Mattresses are expensive. A cheap mattress can cost 1,000 dollars; an expensive mattress, several. There’s no way around that.
Here’s another fun fact: mattresses are heavy. They’re also large and poorly balanced. This makes them a bear to move, if there ever was one.
The one thing mattresses have going for them is that they’re soft and flexible. This makes them (somewhat) easier to move than other home goods and pieces of furniture.
But the fact that they are large, absorbent cushions made from textiles introduces a new issue.
They are highly prone to damage during storage and transit. Here’s what you can do about it – and why you need to use a mattress bag for protection.
Water Damage: Mold, Mildew, and Other Pathogens
The number one thing you need to protect your mattresses against while moving is water damage.
While water itself is not overtly damaging to mattresses, the conditions it creates are. If you spill water on your mattress, you need to dry it out immediately.
Moreover, the real problem comes during moving or storage in which case your mattress might be exposed to rain or standing water.
If this happens, you run the risk of your mattress becoming infected by mold or mildew, which can leave unsightly stains on your mattress that will be all but impossible to remove.
Worst of all, a water-damaged mattress is likely to engender stubborn odors that will prove even more difficult to dislodge than the aforementioned stains.
There is only one legitimate solution, and it is to prevent your mattress from becoming wet in the first place.
A high-quality mattress bag can protect your mattress against water in storage and transit – just be cautious about leaving it wrapped in storage for too long. Quality mattress bags are often vented, but if they aren’t they can trap moisture just as effectively as they keep it out.
Settling Dust and Dirt
Settling dust and dirt are two other separate but equally disconcerting factors associated with moving and storing a mattress.
Being so large, heavy, and bulky, it is all but inevitable that your mattress will be leaned or allowed to rest against something which is less than ideal – mostly likely the ground.
Covering your mattress prematurely will help prevent it from contacting dirt or other unsavory surfaces that could contaminate it.
Another thing to consider is that incidental contact is not the only source of soil. If your mattress is in storage for a prolonged period of time, that can be a separate concern.
Settling dust and dirt can both present issues for mattresses during moving and in storage – and a mattress bag is your first line of defense.
Rough Handling, Abrasive Damage
See above where one of the premises laid out here is that mattresses are heavy, bulky, and difficult to move.
Covering a mattress with a high-quality mattress bag can help prevent scuffs and scrapes which damage your mattress, impacting its value.
Some mattress bags on the market are made from high-quality, dense, tough polyethylene – in configurations as thick as 4 mil.
This is seriously heavy-duty, almost thick enough to be used as protective plastic sheeting in construction. If it’s tough enough for that, it’s tough enough to cover your mattress!
Quality Mattress Bags at Affordable Prices
Looking for quality mattress bags or even wholesale mattress bags for your moving company, all at great prices?
Edco Source, the Easy Way to Buy Bags, has one of the greatest selections in the industry, and carries a wide range of plastic packaging and protective supplies, including shrink film, garment bags, and mattress bags.
If you need it for a move, there’s a good chance they have it. Check out their website, EdcoSource.com, for more information.