How to Move a Mattress by Yourself: Your Step-By-Step Guide

By following our step-by-step guide to moving a mattress, you will not only protect the mattress from damage (they are one of the most common items to be damaged during a home move), but you will also prevent injuring yourself (your most important task on moving day).

Should I Move My Mattress?

Experts believe that mattresses should be re-evaluated to determine whether they have lost their quality every 6-7 years or so.

A new high-quality update for your bed will mean a night of much better sleep, less back pain, if at all, and surely less stress and a much fresher look in the mornings.

Here are a few questions to help you decide whether you should even bother moving your mattress to a new home or whether it is time to replace it.

• How many years has your mattress served you? 5? 10? Do you even know?
• What is the overall condition of the mattress?
• Can you see any significant damage or areas that seem problematic, like caved-in, worn, or torn spots?
• Are you waking up with back aches?
• Do you feel like your sleep has worsened lately?
• Do you feel more stressed out in the mornings than usual?

If you have decided it is time to replace your mattress, then you may find this mattress buying guide useful: (Simple Guide for Mattress Shopping).

However, if the condition of your mattress is good, then here is our guide to safely packing and transporting your mattress.

You may also like to read: The Epic Guide to Decluttering for a Home Move. Deciding which items you want to pack and move to your new home and which ones to get rid of is essential when moving home. The fewer items you move, the cheaper your moving costs will be. In this guide, we show you how to declutter every room in your home.

What is the Best Way to Move a Mattress?

Mattresses are not the easiest things to move, especially if you have to negotiate numerous flights of stairs.

And typically, a home move will involve several mattresses, not to mention bed frames and bedroom furniture. None of which are easy or safe to move downstairs.

You may also like to read: How to Move a Bed by Yourself. In this guide, we take an in-depth look at how to pack and move a bed safely by yourself.

For an easier and safer home move, it is always recommended that you leave it to the professionals.

However, if you have the ability, stamina, and helping hands that you need, and feel that you can safely move these things yourself, then read on.

You may also like to read: The Pros and Cons of Moving Home Yourself vs Hiring Professional Removals. In this guide, we look at the advantages and disadvantages of the different options you have for moving your things to your new home.

Before Packing Your Mattress

• Vacuum the mattress surface to remove dust and debris.

• If needed, spot clean stains and allow them to dry completely.

Gather your packing materials:

• Mattress bag (correct size for twin, full, queen, king)
• Packing tape or ratchet straps
• Moving blankets (optional)
• Tie-down straps or rope (for vehicle transport)

How to Pack a Mattress for Moving

Step-by-step guide to packing a mattress for moving:

#1. Remove and pack away all the sheets, covers, and pillows from your bed.

#2. Inspect the mattress’s surface to make sure it is completely dry before you pack it.

#3. Take off the mattress with the help of a friend, as some types are too heavy to be handled by only one person. Avoid using the handles on the sides of mattresses because they are not designed for moving your mattress and are likely to tear its covering.

#4. For the best protection, you’re going to need a special mattress cover to insert your mattress into. You can buy a mattress storage bag from a local removal company or a reputable furniture shop. When packing into a mattress bag, ensure that you expel any trapped air in the bag.

#5. Alternatively, you can use sheets of thick plastic to wrap up your mattress and protect it against dust, dirt, and moisture. If you don’t have access to thick polyethylene, then you can choose option 3, which is perfectly acceptable as well: thick blankets, either of the special types used for relocation (moving blankets) or the ones commonly found in most homes.

#6. Finally, bind the mattress protector with a good-quality packing tape so that the mattress protector cannot slip off.

Note: Do not use thick plastic wrap if you are putting your mattress into storage, as it may sweat and cause mold. Use a proprietary mattress protector in such circumstances or a mattress box.

You may also like to read: How to Pack a Bedroom When Moving Home. This is a comprehensive guide on how to pack and move every item commonly found in a bedroom.

How to Move a Mattress by Yourself Step-by-Step

When it comes to physically moving your mattress, you will need:

• Helpers. Depending on the size and weight of your mattress, you’re going to need from 1 to 2 friends, besides yourself, to be able to lift, carry, navigate, and load your mattress into the moving van.

You may also like to read: How to Get Friends to Help You Move Home. Getting friends to help you move is easier said than done. Though they may be eager to volunteer, rarely will the full crew turn up on moving day. In this guide, we suggest ways to ask your friends for help and how to use that help effectively on moving day.

• A moving vehicle. Renting a moving van is by far your best choice (and most expensive too), borrowing a van from a friend is a good option as well, while moving a mattress on a roof rack is, by far, the least recommended way to go about completing that task. If you must use a roof rack, then ensure that the mattress is tied down with ratchet straps and not rope.

You may also like to read: Self-Drive Removal Vans – All You Need to Know. In this guide, we look at the size of van you may need, what licenses are required to drive one, how to load a van, and how to safely drive an unfamiliar and large vehicle.

Here are the rest of the steps to successfully move your mattress:

#7. Ensure the path to the removal van is clear of hazards to prevent tripping accidents.

#8. Even if you’re moving a king-size mattress, you should have no problems fitting it through the doorways. Still, if things get tight, tilting the mattress at different angles or temporarily removing a door from its hinges can help you solve a potential issue.

#9. Tight corners, narrow hallways, and staircases are the next checkpoints where you might run into trouble. As mentioned above, you should have a good exit strategy before you lift your heavy and bulky mattress and head towards the moving van. Go extremely slowly, establish clear communication signals among your friends in case of emergencies, and remember that your safety and the safety of your helpers are more important than any material things found in a home.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Simple Floor Plan. If you are moving into an old cottage, for example, with very narrow stairs and low ceilings, it may be a good idea to create a floor plan so that you know you can get your mattress through those tight spaces.

#10. When loading the mattress onto the van, be extremely cautious when taking it up the loading ramp – the latter must be dry and free of debris. Keep in mind that the safest place for your mattress inside the van is against a wall. The mattress should be positioned upright or sideways unless the manufacturer’s transportation instructions say otherwise. Some types of mattresses (gel mattresses or memory foam mattresses, for example) are filled with movable foam pieces, so they must be transported lying flat.

#11. The final step to moving a mattress on your own is to secure it well, regardless of how you have chosen to position it. Use straps or pieces of rope to immobilise it during transit, but don’t overdo it for fear of causing damage to the structural frame.

When you arrive at your new home, be sure to air your mattress and allow it time to regain its shape if it was compressed during the journey.

All in all, trying to move a mattress by yourself is not overly complicated, and you should be able to do just fine with a bit of planning and a bit more preparation.

Good luck with your home move, and be sure to visit our home moving blog for guides on how to make every aspect of your home move easier, safer, and cheaper.