Waterbeds

The lifespan of a water mattress is typically 10-15 years if taken care of properly, much more than that of your common spring mattress. You can ensure that you will keep your mattress for many years if you carry out proper maintenance. Here is a brief list of things you can do to make the next 15 years with your water mattress purchase trouble-free and oh-so comfortable.

Everyday Care Tips for Your Water Mattress

1. Metal screw ends, brackets, and the like inside of your frame can wreak havoc on the vinyl casing of your water mattress, essentially causing undue wear and occasionally punctures. Because of this, you should simply use a thick layer of duct tape over any metal protrusions, or any noticeably rough spots of wood.
   
   
2. It is scientifically known that oil and salt over time break down the composition of vinyl. To keep your vinyl water mattress protected it is very important to keep a thick mattress pad on the mattress.
   
   
3. Another trick to keep the vinyl of your mattress in top condition is to periodically wipe down the entire surface with an approved water mattress cleaner/protectant. This should be done NO LESS than 3-4 times a year, or every 3-4 months. However, more frequent cleanings are recommended.
   
   
4. After your mattress’ installation, nothing more must be done with water (unless you plan on moving it) except for the addition of a specially formulated water conditioner once every six months. This will keep the interior of the vinyl mattress supple instead of becoming more rigid and brittle over time.
   
   
5. Pulling up and pushing down of the fill attachment on your mattress can often cause unnecessary wear and tear. Therefore, this should be known and the attachment should be left down in the bed at all times possible.
   
   

Moving Your Water Mattress

There are several things to take care of when you are planning on moving your water mattress, whether it is simply to rearrange your living space, or to make a long distance move. Unlike a spring mattress, due to their weight, water mattresses cannot simply be picked up or pushed for moving. They must be drained and/or packed properly in order to make moving easy and keep the mattress protected. Once in place, they then must be properly reassembled and filled again. Below are some basic steps to ensuring a safe move for you water mattress.

1. First of all, you must know in advance what exactly you will be doing with your mattress. If it is going to be placed in a storage unit for a number of months, and not immediately reassembled upon completion of your move, fresh treatment must be added to the water in the mattress several days prior to draining it. This prevents the inside of the mattress from souring.
   
   
2. Tube water mattresses are much simpler to move. Each tube can easily be picked up, carried to a sink or tub, and left to drain with the fill valve open. Some maneuvering of the tube may be necessary to get as much water out as possible. Once this has been done for all the tubes, the bed is ready to be moved or packed.
   
   
3. However, with one or two bladder mattresses that contain Motion System materials (baffling), a special electric pump is needed to remove the majority of the water safely.
   
   
4. After this pump has been utilized to empty the majority of the water, it is then recommended to slightly elevate the top of the mattress above the bottom for a period of time. This allows any excess water to concentrate at the foot of the bed where it can be sucked out using a common wet or dry shop vacuum, as long as it is equipped with a 2.5” inflating nozzle attachment.
   
   
5. Once the bed has been drained to one’s utmost capability, the cap and seal MUST BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY! This keeps all air out and the mattress shrunk to its smallest size for packing.
   *NOTE – If the mattress is not tight, the interior baffling may shift and ruin your mattress.
   
   
6. Once all has been completed successfully, you are ready to actually pack your mattress. However, remember if it is baffled it cannot be folded, as this will damage the interior fibers. Instead, the mattress should be rolled from the head of the bed to the foot. Free-Flow mattresses, on the other hand, can be folded, and moving is easier when you do so.
   
   
7. Once your mattress has been rolled or folded, depending on the type, it is ready to be packed in a safe place, such as within its own plastic storage bin.
   
   
8. Remember to also treat your waterbed accessories with care. Heating Systems should also be rolled and placed in a protective box, as folding them can destroy their electrical circuitry.