FAQ: Your Bed Questions Answered

The best place to obtain relevant information is not always from the experts who observe from the outside. Sometimes, it’s from those who have the experience, such as sleep companies. Furthermore, it’s also helpful to seek counsel from customer reviews. We’ve set out to answer the top bed-related questions out there.

The Mattress Warehouse sells beds all over the country. We have beds for sale in our branches all over the country. Here you’ll find everything you could possibly need to kit out your sleep.

With so many mattress branches, we deal with all things sleep related. Therefore, we ventured out to find the most frequent sleep questions asked.

And then we answered them!

1. Can I bleach my mattress?

Bleach is a very helpful chemical frequently used in any household. Helpful in removing stains, this might be the first product you reach to when your mattress collected a pesky stain.

So, keep in mind that this is a harmful chemical that can’t be rinsed out. A mattress cannot be rinsed, so the chemical bleach will stay there. Furthermore, you stand the chance to ruin your bed, since mattresses aren’t made to handle chemicals like bleach.

2. How long do mattresses last before they become uncomfortable?

This answer is totally brand dependent, as all brands warranty different mattress lifetimes. A good rule of thumb is to check your mattress’ warranty. For this time, the manufacturer promises that their mattress will still be comfortable with all components intact and working. This time usually ranges between 6-10 years.

However, in recent years, a new mattress brand has risen. The brand, Kooi Beds, promises that their Pure Foam mattress range will last you up to 20 years. These beds are revolutionary in their field, with cutting edge memory foam technology. Read more about these mattresses here.

The problem with ageing mattresses lies with the fact that each night we tend to lie in the same area of the bed. So this one area ages faster than the rest of the bed.

3. Will my back/neck pain from a soft mattress?

A soft mattress, better known as a plush mattress, will not cause pain to your back or neck if you’ve adopted the correct sleeping style. Mattress firmness and sleeping styles are closely linked:

• Plush mattresses are suitable for back sleepers.
• Medium firmness is suitable for side sleepers.
• Firm mattresses are suitable for stomach sleepers.

A soft mattress will not lead to health problems. In fact, this might be just the mattress you need to alleviate existing issues.

However, it is true that a plush mattress of poor quality can position your spine in an over-bent position. This position will most certainly cause back pain and problems in the long run.

Always make sure that the quality of the mattress is placed above the price you want to pay. Rather pay more for good quality, than settling for a mattress manufactured using sub-par fabrics, foams and springs. These mattresses won’t fully support your body in the same way a mattress of better quality would.

Before you buy:

• Consider a few brands to compare.
• Choose a mattress according to your sleeping style.
• Read as many reviews as possible before you make your final choice.

4. How can I make my mattress more comfortable?

A comfortable mattress is like sleeping on a cloud! While a new bed might be comfortable, some of us are always looking to take our mattress’ comfort to the next level!

A good place to start is by fitting your mattress with a puffy mattress topper. This can either be a permanent solution, or it can be a temporary fix until you buy a new mattress.

If you are thinking about using the mattress topper permanently, consider investing in a memory foam mattress topper. Not only are they affordable, but these mattress accessories boast with a decent lifespan. A mattress topper is sure to provide you with that little bit of extra comfort you are looking for.

5. Is a soft mattress detrimental to my back and spine in the long term?

Like the question answered above, it all depends on the person; or the person’s sleeping style. If you are not already suffering from certain back pain, you shouldn’t have a problem with a soft mattress. It all depends on the type of spine service your back requires.

• Back sleepers who seek the best spine alignment, a firm mattress will be your best bet.
• Contrarily, a back sleeper who seeks pressure relief will find more appeal in a plush mattress.
• A plush mattress is also excellent for side sleeper folk.
• Stomach sleepers should avoid a plush mattress to prevent unnecessary back pain.

Your spine is such an important part of your body. You cannot afford to have it damaged by an inferior mattress. Consequently, if you are going for the soft mattress option, be sure to opt for a high-quality plush mattress.

Take your time to carefully go browse through our various brands. Consider the materials used in manufacturing the mattress. Additionally, find out which supportive features the mattress will have.

When in doubt, talk to one of our friendly sleep consultants!

6. What should rest on my pillow?

Head and neck? Only your head? Head, neck and shoulders?

Firstly, it’s important to look at the pillow you are considering. Some pillows are made to cradle your neck while others are more of a wedge. The material of your pillow is also an important factor think about.

Firstly, the type of pillow. There are many types of pillows to choose from.
The right pillow should support your head and neck just enough to keep your spine straight.

Much like a mattress, pillow choice is dependent on your sleeping style. However, pillows aren’t classified on a scale from plush to firm. Instead, they come in a range of high- to low-loft supportiveness. In short, pillows are classified according to their height:

• Side Sleepers should consider a thicker, high-loft, pillow. This height provides the support to keep your spine straight.
• Back Sleepers should opt for a low-loft pillow.
• Stomach sleepers have the hardest time picking a pillow. Most pillows raise their heads too high, resulting in an unnatural, bent spine. For this reason, stomach sleepers might opt for no pillow at all!

Now that you know all about choosing the right pillow, we’ll address the question. Bearing in mind that pillows are specifically designed to keep your head and neck supported, sleeping with otherwise may be detrimental to your spinal health.

Your shoulders are supported by the mattress, not your pillow. Sleeping with your shoulders on the pillows will leave your spine bent in an unnatural position.

7. What is the best pillow for neck pain?

As mentioned earlier, neck pain related to your pillow may be due to an improper pillow choice.

To solve this issue, you’ll have to determine your sleeping style. Then you’ll be able to choose the correct pillow accordingly.

Having mentioned that, pillow related neck pain may also be due to the structure of your pillow. The structure involves what your pillow consists of. Memory foam pillows have been known to ease neck pain.

When shopping for a pillow, look for key phrases like “Orthopaedic” or “Cervical“. These pillows are specifically designed for those suffering from pillow-related neck pain.

8. How do I care for my pillow?

Since we’re on the topic of pillows, let’s discuss caring for these precious headrests.

We all know that one comfy, soiled pillow. The one with coffee stains and mouldy specks on it? Well, it doesn’t have to be like that. Your favourite pillow can still look as good as new – if you care for it correctly.

Prevention is better than a cure. Therefore, utilise the protection of a waterproof pillow protector. This will prevent your pillow from collecting any stains and mould. Furthermore, it’ll preserve that beautiful, pristine white colour.

However, accidents happen. Therefore, each pillow has it’s own care instructions for cleaning up a mess. Study these instructions carefully before you chuck your pillow in the washing machine.

As a last tip, hang your pillow out in the sun every so often. The sun acts as a natural antibacterial agent. This rids your pillow of any mould, bacteria, dust mites or bed bugs.

9. Is it better to sleep on a firm or soft mattress?

We’ve already dipped our toes into the aspect of mattress firmness and your sleeping position.

Linking onto this, it would be impossible to recommend a one-size-fits-all mattress. Every sleeping position works ideally with a certain mattress firmness. However, the lines get blurry when you have to take partners and sleepers who take on all positions into consideration.

Comfort Rating

At The Mattress Warehouse, we’ve come up with a scale of mattress comfort. This scale ranges from firm to plush through numbers 1-5.

1. Firm: Super Firm. This level of comfort caters for back sleepers who seek excellent spinal alignment. Side sleepers and stomach sleepers might as well choose the ground as their bed with this level of comfort.
2. Medium Firm mattresses are, once again, more for the back sleepers. However, stomach sleepers who seek a little more comfort will also find great use in a medium firm mattress.
3. Medium mattresses are probably your best bet. This mattress comfort will support almost any sleeping style as it caters for the median of the population. The hospitality industry usually opts for these mattresses. They are suitable for back, side and stomach sleepers.
4. Medium Plush: Nice and Soft. These mattresses are ideal for side and back sleepers. Sleeping in a mattress made of medium firmness will feel like sleeping in a warm embrace. This comfort rating focuses specifically on pressure relief.
5. Plush: Sleeping in Marshmallows. A plush mattress is ideal for side sleepers looking for peak comfort. Additionally, these mattresses can also be used by back sleepers looking for maximised pressure relief.

So, in short, there are no clear answers to “firm or soft?”. However, if you and your partner have different sleeping needs (i.e. back and stomach sleeper) a medium comfort level mattress will be your best bet. Additionally, make sure that you purchase a mattress of high quality. This will prevent any unwanted back pain and body aches.

10. Should I buy a memory foam mattress topper?

We have already discussed using a memory foam topper to give your mattress a little more comfort. However, which is the best way to go if you want to have all memory foam?

In all honesty, the price is going to be the big determining factor here, although a memory foam mattress will be better than the topper alone.

You’re probably looking to buy a memory foam topper for extra comfort in your current mattress. Why is your mattress uncomfortable? Is it old and sagging? Did you perhaps buy the wrong mattress for your sleeping style?

An old mattress is going to need replacement in the near future. Considering a memory foam mattress topper ranges fro R1k-R2k, this wouldn’t be the best economical decision. Rather replace your current, old mattress with a new, longer lasting one, than purchasing a topper that’ll last you much shorter.

However, if you’ve made the bad call of recently purchasing the wrong mattress for your sleeping style, a mattress topper would be your best bed. Furthermore, if you’re sharing a bed with your partner and you both have different sleeping styles, a mattress topper will work significantly in your favour.

It is worth noting that The Mattress Warehouse boasts with a 100-day trial period. If you’re not completely satisfied with your mattress purchase, and you’ve covered your mattress with a waterproof mattress protector, we’ll happily assist you in exchanging your purchase.

12. What makes a good mattress?

To round off this question and answer session, we are going to answer one of the most commonly asked questions. “What makes a good mattress?”

A good mattress supports your sleeping style to aid you in getting the best night’s rest possible. Refer back to the different mattress comfort levels for and their matching sleeping styles. This will help you in choosing the perfect mattress.

Additionally, a good mattress is the one made of high-quality fabrics, foams and fibres. It will also be a mattress made by a leading bed manufacturer, like the ones stocked at The Mattress Warehouse.

At The Mattress Warehouse, there is a wide range of beds for sale!

If you have a question that we have not answered above, be sure to leave a comment down below, and we’ll answer in due time. Alternatively, drop in at one of our branches in major cities throughout the country.

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