Making a mattress to support the body, account for heat, comfort, movement and emissions can be a tricky way to earn a living. Seems an impossible task for a mattress maker, and an equally daunting task for the mattress shopper. Designing and building with all of those factors in mind is tricky because the slightest change of layers, material types, amount of materials and other factors can drastically affect the consumer's experience. One thing we can't control is the way the mattress is used once it leaves the factory. We can suggest, urge, direct and encourage, but not every customer is going to use the mattress in the prescribed way. This can lead to the mattress, designed to be cool, comfortable and supportive, not performing at its optimum level. Here is a comprehensive list of ways you can make that brand new, supportive mattress, work for at its top level. What Is Your New Mattress On? What you set your mattress on has as much to do with the support of your new mattress as the mattress itself.
This is true for all mattresses. The mistakes customers will often make is setting their new mattress on a base which negates the support or the air flow. For example, IKEA makes several models of beds with bowed slats which are flexible. While there are a good amount of slats, these slats bow down with weight, effectively letting the middle of the mattress sag. I have seen several instances of customers complaining their new mattress did not feel the same as the one they tried in the store. Asking them to place the mattress directly on the floor for a night demonstrated just how much a supportive base makes a difference when they find the mattress all of a sudden felt supportive. Same can be said for older, flexible box springs. These foundations actually have a heavy gauge metal spring system designed to give a little with the mattress. However, many mattress, such as the The Love Bed, are designed to be placed on a non-yielding, non-flexible base. If you require a box spring type foundation, a rigid, breathable box spring foundation like the Simple Life Foundation will give the mattress the proper support your mattress needs.
In an attempt to provide proper support, some customers will add a piece of plywood underneath the mattress. The unfortunate side effect of this is cutting off air flow under the mattress. This can lead to the mattress sleeping hot and even the potential of developing mold under the mattress. Lastly, some customers will misunderstand the slatted base requirement and mistake the 3 slats designed to hold a box spring and place their mattress on these 3 slats. The proper slatted support system consists of strong, non-flexible slats with a strong center support which touches the floor. The slats should be no more than 4" apart. Sample of flexible slats, these are BAD! Did You Use Your Old Pillows With Your New Mattress? Your new mattress is probably a lot more supportive than your old mattress. In fact, putting your old pillows on a new mattress is like putting your old tires on your brand new car.
If your body has been used to your old, broken down mattress, your old pillow will likely leave your neck either too low or too high, contributing to upper back and neck pain. And this often gets attributed to the new mattress when in fact upgrading to a properly supportive and adjustable pillow, such as The Easy Breather Pillow, can augment your new mattress sleep experience. Give Your New Mattress A Chance With A Proper Adjustment Period. Trust me, it's the last thing you want to hear when you are waking up on that new mattress with soreness. However, it is very common to find a new mattress takes 30-60 days to become comfortable. The easiest way to think of it is similar to that first day skiing for the season, or the day after that first day back out running; you feel soreness in muscles you didn't know you had. If you have been sleeping on a mattress for years, especially if it is old and has lost its support, your body is going to feel new pains as the body is forced back into new and proper supportive positions.
I cannot tell you how many times in my many years in the business I have heard from customers in the first week with comfort complaints only to find they adjusted just a week or so later. If You Can't Stand The Heat, Don't Get Out Of The Bed. Some people sleep hotter than others, and there are other posts here that talk about the reasons why some people will sleep hot. However, I have seen mattresses returned for heat only to find there were other factors involved. Are your sheets really thick or made of microfiber? Is your comforter filled with down and feathers? Is your mattress on a non-breathable base? Do you have too many covers? These are all factors which can lead to customers finding themselves feeling the heat. While there are many new materials which tout their cooling ability, the best way to make a mattress is to allow for air flow. Heat rises and in its place air should be able to be drawn from around and under your body. Beds made with flat layers of foam which are glued together have a hard time drawing air to cool the body.
And some mattresses claim to use foams that draw heat down into the bed, while others claim the fabrics keep the body cool. Heat rises and does not get drawn down into the foam. Nothing like good air flow will cure your heating issues usually. Love That Mattress Pad Your Grandma Gave You? Many customer have a favorite mattress pad or topper they used on their old bed and carry that over to their new mattress. The unfortunate reality is these can drastically change the feel and/or the air flow of the mattress and lead to discomfort. Ask the manufacturer of your mattress what they recommend you use to protect the mattress and ditch the pad. Mattress Protector Or Pad? Shopping for a new mattress can be daunting. Do your research, and consider the above factors after the purchase to ensure you have the best night sleep ever.Offgassing or outgassing are interchangeable terms that relate to indoor air quality. Offgassing refers to the release of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from a material or solution that has been trapped or absorbed.
For example, when a room is freshly painted, the chemicals from the curing paint slowly offgas into the room as it dries. In this case, you are smelling the VOCs releasing from the paint, which you recognize as the “fresh paint” smell. Proper ventilation is essential to release the outgassing VOCs from the paint so they don’t become trapped in the room. Otherwise, they can incorporate back into porous materials and the indoor air quality suffers. The consequences of outgassing can be significant if it collects in an environment where the air is stagnant with no ventilation. The good news is, a material is considered fully outgassed when it is no longer releasing VOCs. This means that any toxic VOCs have already been released and it will no longer continue to offgas into your indoor space. Want to perform a quick VOC test on something in your home? Try sniff-testing for VOCs! Pick up an object like a book, a remote control, or a shower curtain liner. Smell the product closely.
Do you smell anything? If the object smells neutral, it has likely offgassed already and is no longer releasing VOCs. However, there’s a good chance, particularly if the item is new, that it still has a faint (or strong!) This smell is a cue to your nose that the object is releasing VOCs and would make a good candidate for a sunning experiment. You can actually speed up the outgassing process by using the heat of the sun. Sunning is the process of using the sun to release or volatize the VOCs from a product. The sun has historically been a powerful tool for brightening and whitening laundry and removing stains, but few people recognize it as an asset for removing toxins. Sunning uses solar heat to release (outgas) VOCs from clothing, appliances, plastics, and essentially any new purchase. Sunning is a very effective, fast, economical, and natural way to remove VOCs. This method works just as well for new purchases and for older items that may have a musty smell. You can also use sunning to offgas highly fragrant items from perfume, detergent, or smoke.
Summertime is the most efficient time of year to practice sunning because of the intense heat and long days. Sunning can work on nearly any type of item, from fabrics and clothing to plastics, furniture, and even appliances. The exception to this would be foam or latex. You should avoid sunning these materials because the UV rays from the sun will actually break down the material. The sunning process is simple and the time required depends on the material. It may take as little as a couple of hours or up to several days or weeks to completely outgas VOCs. Be aware that some materials fade or may be affected by extensive sun exposure. A few hours is typically not an issue, but use common sense and observe material if outgassing procedure needs to be extended for a long period. For sun sensitive items, just placing the material outside under cover of a porch or shade can also help to reduce VOCs.Cigarette smoke carries many VOCs, including benzene, styrene, formaldehyde and ammonia.4 Don’t smoke inside and don’t allow family or guests to do that either.
Think about how it smells when you walk down the cleaning product aisle in the grocery store. For most people, the smell is so strong! They are emitting VOCs in ppm (parts per million), ppb (parts per billion), or even ppt (parts per trillion). Those bottles are closed and sealed, yet the VOCs are escaping. The same thing happens in your home, on a smaller scale, with all the bottles under your sinks and in cabinets. These VOCs create a low level chemical soup, which your body has to constantly detoxify. Remove all toxic cleaning and personal care products from the home and garage. This dramatically reduces VOCs, improves air quality and is a very simple effective first step in creating a healthy home. When making a new purchase, take the materials into consideration. Choose natural fibers rather than synthetic blends (for example, a shower curtain or bed linens). Select stainless steel or glass for cooking and food storage rather than plastic. When shopping for furniture, look for options with untreated fabrics and materials or secondhand/vintage pieces, which would have already outgassed.
If you are remodeling or constructing a new home, look for materials that are low-VOC or no-VOC. Deep cleaning with a sealed system HEPA vacuum reduces VOCs that have incorporated into porous materials like drywall and upholstered furniture. Routine cleaning with Branch Basics products or similar nontoxic cleaners helps neutralize/release VOCs as it breaks down chemical residues into harmless byproducts. If you’re concerned about excess VOCs in your home, a dry steam heat cleaner can accelerate removal of VOCs from walls and furniture. Open all the windows in your home for 10 minutes twice a day. In particular, open windows opposite each other in a room or across the house to create a cross breeze. This will help bring in oxygen, dilute the indoor air, and flush the air in the home. Note: this works best when the wind is blowing or there is a significant difference in the outside temperature and the inside temperature, which creates a draft. An example of this would be a chilly day when you have heated your home or on a very hot day when your home is air conditioned.
Opening windows is helpful, but simply having the window open is not really enough to move air throughout your home. On days when there is no wind or the inside temperature and the outside temperature are about the same, you will not have much airflow to move stagnant air out and fresh air inside your house. Utilize fans to push air through your home and perhaps consider installing mechanical ventilation. New homes and remodels typically have higher levels of VOCs. VOC levels from new materials decrease over time due to the outgassing of the VOCs. How long they outgas depends on the material or finish and the conditions on site. For example, many low-VOC paints outgas to no odor relatively quickly, but the formaldehyde in new cabinets can outgas for years. You can increase the rate of outgassing by opening windows during and after construction. Adding air movement with fans and using heat to warm up the new materials will accelerate the process. A hot, dry summer day is the ideal time to offgas, as heat from the direct sun and low humidity will speed up the process of volatizing the VOCs.
If you are renovating in the wintertime or if climate conditions do not permit the use of sun, then you can supplement the offgassing with the use of a dry steam heat cleaner. Offgassing a new home or a remodel may take days or even weeks of repeat sunning, use of fans, or dry steam heat treatments. However, the improvements in air quality will make a dramatic difference when you consider that certain materials slowly release into your home for years if not properly offgassed. Note: Higher temperatures and low humidity (below 50%) typically maximizes outgassing. It is important to take into consideration that materials expand and contract and can be affected by extremes of temperature and humidity. This may become more of an issue with long term outgassing projects. Some items continually outgas. Gas cans and gas-powered tools, like lawn equipment, should be stored away from the living space. To get started with the Branch Basics and to learn more about all natural, human safe cleaning products, start here.
For more healthy living and nontoxic cleaning tips, be sure to “Like” us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, “Like” our Pinterest page, and follow us on Twitter!Find out everything you need to know about Volatile Organic Compounds and How They Affect Your Health. Break the fragrance habit. Use these Nontoxic Air Fresheners instead of the synthetic variety to remove odors. Keep reading about chemicals to avoid in your home: Common Chemicals to Avoid – A Branch Basics Series. Address SVOCs with a HEPA Vacuum. HEPA filters are indoor air pollution’s worst nightmare. Here’s How to Choose One for Your Home. Going on a trip? Check out our Healthy Travel Guide for our favorite travel snacks and tips for preventing sunburn, jetlag, and more! Improve your indoor air quality by using The Official Branch Basics Deep Cleaning Method. Ready to streamline your routine? Read Clare’s tricks in Safe + Simple: Tips from a Minimalist Mama. Want another trick for improving indoor air quality?