How to Care for Your Mattress and Make It Last Longer

A mattress is one of the more expensive things in a bedroom, and most of what shortens its life is avoidable. A handful of habits make a real difference.

Rotate it end-to-end every few months, especially in the first year or two, so it wears evenly instead of forming a permanent body impression in one spot. If yours is one-sided (not flippable), rotation is still worth doing even though flipping isn't an option.

Use a mattress cover or protector from day one. It's a small, inexpensive layer that keeps spills, dust, and daily wear off the mattress itself, and it's far easier to wash a cover than to clean a mattress.

Let it breathe. Strip the sheets and air the mattress out occasionally, especially in humid weather: trapped moisture is one of the more common causes of a mattress breaking down early. And avoid folding or bending foam mattresses during moves; a sharp fold can damage the foam's structure in a way it won't fully recover from.