How to Fluff a Pillow-Top Mattress Published April 28, 2010 | Updated June 30, 2015 A pillow-top mattress can be comfortable for anyone who sleeps on their side, but without the proper maintenance, it can lose some of its comfort. Fortunately, you can restore your pillow-top mattress with minimal effort, and once you know how to do it, you'll never have to sleep on a flattened mattress again. Fluff Your Pillow Top: Shop Pillow-Top Mattresses ▸ Rotate the MattressPeriodically rotate the mattress from end to end, putting the foot end on the headboard side and vice versa. This will help reduce the need to fluff the mattress, which can cause stress to the fabric. Because pillow-top mattresses are often only padded on one side, this is generally the best method for reducing wear. However, if you have a mattress with double-sided pillow-top, you may also want to flip it over once a year. Clean the MattressRemove all the sheets from the mattress; you'll want to wash them before you replace them.
Sprinkle baking soda over the top of the mattress and let it sit for about an hour. Baking soda will help remove odors as well as oils that could be keeping your pillow-top from being as fluffy as it could be. Vacuum the MattressVacuum the outer surface of the mattress and pillow-top using a canister vacuum with a hose attachment. This will clean up all the baking soda as well as remove dust, dust mites, and other particulates from the material. Even if you're not fluffing the mattress, you may want to vacuum it monthly to reduce allergens and keep your bed fresh. Hang Up the Mattress TopRemove the mattress top, if possible, and take it outside to hang over a sturdy clothesline. If your mattress does not have a removable pillow-top, skip straight to the next step. Beat the MattressPut on a dust mask and beat the mattress top with a clean broom head, moving all around the pillow-top's surface. If the pillow-top is hanging on a clothesline, do this outside. Then, climb on the bed and roll with your body straight from one end to the other.
It should take about 10 to 20 minutes to fluff the pillow-top mattress. Now lie down for a nap; The lofty pillow top will need some serious fluffing about a year after your initial purchase. You may love your pillow-top mattress for the comfortable sleep it provides, but only if it retains its fluffiness. Since you spend about one-quarter of your life in bed, a well-maintained mattress that suits your body type and encourages restful sleep without morning stiffness or aches is a must. The pillow top's extra layer of cotton, wool or foam can settle due to a number of factors, including quality of the materials and your body weight or simply from regular use. Vacuum It A pillow-top mattress cover is not airtight. After removing all the bedding, vacuum the mattress to clean it, but also to help lift or redistribute the top foam or cotton innards -- just as a vacuum’s suction lifts medium or long-pile carpeting. At the least, vacuuming a mattress removes skin cells and the dust mites they attract.
By vacuuming the mattress, you won’t create as much “dust” during additional re-fluffing. Hang It Gravity is on your mattresses's side -- when you hang it upside-down. Take a removable pillow top off the mattress and drape it over a railing or other sturdy outdoor structure. Use a couple of sawhorses to help support an entire upside-down pillow-top mattress and let gravity takes its course for at least an afternoon. Give the mattress a gentle beating while it's hanging. Beat It While your mattress or removed pillow top is suspended upside-down outdoors, whack it on both sides with a rounded broom handle or another long, smooth, blunt object. This will loosen dust and encourage re-fluffing. Wearing a dust mask reduces the amount of dust and particulates that could enter and irritate your lungs. Rotate It Unlike standard mattresses, you won’t flip a pillow-top mattress with padding on only one side, but you can, and should, rotate it. Rotating the mattress, so that the foot is at the heat and vice versa, won’t actually “fluff” the padding, but it will limit how often you need to fluff the pillow top.
Flip a two-sided pillow-top mattress annually or every other season if the padding settles quickly. References Better Sleep Council: Mattress Types Photo Credits Jack Hollingsworth/Photodisc/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionSome pillow-top mattress pads can be removed for washing and maintenance. A new pillow-top mattress may be just what the body ordered when it comes to a comfortable night’s sleep. Over time, however, that mattress may develop lumps that could make you feel more like the sleep-deprived main character from “The Princess and the Pea.” Rather than replacing that lumpy nightmare of a mattress, return it to a usable state with a little hands-on care involving a mild workout. The Beatdown Some pillow-top mattresses have a removable pillow layer for more manageable cleaning and maintenance. Look for a zipper along the mattress, pulling the pillow layer out of its pocket, if possible. Hang this pillow pad out over a clothesline and beat it with a clean broom, covering the entire area of the pad.
If the pad is permanently affixed to the mattress, beat down the mattress with the broom while the mattress is on the bed after removing all bedding. In the Rotation Rotating a pillow-top mattress helps prevent lumps and sagging spots. Since a pillow-top cannot be flipped like a traditional mattress, rotation is the best option for keeping the mattress in tip-top shape, comfortable and free of lumps. Turn the mattress so the area at the foot of the bed becomes the area at the head of the bed every couple of months. Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' With all the bedding off the mattress, roll around on the bed from top to bottom, bottom to top, and side to side, acting as a human rolling pin to roll away those mattress lumps. If there are kids in the house, this is a project they’ll most likely love to do, with no complaints. Roll around for five to 10 minutes to smooth the pillow top. An actual rolling pin also comes in handy over specific lumpy areas. If necessary, set up the mattress vertically against a wall with a friend holding it up as you roll the lumps smooth, using gravity to help work the pad fibers back into place.