How To Rotate Your Bedroom Mattress

Rotate your mattress at least twice annuallyWith the change of seasons, it’s a good reminder to rotate your bedrooms’ mattresses. Most brand manufacturers recommend a semi-annual “flip”, at least.

Mattress manufacturers recommend a mattress flip because, over time, mattresses can wear unevenly, the result of sleeping in the same position each night, or applying too much continuous pressure to one area of the mattress.

By the time your mattress shows signs of “sag” or imprints, it’s often too late.

Rotating a mattress is exactly what it sounds like; it’s pivoting your mattress on its axis — either horizontal, vertical, or both — and replacing it on your bed frame.

Rotating your mattress regularly will extend its useful life.

If you have a twin mattress, you may be able to flip it by yourself. If your mattress is a full-size or larger, though, follow these steps to minimize injury. Mattresses can be heavy.

  1. Find a partner to help you
  2. Slide the mattress out from the headboard by 3 feet
  3. Rotate the mattress one-quarter spin so that’s its “across” the bed
  4. Lift the mattress from the headboard toward the foot, standing it upright and turning it over completely
  5. Make another one-turn to the mattress
  6. Slide the mattress back to the headboard

With these steps, you will have flipped your mattress over both of its axes.

Mattresses are among the most used pieces of furniture in a home, and often the most ignored piece of furniture, too. To get a longer, useful life from your mattresses, perform a mattress rotation at least twice yearly.

First-Aid Guide For Furniture

Furniture First-Aid TechniquesWhen furniture arrives in your home, it’s factory-issued, perfect and clean. From that day forward, however, accidents can happen, causing damage to your pieces. Sometimes the damage is permanent.

Know how to react when the inevitable spill or scratch occurs and you can “save” your furniture and extend its useful life.

From Martha Stewart, these “first-aid for furniture” tips should come in handy.

Wood

  • Moisture “rings” : Pour table salt on the white rings/haze and cover with a terry cloth. Apply hair dryer on low setting until rings are gone.
  • Alcohol spills : Blot spills immediately, do not rub. Apply small amounts of ammonia to damage.
  • Wax spills : Allow to cool and harden, then freeze the wax with an ice cube in a sandwich bag. Use a butter knife to gently scrape off wax.

Fabric

  • Red wine stains : Cover wine with table salt and let sit until salt has wicked up the wine. Vacuum salt and repeat, as necessary. Blot remaining stains with damp cloth and dish soap.
  • General spills : Repeatedly blot with a damp white cloth. Use white cloths to prevent dye transfer.
  • Oil spills : Cover spill with baking soda and vacuum once absorbed. Blot remaining stains with rubbing alcohol

Leather

  • General stains : Blot with all-purpose household cleaner. To prevent fading in the upholstery, avoid products with bleach or bleach alternatives.
  • Scratches : Apply saddle soap to a damp cloth and rub the scratch to help it “blend in”. It won’t go away.

The tips on leather furniture also makes mention that you should never bother with touch-up kits or colored markers. It’s nearly impossible to match leather colors and your repair work will only make the scratch more noticeable.

How To Clean Outdoor Furniture : Resin, Wood And Metal

This week marks the official start of Summer. If your home’s outdoor area has furniture in it, you’ll want to make sure that your furniture is clean.

In this 4-minute video from Lowe’s, you’ll learn tricks to keep your outdoor furniture clean, and protected from the elements. All types of outdoor furniture are covered in the lesson including metal, resin-based, and wooden.

The offered tips include:

  • Why you should never remove the “care tags” from a furniture pillow
  • Choosing the proper pressure-washer tip for the job at-hand
  • How to use car wax as a rust-preventative

Furthermore, the instructional video includes tips for cleaning fabrics and canopies; and for shampooing an outdoor rug.

There’s lot of reasons to keep your outdoor furniture clean — health reasons among them — but it shouldn’t be lost that clean furniture will have a longer useful life than furniture that’s been neglected or ignored.

Clean your outdoor pieces at least twice annually and they’ll give you years of good looks and comfort.