asthma, it can certainly make it much worse if you continue to sleep on an old mattress for years. In addition to breathing issues, these dust mites can also cause conditions such as eczema.
How can you tell if your old mattress is full of dust and dust mites? If it feels heavier than it once did, this debris has started to collect within the mattress. In many cases, by the time a person replaces a mattress, it has doubled in weight. Disposing of an old, heavy mattress is not something you want to do on your own, however. Don’t risk a back injury – call in the experienced professionals here at Junk King St. Paul and let our crew do it for you!
Your Mattress Contains Harmful Chemicals
You wouldn’t think chemicals would be used in mattresses, but unfortunately, you would be wrong. Many mattresses contain chemicals that make them fire-resistant or help them last longer. Some of these chemicals can irritate your skin if you sleep directly on the mattress, while others can make you itch or even make your current allergies worse.
Fortunately, not all mattresses contain all of these chemicals. When shopping for a new mattress in St. Paul, you’ll want to look for those that meet Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Products that meet Oeko-Text Standard 100 certification requirements do not contain formaldehyde, specific dyes, or other chemicals that are harmful. There are also mattresses that meet Global Organic Textile standards. These mattresses are, at minimum, made of 95% natural, organic material.
Mattresses Can Contain Mold
If you find that you sweat a lot at night, your mattress has likely absorbed a lot of that moisture. This creates the perfect place for mold and other fungi to start growing. They love dark, warm, moist spaces, and the interior of your mattress is all three. Dozens of different types of fungi may be living in your mattress right now. They can also be in your pillow. When you breathe in their spores, it can affect your allergies, asthma, and other conditions. While doing your best to keep your bedroom cool so you don’t sweat that much will help reduce the growth of this mold, it’s very difficult to stop it completely. You’ll want to replace your mattress regularly to keep the amount of mold you inhale to a minimum.
Pet Dander is a Concern, too
Do you have a dog or a cat that gets on your bed frequently? If so, you’re breathing in a lot of their dander at night in addition to the dust mites and other gunk. Those with a pet allergy likely find that their breathing becomes worse if they don’t regularly change their sheets and vacuum. However, while these both will help reduce the amount of dander in the air, some of it will still get into your mattress. Once that happens, the only way to get rid of it is to dispose of the old mattress and get a new one.
When Should You Replace Your Mattress?
The traditional rule is that you should replace your mattress after eight years of use. However, if you take good care of it, your mattress will probably make it through ten years. Of course, that depends on your age and how your body feels. As we age, the body becomes more sensitive to discomfort. You may need to start buying a new mattress after six or seven years or invest in a high-quality mattress. Don’t let those 20-year warranties fool you, either—just because the company offers a warranty for two decades does not mean the mattress will be comfortable for that long.
To make your mattress last longer, be sure you rotate it every two to three months. This will ensure that the mattress wears evenly. If you have a double-sided mattress, be sure to flip it every six months to a year. You should have a good box spring or bed frame that helps support the center of the mattress to reduce sagging. Finally, treat your bed well—don’t let your kids jump on it or flop down heavily onto the bed.
Junk King St. Paul Can Help You with Mattress Disposal
Ready to get rid of that old mattress so you can rest and breathe easier at night? You don’t want to store an old mattress for days—they take up too much room. Junk King can help you get rid of that old mattress and any other old furniture, appliances, yard waste, DIY debris, and any other trash you have. Our team will come pick up whatever you have as long as it’s not hazardous waste.
You don’t even have to haul your old mattress down to the curb. We will remove all the junk from your home. Just point out what you want us to take. This way, you don’t need to worry about having help moving bulky or heavy items. We will quickly and safely remove the junk from your home, reducing your risk of injury or damage to the walls or doorways.
Call Today to Schedule Your Mattress Pick Up
Here at Junk King St. Paul, we make it easy to schedule your pick-up. You can give us a call at 1-888-888-JUNK to talk to a representative or schedule a free in-person estimate. When we come out to do the estimate, we will typically bring our large truck, so we can haul away the mattress and other junk right away if you agree to the price. You can also text images to 1-737-888-5865 for an estimate or use our free online tool. All our estimates are offered at no charge, and there is never any obligation.
