Have you always been told you should make your bed every morning? If so, you could have been damaging your matress.

Multiple life coaches and influencers hone in on the importance of getting up and making your bed every morning to feel productive, but the mattress experts at And So To Bed disagree .

According to The Sleep Council the average adult loses 285ml of fluid each night. What this means is that when you make your bed each morning, you are trapping in all of that moisture to fester during the day, ready to be slept on again in the evening.

It is in fact recommended that after a good night’s sleep, particularly when the temperature is higher during the summer months, that you pull back the bed linen to give the mattress the chance to breathe and for moisture to evaporate.

This is because moisture can get trapped between the mattress and the linen causing discolouration and potentially odours. Doing this will ensure your mattress lasts longer.

Should you flip your mattress and if so, how often?

Whether you need to flip your mattress or not is dependent on the type of mattress you have.

Double-sided mattresses can be flipped and should come with the instruction to turn over regularly. For the first three months of having your mattress, it is recommended that you turn it over once a week. After that, turn it over just once a month. This will ensure that the filling is evenly placed and stop dips from forming.

For natural fibre mattresses, such as those by Vispring, it is recommended that you turn your mattress over twice a week for the first three months and once a season after that. This is to firstly encourage natural and even settlement of the mattress fillings and subsequently to extend its life.

How to clean a mattress

Cleaning a mattress is no easy task, and in severe cases best left to a professional. However there are some smaller mattress cleaning tips that will help prolong the life of your mattress.

  • Don’t use a vacuum: it seems tempting to vacuum dust and fluff from your mattress but the powerful suction of a vacuum cleaner can cause the filling to become dislodged which can lead to bumps and dips. Instead use a soft brush to remove the debris onto the floor, which can then be vacuumed.
  • Blot don’t scrub: stains should be immediately tackled by blotting with a clean cloth. If your mattress is filled with natural fibres this should be a dry cloth, ‘wet cleaning’ could damage the upholstery.
  • Other mattresses may be able to withstand warm soapy water on a rung out clean cloth, but always check the manufacturer's advice before cleaning. Hacks such as bicarbonate of soda and various harsh chemicals are not recommended.

Regularly wash your bedding and mattress protector

Wash your bed linen every one to two weeks and your mattress protector once a month. Regularly cleaning these will stop any dirt seeping through the mattress, keeping it cleaner for longer. In the summer, you may have to clean your linen and protector more regularly due to sweat.

-Protect to prevent, rather than clean: Mattress protectors are like taking out travel insurance on holiday, you hope it isn’t needed but will be glad you have it if the worst happens