Questions may be edited for length and clarity. We need a new mattress for our second bedroom, and my boyfriend wants to buy a used one off Craigslist. Is this icky or eco? Or so I would have said, before I actually began researching what happens to old mattresses when they die; what I uncovered, however, is way ickier: Twenty million mattresses, heaved into the trash every year. That's in the United States alone. Here, all those springs and stuffing amount to over 450 million cubic feet of landfill space. Lay out those mattresses end to end though, and they would stretch out over 25,000 miles -- enough to circumnavigate the globe. If picturing a ring of Posturepedics around the planet isn't enough to make you shudder, then maybe carcinogenic contamination will: Conventional mattresses contain toxic chemicals like flame retardants, formaldehyde, and phthalates, which can leach from the landfill into our drinking water. Then there's the possibility of polluting our air with even more of these chemicals, since difficult-to-compress mattresses create flammable air pockets that can increase the risk of landfill fires.
And let's not forget about the sheer danger, too, for sanitation workers who regularly have to remove these bulky items manually from heavy machinery when the springs and coils get caught. So maybe your boyfriend's impulse to save a mattress from a landfill death isn't so loathsome, after all? As a friend who works in the hospitality industry recently pointed out, anyone who's ever stayed a night in a hotel (whether it's a Holiday Inn or the Four Seasons) has shared a bed with thousands of others before him. What's the big deal about sleeping on a mattress that had one previous owner? Simply put: bed bugs. The age-old childhood bedtime caution, "Don't let the bed bugs bite!" has now become a nationwide epidemic; infestations of the blood-sucking pests have become so widespread that the Environmental Protection Agency has gotten involved. (It hosted its Second National Bed Bug Summit this past February.) While bed bugs aren't known to spread disease, they can plague those afflicted with intensely itchy bites and the bloodstained fecal mess they leave in their wake.
Because they're so insidious -- surviving up to 18 months in the tiny cracks of wood furniture without so much as a morsel -- many eradication experts recommend steering clear of secondhand furniture like upholstered chairs and wood dressers altogether, let alone used mattresses and box springs. If you have a high squeamish factor and still wish to buy pre-owned, examine the mattress carefully for the telltale signs of infestation, and place it in a protective encasement before you bring it into your home. (Beware, by the way, those "new" mattresses that are advertised on Craigslist. According to green living expert Danny Seo, those may be old curbside mattresses masquerading as new, thanks to the addition of a fresh fabric cover and a layer of shrink wrap.) But I say the risk of buying a used mattress isn't worth it. If you do wind up with bed bugs and they spread to your other belongings, you'll be sending more stuff to the landfill than just your mattress. Then, too, there are the chemicals that may have to be used in your home by a professional pest management company to eradicate the insects.
(DIY pest control isn't recommended, since it can make bed bugs spread.) Is there a trusted friend or family member who could hand down a mattress instead? Your best option: Invest in a high-quality mattress made from natural and biodegradable materials. One company, Essentia, makes its petroleum- and VOC-free memory foam mattresses from natural latex, a renewable resource that comes from the rubber tree plant. Shepherd's Dream wool mattresses are designed to last decades, and can even be sent back to the company for refurbishing. Not surprisingly, these come with a higher-than-average price tag. But when you consider that a conventional spring mattress needs to be replaced every five to seven years, you may decide that the long-term investment (for you and the planet) is worth it. Of course, we can't close a conversation about buying a new (or new-used) mattress without discussing what to do with your old one. You wouldn't know it, based on how many of them are kicked to the curb, but old mattresses can, in fact, be recycled.
or this list here you can't find a recycling facility near you, donate the mattress to someone who really needs it, via The Salvation Army or Freecycle. Just make sure your offering is free of bed bugs; no one wants to reuse a batch of those.Tips for Finding a Mattress on Craigslist We all know how expensive mattresses can be. We spend such a huge part of our lives sleeping on our beds, it's important that we get the best mattress possible, right? Sometimes it's a bit hard to afford an amazing mattress. Luckily I have compiled some tips for the terrifying task of finding a mattress on Craigslist. About a year ago I asked How Do I Make a Futon Work as a Bed? Hilariously enough, you all told me to never try and use a futon mattress over a regular mattress. Last year I purchased a dingy futon off of craigslist for $50 and struggled through back pain (hey, I'm only 23!) and sleepless nights. I feel as though I may have to apologize to you, my trusty readers, for not listening to your advice.
I'm always trying to save money and do things the cheapest possible way. I now know the importance of owning a great mattress, but what if I can't afford one? So, it's time to look to Craigslist again. I think everyone is a little wary of buying something like a mattress of of Craigslist. Might as well be purchasing someone's used tighty wighties right? Well, I've come up with a list of tips to make your Craigslist mattress search much easier! Look for honesty: You want to seek out the listings where the seller is completely honest. It's okay if they mention some minor wear on one of the corners. The best option is when they state how old the mattress is, what brand or manufacturer, or an explanation as to why they are purging. Look for personality: Find a seller that seems to give a little personality into their post. You want to interact with a seller that is going to be personable. That way you can feel more comfortable asking questions and hopefully they'll be nice enough to give you answers!
Quality of photographs: This one is super important. Look for the posts where the mattress is well photographed. Never go for a mattress where the image is clearly the stock photo taken off a mattress store website. Bonus points if the seller takes a photo of the minor damage or label of the mattress. Search "By Owner": If you select "By-owner" rather than "By-dealer" you won't get those cheap looking ads that almost always look like a scam. Yes, they are trying to sell you brand new mattresses, but usually from a warehouse or back alley. If you've had experience with the "by-dealer" option, let me know in the comments. I've always been curious to see if these mattresses are authentic. I would personally rather buy my mattress from a real person who can tell me the history of the mattress. Watch grammar: A lot of bots that post spam on Craigslist use weird grammar or throw in sentences that don't make sense. Unfortunately, you may just be looking at an ad coming from someone with terrible grammar.