Donate A Mattress, Don't Throw It Away

Instead of sending your old mattress to the local landfill, you could perhaps consider donating it to one of the many agencies accepting such donations. It may reach a needy person and save the environments too! That would really prove the old adage that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

If the mattress is free from any stains and in a reasonably good shape, many organizations would be willing to accept that as a donation. Some of them may even arrange to have it picked up from your place. Certain charities don’t accept mattresses without foundation. So, you would better check up on that with the agency beforehand. Some dealers offer to pick up your old mattress if you order a new matter on them, but usually they just dispose that old piece of yours. Why not try donating it rather? Making donations help people sleep better!

Agencies to consider for mattress donation:

* Catholic Charities
* Furniture Banks across America partnered with National Furniture Bank Association
* Local homeless or battered women's shelters
* National Furniture Bank Association
* Vietnam Veterans’ of America
* The Hope Clinic in Fairfax, VA supports local uninsured families medically, spiritually and emotionally. Families seeking their help have little or no money and most lack necessities of life. So, if you happen to be in Washington DC or its surrounding areas, you should definitely consider this organization and offer donation by way of mattress or any other way you feel fit
* DonationTown.Org
Better known organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Salvation Army do not accept mattresses because of hygienic issues and sanitary bedding laws. Yet, certain Salvation Army stores are known to have accepted mattresses provided these are free on any stains or spots. It would be recommendable to call the location and get the required information before hand.

Here are some more ideas worth considering: Posting on Freecycle.org or local Craigslist website, but be sure to convey that you don’t intend selling it and are offering it free if it could be picked up. It’s also good to point out if the mattress has any stains or structural flaws and explore the possibility if you could provide photo of the mattress. Perhaps, you can post it on your Facebook page and a local friend in need may pick it up. You may even consider posting flyers at neighborhood schools.

Save Your Existing Mattress? Try a Topper Pad

Before you really decide to condemn your present mattress as you don’t find it comfortable anymore, there are a few possibilities you could try to enhance its comfort level. One possibility that generally works with latex and memory foam mattresses too is to have a mattress topper. In case the mattress is even and firm and free of hammock or dips, having a topper for the mattress can certainly help extending the life of your mattress by quite a few years. It adds to the comfort level of your existing mattress and improves your sleep. These toppers are generally available in varying thicknesses of two to three inches, though you do get them one and four inch thickness too. You need to choose one as per your weight. For instance, a heavier person, weighing say 190 lbs, should opt to have one of three inch thickness. If you weigh lower than that it would be appropriate to have two inch thickness. So, you should try this possibility before parting with your mattress as a donation.

Mattress Sagging? Try This

At times you may notice that the mattress is beginning to sag. It could possibly be due its foundation. Under such circumstances having a board of plywood or just pressboard of ¼ or ½ inch thickness on top of your present foundation can reduce sagging. These boards are available at Home Depot or Lowes and they cut it to your required size. It’s better to have them cut short by at least an inch in length and width to avoid having protrusions. If this arrangement fails to work, you may consider buying a new foundation for an extended life of your mattress. Foam mattresses like latex and memory foam require an even regular bottom foundation.

Get A Mattress Topper Or $100 For Your Mattress Review!

Hi everyone. We hope you're handling the autumn well and getting ready for those cold winter days. No? Still not ready for the cold nights and for getting into uncomfortably chilly sheets to get some sleep?

Well, we decided to help you with that. And we think a heated mattress pad or a mattress topper would help you fall asleep faster and have a relaxing sleep throughout the winter. If you think about it, it's hard to find someone who would say NO to that.

In case you are interested, here are the details. All you need to do is write a review of your mattress and send that review to us by December 24th. It doesn't matter what kind of mattress it is or whether it is a topper or heated mattress pad. It can be a mattress that is two or five years old or it can be the one you bought last week. As long as it's something you sleep on, it is perfect for your review.

You are free to write a positive or a negative review, make it dramatic or completely hilarious. Write it the way you want it, (the way you feel is appropriate). We believe this is the best way to show someone how good or bad your mattress really is. And the purpose of the review is the following: to help a person that is going to read it. We want all blog readers to benefit - you, who write the review, and YOU, who will be reading it in order to learn something and get some good shopping info.

The mattress review that strikes us the most will get a mattress topper of your choice of up to $100. Second best contestant will get $50 and the third will get $25.

We know that some of you don't need a mattress topper, and if this is the case, you can get the $100 prize through PayPal. The same stands for the 2nd and 3rd prize.

Now, we're gonna give you a few guidelines to help you write your mattress review. It'll help you see what sorts of things would be welcome and what info would be useful for the mattress-buyers-to-be.

- Name of the brand and model

- Where did you buy it? Were you happy with the service?

- How much did it cost?

- Did you have any other models in mind when you were shopping for that mattress?

- What made you go for this specific model?

- Are you satisfied with your purchase?

- What are your personal feelings about the mattress?

- Anything else that comes to your mind.

You're also free to send a photo of either your mattress or yourself, but it's not necessary to win the contest. Now, we realize there will be a few of you who'll be smart enough to get the both in a photo. That's perfectly fine.

That's it, ladies and gentlemen. If you have any questions regarding the contest, write a comment here and we'll get back to you. Send your reviews to this email address: contact at mattresstopperguide.com

Until next time,
Mattress Reviews Team

Buying A Kids Mattress - Take Toxicity Into Consideration

While choosing mattress for their kid, most parents would consider the comfort and price, and overlook the most important feature of its being non-toxic. Any normal mattress has lots of chemicals that it would release, thus exposing the child to harmful contaminants.

You would agree that children spend eight to ten hours everyday on the mattress, and that’s one third of their life. In that duration they have close and direct contact with mattress and hence its materials. All thru night they are breathing and absorbing the chemicals contained in the mattress. You should understand that their immune, reproductive, respiratory systems, as also livers are not fully developed. That makes them more susceptible to toxic materials, since it's not so easy for their bodies in the process of development to detoxify and expel these toxins. Exposure to chemicals during the significant phase of brain development may cause more harm than in later years of life. During sleep, a child’s body is expected to get rid of the stress accumulated during daytime and rejuvenate, and not to breathe absorbing toxic elements.

How Toxic is A Typical Kids Mattress?

Most mattresses comprise of synthetic materials with polyurethane being used the most often. This is a petroleum derivative with added toxic chemicals. It could pose health issues including cardiac arrhythmias, breathlessness, irritation of mucous membranes, headache, chest discomfort, coughing, asthma-like allergic reaction, weakness, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, dizziness, and reduced pulmonary function. Memory foam mattresses include yet more potentially injurious chemicals.

It’s obligatory for the mattress manufacturer to qualify for the federal flammability stipulations. That prompts them to use fire-retarding chemicals, which could be quite toxic. Of late, some of these chemicals have been banned and replaced with other chemicals, though these too could be toxic. Because the chemicals can’t ever completely fritter away, the older mattresses continue to release the toxins, though they are deprived of the smell due chemicals.

What Alternatives are Available?

You should be relieved to learn that these days you get mattresses made from natural organic materials. Quite many qualify for standards prescribed for safety and use of non-toxic ingredients. You may follow the following guidelines when looking for safe mattresses for kids.

Choose an Organic Mattress with Safe, Natural Materials

The safest non-toxic material for mattresses is 100 % organic cotton. Cotton offers a comfortable surface for sleeping that is breathable and remains firm too. Another option of a safe material is natural latex, depending on the way it’s made. . Latex is derived from the sap of a rubber tree plant. Look for all-natural latex and avoid going in for those with blended chemicals.

You will come across mattresses being sold as eco-friendly, green or plant based and described as Eco Foam, Soy Foam and Bio Foam. What it really means is that the manufacturer has replaced a small proportion of polyurethane foam with plant-based components. For example, soy foam is generally polyurethane foam that has 12-17% percent of genetically produced soybean oil mixed to it. Most such mattresses comprise of polyurethane foam that is not safe and is highly flammable. As a result, the manufacturers have to add fire resistant chemicals to make the product conform to flammability laws. So, don’t get carried by such slogans. You will still be buying a lot of toxic and off gassing materials with such advertised mattresses.

It’s vital to know of all the materials used for making the mattress and usually, the dealer is unable to provide such detailed information. Try getting mattress or bedding from a company with GOTS certification. The Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) are the foremost organic textile manufacturing standards for mattresses. The standards call for all fiber and fabrics used for making a mattress, with few exceptions, to be made from National Organic Program (NOP) licensed materials and processed as per the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). All other materials like innersprings and fire protection etc. must conform to exacting non-toxic standards. In case the product lacks GOTS certification, the materials should be checked more thoroughly. It doesn’t imply that the mattress is unsafe. It could mean that the manufacturer is yet to go thru the process of getting certified.

Choose a Mattress with Natural, Non-toxic Fire Protection

These are safe natural substitutes for chemical fire retardants and will qualify for flammability standards. Some manufacturers meet the standards by using wool, as it is a natural fiber that has fire retardant characteristics. Though there are few companies that use only pure wool, some use wool with added chemicals to enhance its fire resistance property.

Some manufacturers use a mixture of hydrated silica with baking soda; both are completely non-toxic materials, and meet the Federal and State flammability standards. This provides perfect protection against fire and would ideally suit those allergic to wool.

You should get complete details from the manufacturer about the items used for achieving the prescribed standards for fire protection. Legally, they are not expected to sell a mattress without providing some kind of fire protection.

Young Children Need Waterproof and Dust Mite Proof Mattresses

Many parents like to provide their toddler or a child in preschool years with a waterproof matters as they could wet the bet, thus spoiling the mattress. A moist or humid mattress leads to growth of mold, and bacteria, which surely is not healthy. The only option for waterproof material will be plastic. Wool can only resist water, but it’s not waterproof. If there is too much of water, it will seep thru woolen pad and thus damage the mattress. Moreover, allergies due dust mites could pose serious problem for a child. The safest material as far as waterproofing and dust mite proofing is concerned is low-density food grade polyethylene. So, you should opt for a polyethylene covering rather than going for vinyl or some other plastic coverings.

Organic non-toxic mattresses are costlier than the usual variety. Yet, considering the health of your child, they are worth patronizing. As it is, the kids are open to toxic elements during the day, making it al the more imperative to ensure that the bed that they use at night is devoid of all chemicals. A harmless non-toxic mattress is essentially required for keeping the child in good health and a good organic mattress is expected to last thru all the childhood.

Trundle Mattress - You Gotta Get It Right

Choosing the right furniture is often a simple task, though at times you may feel stuck with a tricky situation. Having decided for the trundle bed that meets with your requirements, you start looking for an appropriate mattress for your new acquisition, but begin to feel exhausted. But, keep in mind that the mattress could make or mar the ultimate bed you might be having in mind. 

The very idea of a trundle is that it should roll under your normal bed and remain tucked in there only to be pulled up when you need an extra bed for sleeping. The designers have done a god job there by so designing it that it almost looks to be a part of the main bed and fits there neatly. The problem arises only when you have a mattress on the trundle that prevents the trundle from fitting it in the space allotted for it. You may be able to force the trundle with mattress to its allotted area, but doing so frequently is sure way to spoil the mattress.

Another thing you can’t overlook is that when the trundle was first introduced, the idea was smart and well accepted, though not really well developed. The earlier generation of these beds gave the feeling of sleeping as if on the floor within a drawer. Now, that may be fun for kids, but not really comfortable for adults. So, that led to the development of pop up trundle.

The man feature of the pop up trundle was that you could bring its level to that of a normal bed. If you have had experience of handling the old design of early pop up trundles you would have surely noticed that either it went up uncontrollably or it would get jammed and needed to be pushed out. But, all these were teething problems, often accompanying any new design.

With the growing popularity of the pop up trundle, new ideas were incorporated in its design. You could put the trundle bed besides the normal bed, and you get a perfect double bed. Here again, the problem arose if the mattress of the main bed was different than that of the trundle. People would often buy a different mattress for the trundle for reason of economy. The more expensive mattress was reserved for the main bed. That worked fine, except when they tried putting the trundle next to the main bed and the difference in the thickness of the two mattresses became noticeably uncomfortable.

As a result, it became important to have an appropriate mattress for the trundle. If you intend putting the trundle to good use as a means of extending your main bed, be sure to buy two similar mattresses. 

A convenient and practical way to get the best bed mattress for your trundle is to buy the one recommended by the manufacturer of the bed. That will most certainly ensure that the trundle along with the mattress perfectly fits under the main bed and makes a good double bed whenever required. 

A Short Word On Coolmax Mattress Protector

Are you unable to sleep well at night due overheating issues? In such an eventuality, you’ll find it worthwhile to keep your present mattress covered with a Coolmax mattress protector. Keeping your present mattress so covered facilitates more comfortable sleep, as a Coolmax mattress protector helps keeping your body cool all thru night while you are sleep.

There are quite many reasons for people not being able to sleep comfortable due heat related issues. The physical environments contributing to that include improper or insufficient air conditioning on a hot humid night, leading to excessive perspiration. Or, maybe your body has genetic disorder that causes it to overheat at night and thus you experience excessive sweating. Whatever be the reasons for your body getting overheated resulting to perspiration, you will definitely feel relieved by incorporating a Coolmax mattress protector with the normal mattress on your bed at night.

It’s imperative that the bed remains comfortable and dry for getting a good sleep at night. Moreover, the temperature of the bedroom should be at a comfortable level, neither too hot nor too cold. Further, the humidity level too needs to be acceptable. If any of these factors is not within your control, you’ll find a Coolmax mattress protector to be perfect handy accessory that helps keeping your body cool and enables you to sleep comfortably at night.

Let’s understand how a Coolmax mattress protector keeps you cool. Basically, it comprises of woven synthetic materials, especially designed for keeping the perspiration away from your body by transferring heat away from the body. This causes the formation of a cooler zone in the area where your body comes in contact with the mattress cover. That certainly doesn’t cause the entire bed to become cold, but it surely

helps to control your body heat, meaning that overheating doesn’t affect you to make you feel hot. That helps to minimize the effects of unnecessary perspiration too.

Of course, there are other helpful ways to remain cool at night in the absence of sufficient air conditioning or lack of proper fans. These include using loose and light fitting dress at night while sleeping. However, there is little doubt that having a Coolmax mattress protector goes a long way to help. That’s because the kind of surface that makes contact with your body while you are sleeping in bed, matters the most.

Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad For Cold Winter Days

Sunbeam heated mattress pads are designed to provide comfort by keeping you warm. One buys a number of mattresses of different brands in a lifetime. You need to decide which mattress pad or cover goes along well with your present mattress.

Getting the right mattress becomes difficult at times, as there are many brands of heated mattress pads available in the market these days. Some may be undersized for your bed or the others could be oversized.

The Sunbeam brand of the heated mattress pads is among the best most popular with an efficient design that helps saving your energy bills. You get these in a wide range of sizes to choose from. The popular sizes offered by this manufacturer include the full size, twin size, king size, queen size and even the California king size.

Elderly people or those affected with arthritis will especially find Sunbeam heating pads of great help as they help soothing pains and aches. They employ good technology for heating and come with easy controls enabling you to safely and comfortably heat your entire body.

In winters it’s important that you should be able to sleep comfortably and not to experience any pain or ache on getting up in the morning. Sunbeam heated mattress pad is designed to provide comfort by keeping you warm while sleeping in winter nights without having to use any heater in the room, thus allowing you to save energy.

Using a Sunbeam pad in your bed during winters is a sure way of having a good sleep at night. The heat that reaches your body keeps you warm till the morning.

Use of Sunbeam heated mattress pad causes no discomfort as the heated mattress topper is efficiently designed to enable you to sleep comfortably. Though it’s better priced than most of the competitors, it offers value for your money. Apart from providing the much-needed warmth, the heat delivered by the Sunbeam pad relaxes the body and has some therapeutic effect.

Sunbeam heated mattress pad comes with dual controls. That’s a very helpful feature, allowing the two individuals in the same bed to adjust the temperature to respective level of comfort. You can choose from the provided ten different levels of heat adjustment to sleep comfortably warm in your side of the bed.

There are many brands available in the market to choose from, depending on your requirements. It’s important to choose the one that perfectly fits the size of your bed. Moreover, it should be able to heat quickly to offer warmth and comfort. Price becomes a secondary issue while choosing one.

Generally, it’s safe to be using pads, provided you don’t overlook the safety instructions. Another point that you should bear in mind while buying a heating pad is to get the warranty. One never knows, there could be some manufacturing defect, needing its replacement or repairs. Usually, the Sunbeam heated mattress pads come with a warranty period of five years. It certainly helps to have that kind of a comfortable feeling at the back of your mind. 

Strobel Supple Pedic Organic Mattress Review

If you were looking for mattress that provides support to you back and spinal region, you would do well to consider The Strobel Organic Supple-Pedic mattress. The manufacturing of this mattress incorporates high technology and is designed to provide support and alignment to spine. The producers and designers take pride of the quality of back support offered by their creation.

The company uses its Polyfilax memory foam for making the top of the mattress. This is a fluid material that easily conforms to the body of the user, giving it the near perfect support and comfort all over. It is interesting to learn that this material has the same characteristics as the one that was developed for the NASA space program for providing a pressure release surface for the astronauts at the time of lift off. That’s impressive, but there are other benefits of the Polyfilax material.

On conforming to your body, the material senses your body temperature and reacts accordingly. The organic foam mattress prevents excessive build up of heat. That’s because of its open cell structure that facilitates its breathing. But, then every individual has its own comfort level of temperature, be it hot or cold. Nevertheless, it doesn’t cause any excessive heating.

The patented "Lever Support System" entitles this bed for the best design for back support As per a study conducted by the University of Louisville it reduces tossing and turning in bed by 90 percent and offers proven better sleep. The working of a Strobel Supple-Pedic organic mattress is akin to a teeter-totter.

The other plus points are that it retards flame and is devoid of all chemical adhesives. In the event of the bed getting wet, separating the layers can dry it. So, that retards formation of mold and mildew. Further, its cleaning poses no problems. It can be vacuumed and you can make use of upholstery cleaners. Unlike most other normal mattresses that usually have a warranty of fifteen years, you get a warranty of thirty years with this mattress. People affected with asthma and other respiratory problems or those having allergy issues will especially find this of great help, as it is hypoallergenic. It further resists dust mites and is sure to keep bed bugs away.

The memory foam is available in three different thick nesses, facilitating an appropriate selection.

The 3000 is a 3-inch Polyfilax memory foam that is soft and comfortable too while it provides firm support.

Then, we have the 4500, which has a thickness of four and a half inches and is considered to give a better feel and comfort than the 3000.

The 6000 is the 6-inch thick memory foam offering the 2nd highest level of comfort. It offers softer and firmer support compared to the other two.

And, finally we have the 9000 that is the ultimate of the four.

It may not be wrong to conclude that there isn’t much of a difference the first two. That narrows down the choice to the 3000, 6000 and the 9000, each comprising of excellent quality of Damask organic cotton mattress cover that can be detached and cleaned.

The only apprehension you may have about this mattress is the tepid effect it could cause. Otherwise, it’s a decent quality organic bed mattress. It’s healthy to be using a mattress that supports and keeps the spine aligned while sleeping. Those with hip, shoulder or back issues, will especially find it very useful. Likewise, those affected with asthma or other reparatory problems will also find it beneficial. Those suffering from insomnia should be able to sleep better as this mattress eliminates tossing and turning in bed, and thus enhancing comfort level.