Self Storage: How to Transport and Store a Mattress

You spend approximately one-third of your day on your mattress. Along with a good night’s sleep, you want comfort, support and durability. With the vast array of available choices, sizes and styles, finding the right mattress is challenging. You shop for hours and stretch out in your favorite sleeping position on what seems like hundreds of mattresses. After all of this, you still may not be able to make a decision.

In addition to this side show, selections go on forever: innerspring, memory foam, gel foam, hybrid, and latex, to name a few. It takes not only a lot of time to locate the right mattress, but also a lot of money. This is not something you want to do on an annual basis. With the right care, you shouldn’t have to.

There may be times that your mattress has to find a temporary home in self storage. Maybe you’re building a new house and it’s not ready before the old one sells, or you’re temporarily downsizing. In any case, it’s a good idea to understand how to store your mattress safely to keep it free from damage or deterioration.

How to Transport and Store a Mattress

Transport Your Mattress in a  Covered Moving Truck

For the love of all that is holy, please don’t tie your mattress down on the top of your car. And do not have one of your buddies hold it down as you drive to your destination. If you can’t figure out why this doesn’t work, you may as well stop reading now. You’re either going to distort your mattress by tying it down too tightly or destroy it because it will fly off of the car onto the road. Squashing it into the bed of a pickup truck is no better. This could damage the springs as well as the entire structure of your mattress. Ideally, you should transport your mattress in a safe, covered moving truck. It will be protected from mishaps as well as the elements. You’ll find that many good storage facilities have rental trucks available on site.

Choose the Right Self Storage Facility for Your Mattress

To keep your mattress in good condition, it should be stored in the proper environment. When you’re looking for a storage facility, climate-controlled storage is a must. Climate-controlled storage will keep the temperature and humidity of your unit at the optimum levels to keep your mattress free of mold and mildew. Be sure that your unit is well-maintained, free of pests and has sufficient room to store the mattress flat, not in an upright position leaning against the wall.

Give Your Mattress a Thorough Cleaning

Give your mattress a thorough cleaning prior to placing it in storage You can keep pests and unpleasant odors away by cleaning the mattress before you store it. Upholstery cleaner and a good vacuuming should get the job done.

Cover Your Mattress

Even if all you can do is wrap your mattress in a tarp or plastic sheeting, some protection is better than none. Don’t leave your mattress to the mercy of dirt and pests. If your self storage facility sells moving and packing supplies, they probably have a variety of protectors available, including vinyl covers, plastic covers, and mattress bags.

Lay Your Mattress Flat

Standing a mattress on its side is not the best way to store a mattress. While that may work for a quick ride in a moving truck, it doesn’t work for short- or long-term storage. If you store a mattress on its side, it may fold and buckle, leaving it lumpy. Store it the way you sleep on it – flat. This will keep the structure in place and prevent damage.

Don’t Use Your Mattress as a Base for Heavy Items

If you stack heavy cartons on your mattress, you’ll cause permanent impressions. Using your mattress again will be impossible. If you’re tight on space, you can stack your mattress on top of a level surface. For example, a collection of heavy boxes placed on the floor, would make a good base for a mattress.

When Your Ready to Retrieve Your Mattress

Air Out and Clean Your Mattress

After being stored, your mattress may need freshening. No matter how clean your storage unit and how carefully you stored it, your mattress can develop a musty odor that will make sleeping unpleasant. Clean your mattress the same way you did prior to storing. When you’re finished with cleanup, sprinkle baking soda on your mattress. Let it sit for 10 minutes to absorb any remaining odors and vacuum the baking soda before you make the bed.

If you follow the guidelines in this article you should be able to enjoy your mattress for years, even after a lengthy storage period.