How to Care for Your Mattress and Foundation

UPDATE:  Just published: a comprehensive article on "How to Pick A Mattress – A Step by Step Guide For Choosing The Perfect One" 

Your bed is likely the piece of furniture on which you spend the most time during a given week. Even if you only get an average of six hours of sleep per night, that still means you spend more time on your bed than working at a full-time job. Keeping that in mind, it should be clear why it’s so important to take good care of both your mattress and the box spring or bed frame.

Read on to get some easy-to-follow pointers.

Go By Instructions Provided by a Retailer or Manufacturer

You’re about to learn things that will apply to most mattresses and support structures regardless of brand. However, if you’re provided with special instructions when you purchase a mattress, those should take priority, especially if you’ve bought a variety that is made from a certain type of fabric or one that has a specific type of springs or foam inside.

Lightly Clean Your Bed Frame Every Month

No matter if your bed’s foundation is made of metal or wood, get into the habit of wiping dust off it every month. Not only should that be helpful if someone sleeping on it is prone to allergies, but dust and other residue can permanently tarnish the foundation if they stay on the surface for too long.

Simply take a damp cloth and wipe every part of the foundation’s surface you can reach. After you’ve done that, dry it thoroughly. Excess moisture can cause a metal frame to rust, and a wood frame to get warped.

When you make time and effort to maintain your bed frame, it can hold up well through years of use.

Turn and Flip Your Mattress

This tip is easily one that requires at least one other person to help you, but it’s important to rotate and flip your mattress regularly so it’ll wear evenly. We like to rotate from head to toe every 6 months and flip the mattress once a year.

Freshen Your Mattress

You should freshen your mattress at least once a year. Even if you wash your sheets regularly your mattress can become a bit stale over time. Mix a cup of baking soda with a few drops of lemon essential oil. Then put it in a sifter to sprinkle on the mattress’ surface. After about an hour, vacuum the baking soda up.

Cover Your Mattress

From dust mites to messy mishaps, it’s important to correctly protect your mattress by using a waterproof mattress protector. On top of the mattress cover you can use a comfy pad or topper so it doesn’t feel like you are sleeping on vinyl.

Avoid Eating and Drinking in Bed

Breakfast in bed is a nice treat every once in a while, and sometimes it’s necessary for people who are sick or injured, but in general, don’t become too comfortable with the idea of eating or drinking when you’re in bed.

Liquids are especially dangerous because they can quickly sink down into the fibers and become impossible to remove. Also, if you eat something that has a very strong aroma when you’re in bed, that odor can bind to the fabric and be very bothersome to sleepers with sensitive noses. If you need to spot-clean your mattress, do so with a mild upholstery shampoo, warm water and a sponge, then let the area air dry.

Don’t forget to air your pillows and wash your pillow covers monthly! Hopefully these sensible and easy care tips will help you rest easier at night knowing you’re being proactive about maintaining your mattress and its framework.

BIO: James works in construction and blogs in his free time at Homey Improvements. He also enjoys hiking, photography, and buying new gadgets. Follow him on Twitter @DIYfolks.

Houzz Survey Surprising

 www.caribouhighlands.com

A recent survey by Houzz has some surprising information: 

Forty-four percent of the home owners surveyed say they would like to do a complete overall of the décor of their homes, while 36 percent say they just want to refresh their existing décor.

What’s guiding their décor decisions? Personal style and comfort, the survey finds, while basing decisions on current design trends is a low influencer.

Younger home owners tended to say more often than older home owners that they wanted to get more “bold and dramatic” with their décor choices, such as incorporating wallpaper and brighter color schemes.

Among some of the survey’s findings:

• White paint is the most popular wall covering.

• Artwork is sprucing up more wall décor. One-in-five of home owners say they use art prints and original art to decorate their home’s walls.

• Accent walls remain popular but are most likely to be reserved for the study/home office, followed by a kids’ room or the master bedroom.

• Solids are the most popular fabric choice, followed by classics like stripes and florals. However, home owners under the age of 45 are more than twice as likely to use Chevron patterns than home owners over the age of 45.

• Hardwoods are the most desired flooring throughout a home, but 38 percent of home owners also said they planned to add carpet in the master bedroom.

• Nearly two-thirds of home owners are creating living rooms in the master bedroom by adding seating, a fireplace, or even a mini-fridge, the survey found. (If hanging out in the den, with a beer and the TV is a couch potato, could a person inhabiting a bedroom living room be a bed bug?)

• Dining rooms are getting more use and attention. Nearly three quarters of home owners surveyed say they use their dining room on a weekly basis. They most want to decorate the dining rooms with rectangle tables in dark wood or glass tables, with seating available for up to six people.

We Have Guests Coming From America!

Guest post from Our friends in the UK:

For six months, we trained every other day, walking ten kilometers breaking in our new hiking boots. We had heard the stories of incredible friendships made during the month-long pilgrimage named the Camino de Santiago in Spain. We made the walk, traveling 20 to 30 kilometers each day, completing the 800K hike at the end of September. We began in late August. Each night in a different town, we would dine with fellow travelers from around the world, laughing, commiserating about our sore feet, talk about getting lost, and marveling at the rich scenery along the way.

We struck up a close friendship with one couple about our age from the U.S. and invited them to stay with us and explore London the next time they were in Europe. They called last month and announced they would be in the U.K. over the Christmas holiday and wanted to see us. We were overjoyed, but immediately assessed our spare bedding. We decided this was a great opportunity to do an update. After all, most of what we considered spare was given to us as wedding gifts 20 years ago.

We decided to go to Dunelm Mill to look at Dorma bedding. Dunelm Mill is UK’s largest homewares retailer. Founded in 1979, one of their premier brands is sumptuous Dorma bedlinen. None other than Her Majesty the Queen is amongst Dorma’s most satisfied customers having granted Dorma two prestigious royal warrants. That’s better than saying the Beatles slept here. One reason Dorma bedding has such high regard is the thread count of their linens. They don't produce any bedding below 200 thread count, and the 300 thread count bedding creates an incredibly soft touch against your skin. Our guests will love it and will enjoy their sleep after days of tourist walks. The best part is, we can get what we need at Dunelm Mill before our guests arrive.

Canopy Beds: The Enduring Allure

Posted by savannahcollections in Bedroom, Craftsmanship, Design Tips, Featured Collections



There’s an immediate sense of luxury and decadence conveyed when one mentions canopy beds.  It is common to find richly carved designs on the wooden frame of canopy beds, making them a dramatic centerpiece to any bedroom.

During the medieval period, canopy beds gained popularity with both peasants and royalty alike.  For nobles and peasants, canopies had a utilitarian purpose of protecting one from outside elements, where thatched-roofs may have not sufficed. Sheets were traditionally used to drape over the bed posts to protect one from bugs and bug droppings that fell through the roof.  The prestigious and rich, however, enjoyed the warmth, comfort and privacy that canopy beds provided.

Over time, canopy beds took on a more romantic notion as elaborate carvings, richly decorated tapestries and accessories were added to the overall designs.

Gilded with gold-accent over intricate wood carvings throughout, the Greenwich Bed shown above is just one example of how canopy beds create a cozy yet luxurious setting.  A simple light canopy sheet was draped above and within the wooden frame to compliment the solid wood and lend it a softer, more romantic touch.  Elegant touches such as these prove why the allure of canopy beds has endured throughout the ages.

Add Value With Sheepskin

In June of this year, I wrote about a healthy sleep system that advocated using a “…pure sheep’s wool pad for a perfectly dry and warm bed climate.”  To top it off for a great healthy sleep use “…pillows that contain only 100% biologically active wool of high-grade Merino quality…”

Where do you buy things made from sheep’s wool for your home and auto? Our friends at Comfy Sheepskin have the answer. For 25 years they have made and distributed sheepskin rugs, sheepskin seat covers and home décor products from their headquarters in California.

Comfy Sheepskin sells sheepskin mattress covers in four qualities for any size bed, along with sheepskin pillows and shams.  Do you want seat covers to protect your car’s leather or protect your backside from the hot summers or cold winters? Try sheepskin seat covers.

Many homes are bringing back hardwood floors.  While the look of the various woods used is stunning, sometimes you need some texture to soften the look or some comfortable seating on a cold winter night before the fire. Try sheepskin rugs.  They are available in 12 colors and you can order up to eight skins stitched together without a special order.

Take a look at Comfy Sheepskin’s website.  You may not believe all the ways sheepskin products can add value to your life.  So much so that you wouldn't think of living without them.