You had been planning to get a new mattress for months. You have to carry it back down the stairs and out the door because it is moving day now. Although a small part of you is doubting the decision to upgrade your mattress to a California King, you know that it was worthwhile.
It can take 15 minutes or an hour to move a mattress, depending on how difficult it is. To ensure that your experience is the first and not the second, we want to check several things. It’s time to put on your work boots, ask for some favors, and buy pizza for your friends. We’ve compiled a list of eight steps to make moving incredibly simple.
Should You Move Your Mattress At All?
Do you really need to move the mattress if you’re facing the prospect of having to do it by yourself? Most mattresses last for around 10 years. It might be worth it to just have a new mattress delivered to your new home if you notice any sagging, indentations, tears, or that you’re simply not sleeping well. Even though it will cost more, it will be less troublesome, and you might need a new mattress anyhow. By eliminating the retailer middleman, online bed-in-a-box mattresses are able to remain reasonably priced.
Online beds are becoming more and more common in the mattress market, in part because they are more convenient than beds you see in stores and come with lengthy trial periods. They can also be delivered right to your door (in a cardboard box, hence the nickname). As opposed to shipping your mattress to yourself, it’s undoubtedly less of a hassle.
What To Know Before Moving A Mattress？
Always look for a helper to move your mattress with you. A mattress can weigh anywhere between 45 pounds and 71 pounds, up to 90 and 100 pounds.
Having a partner is crucial because attempting to lift and move a mattress by yourself can result in physical harm, strained muscles, or unpleasant falls.
You must also choose how you will move the mattress. A mattress can be damaged by exposure to pollutants and other elements if it is tied to the roof of a car, despite the fact that it may seem like a simple and quick fix.
The mattress should ideally be secured inside a moving truck or van. This enables complete structural protection and gives you a chance to secure the mattress for transportation.
Equipment Needed For Moving A Mattress
Mattress Bag – Until you can safely unpack your mattresses in your new home, a mattress bag will guard them against stains, odors, infestations, and other hazards. Mattress bags are available for $10 to $25 at places like Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Uhaul, or Amazon.
Ratchet Tie Down Strap – The mattress can be securely fastened in a truck bed or moving van using a ratchet strap, a two-piece tie-down strap.
Dolly or Hand Truck – Moving the mattress from the bedroom to the moving vehicle and into your new home can be made easier with the help of a hand truck or dolly. At nearby hardware stores or companies that rent moving trucks, you can buy or rent the dolly of your choice.
Tape – If you’re going to tape your bag shut, make sure it’s a strong, long-lasting shipping or packing tape. Durable adhesives, such as those used in shipping, masking, and duct tape, are typically waterproof, strong enough to keep the mattress bag sealed, and can stop moisture from entering the bag, which could harm the mattress.
Nylon Rope – The other option is to tie a strong piece of rope around your mattress. In hardware stores, you can find them.
Cardboard – If your mattress is more flexible, stabilizing it with a big, flat piece of cardboard can help you move it more easily.
Tool Set – If the mattress is supported by a bed frame, the bed frame can be disassembled and later put back together using tools like wrenches, screwdrivers, and Allen Wrenches.
Sandwich Bags – Keeping All The Parts, Crews, Nuts, And Bolts In A Sandwich Bag Will Make It Simpler To Disassemble And Transport The Bed.
It will be easier to disassemble and transport the bed if all the pieces, crews, nuts, and bolts are kept together in a sandwich bag.
Retractable Knife – Without a solid knife, no maneuver is complete. When cutting open your mattress bag, make sure you’re using a sharp, well-maintained blade and take care not to cut the mattress itself. Knives can be found in any nearby hardware store. When using a knife, always heed the safety warnings!
How To Move Your Mattress？
1. The mattress bag should be filled with your mattress.
Put the mattress up against a wall or on the ground flat. As your partner slides the mattress bag over the mattress, lift one end.
To close the bag, fold the flaps inward and tape the open ends after making sure all of the air has been forced out. If the bag has any small rips or holes, make sure to tape those as well after it has been sealed.
2. Clear a path.
Make a route to the transport vehicle in advance and make sure the stairs and walkway are clear of any obstructions from debris and objects.
Check that all doors are propped open and are big enough for the mattress to fit through when being carried or wheeled on a dolly or hand truck.
3. Prepare your transporting vehicle.
Ensure that the car’s doors are open and that the interior is uncluttered. Prior to putting the mattress inside the car, take out or fold down any necessary seats.
4. Lift the mattress
Grab the mattress’ bottom corners and raise it collectively with one person on each side of the mattress, lengthwise. Don’t lift with your back. Instead, tighten your abdominal muscles and propel the lift with your legs.
5. Put the mattress on a dolly or hand truck.
Place the mattress on the dolly while standing it up straight on its side. If the mattress is saggy, support it by securing both sides with cardboard.
If the route to your vehicle involves descending stairs, take care to stop completely at the top of the stairs before removing the mattress from the dolly and carrying it down the staircase. If you want to move a mattress downstairs, don’t try to use a dolly.
If there is no access to a dolly or hand truck, you can slide the mattress across the ground while blocking the path to the vehicle with cardboard.
6. Put the mattress in your car.
Simply lift the mattress off the dolly and place it in the truck’s cargo hold if you’re using a moving van or pickup.
Use a mattress bag to shield the fabric of the mattress from the elements if you have to transport it on top of a car or SUV. Put the mattress on the roof or luggage rack with extreme caution, and make sure to check it again for any potential tears. If renting a moving van or truck is not an option, use the directions for your specific vehicle below.
7. Secure the mattress.
- Moving Truck/Van: Lay the mattress flat in the cargo area if you can. Ensure that nothing else or the mattress is stacked on top of one another.
- Pickup Truck: Place the mattress in the truck bed as flat as you can. Secure one end of the nylon ropes or straps to the D-rings, wrapping them over the mattress, and ratcheting or tying (with a “trucker’s hitch” knot) the remaining slack.
- Car/SUV (with luggage rack): Examine the mattress bag for rips or tears by laying it flat on top of the luggage rack. The front, middle, and back of the mattress should be covered by nylon rope or ratchet straps. Tie the mattress to the rack using a sturdy knot like the “trucker’s hitch” or one of these other popular knots used for moving.
- Car/SUV (without luggage rack): In the absence of a luggage rack in your vehicle, place the mattress flat on the roof and inspect it for rips or tears. Nylon ropes or ratchet straps should be wrapped across the body of the mattress in the front, center, and back (and corners if possible). The ropes must be threaded through the front passenger door jams, the back passenger windows, and back up to the roof to be used to secure the mattress to the vehicle.
8. Take it easy and drive cautiously.
It can be difficult to drive with a large load on top of the car or in the back. Proceed at a moderate pace to ensure that the mattress doesn’t shift when making turns, during sudden braking, or while accelerating
In particular, if your mattress is fastened to your roof, pause and check in frequently to ensure that it is still stable. When possible, take detours and keep an eye out for upcoming changes.
How To Store A Mattress After Moving It？
It’s best to use a climate-controlled storage facility if you plan to keep your mattress there for a considerable amount of time. Mildew and bacteria growth is influenced by moisture and temperature fluctuations. Keep a dehumidifier next to the mattress to control condensation if an attic or basement is the only storage option.
Lay the mattress flat in its bag so that it looks like it is resting on a bed frame. On the mattress, never place anything to prevent structural damage. To save space, it is safe to place the mattress flat on top of a platform, pallet, table, or another similar item.
Moving a mattress is stressful, and doing so doesn’t make the process any less difficult. Most likely, you spent a lot of money on your mattress, so leaving it next to a trash can is not an option. Your mattress cannot be replaced, but bedding can. Take the time to safeguard your investment and ensure that it reaches its destination undamaged.
Moving a mattress is, in the end, a labor-intensive process, but it is well worth the effort if done correctly. You’ll know it was worthwhile for every moment and any second-guessing once your head rests on the pillow of your favorite bed in your new house.