# Mattress Firm says 8 yrs and your mattress is full of skin/dust mites
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 27, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628 "2010-08-27T04:16:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/1 "2010-08-27T04:16:08Z")
Have ya’ll seen these commercials? They say that after 8 years, your mattress is basically disgustingly full of skin cells and dust mites. It’s bad enough that the new mattresses cannot even be flipped over–is this all marketing? Is there any factual research about this? If so, why have mattress companies (for many years), warranted mattresses for 15+ years? My current mattress is 3 years old–and I’m getting really grossed out! Ewwwwww!:eek:
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/2 "2010-08-27T04:19:30Z")
Your whole house is full of skin cells and dust mites. The dust is the old skin cells. Do you have any idea what is happening in your intestines?
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/3 "2010-08-27T04:55:45Z")
**They say that after 8 years, your mattress is basically disgustingly full of skin cells and dust mites.**
True, though the “disgustingly” is optional.
**It’s bad enough that the new mattresses cannot even be flipped over–is this all marketing?**
If by “marketing” you mean exaggeration, distortion, and deceit, I’d say yes. But what is being claimed here? First we’re talking about an 8 year old mattress, then we’re talking about a new mattress. 😕 And I’m sure the mattress – old or new – CAN be flipped over, though some designs have a top and bottom and should not be flipped.
**If so, why have mattress companies (for many years), warranted mattresses for 15+ years?**
Mattresses are warranted against things like excessive sagging, not against your getting them dirty.
**My current mattress is 3 years old–and I’m getting really grossed out! Ewwwwww!:eek:**
As mentioned above, claiming your mattress has a bunch of dust mites and dead skin cells is like claiming fried chicken is made from :eek: DEAD BIRDS! :eek: Absolutely true, and absolutely ordinary. Heck, your skin has had a bunch of dust mites and dead skin cells, not to mention bacteria, on it for essentially your whole life. It’s not a problem unless you let these advertising jerks make it problem.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/4 "2010-08-27T06:12:08Z")
Haven’t seen the commercial the OP mentions, but I found these:
[“After 8 years, your mattress practically doubles in weight from dead skin, sweat, and millions of dust mites.”](http://www.radioads.com/RadioAds.asp?ad=mattress-firm&CallLetters=WKSL-93.9&Market=raleigh&state=tn&AdID=97992)
[“It is estimated that up to 20% of a mattress’s weight after 5-7 years of use is dust mite and dust mite fecal matter.”](http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joplin-MO/Joplimo-Mattress/339765225814)
Obviously they can’t both be true (translation: at least one is lying big time), but I feel confident saying they’re both false (translation: they’re both lying big time). And true or not, it’s still not a problem.
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### Author:  [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/5 "2010-08-27T06:17:55Z")
Easily fixed with a mattress cover. Although I have to wonder whether the mattress is really “saturated” or if it’s just near the surface. Seems like something that could be easily fixed with a vacuum or some kind of spray…
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### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/6 "2010-08-27T06:19:39Z")
> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> The dust is the old skin cells.
And the dead bodies of the skin mites themselves. These are the main irritants for people with allergies and asthma because they are sharp and prickly like pollen grains.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/7 "2010-08-27T06:26:16Z")
> [@ghardester](#):
>
> > [@TriPolar](#):
> >
> > The dust is the old skin cells.
>
> And the dead bodies of the skin mites themselves. These are the main irritants for people with allergies and asthma because they are sharp and prickly like pollen grains.
Good point. And to a lesser degree, the smaller mites that live on the dust and skin mites.
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### Author:  [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/8 "2010-08-27T06:32:05Z")
> **[Does a mattress double its weight due to dust mites and their debris?](https://www.straightdope.com/21343670/does-a-mattress-double-its-weight-due-to-dust-mites-and-their-debris)**
Otara
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### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/9 "2010-08-27T06:33:47Z")
Mattress cover, anyone? Who doesn’t put something between the sheets and the mattress? My plain old $400 mattress and boxspring still look new - I bought them in 1995. I’ve always had a mattress pad and cover on the top and a bedskirt around the boxspring. Considering I launder the cover, yet still needs to be replaced about every 2 years, I can only imagine what the mattress would look like by now if it didn’t have that cover on it. Ew.
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### Author:  [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/10 "2010-08-27T06:44:48Z")
If people are making claims about the _excess weight_ added by the dead skin cells and dust mites, that ought to be trivially easy for them to demonstrate, particularly if we’re talking about something as substantial as a 20% increase or more. Weigh a bunch of new matresses, weigh a bunch of old matresses, match them up as closely as possible by size and general construction, and hey presto! The old ones should weigh more!
Matress companies and matress salespeople, however, don’t seem to have such a very basic study to show the consumer, even when they are making the claim. I think I can guess why.
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### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/11 "2010-08-27T12:13:49Z")
> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> > [@ghardester](#):
> >
> > And the dead bodies of the skin mites themselves. These are the main irritants for people with allergies and asthma because they are sharp and prickly like pollen grains.
>
> Good point. And to a lesser degree, the smaller mites that live on the dust and skin mites.
It’s mites all the way down, you see.
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### Author:  [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/12 "2010-08-27T18:00:51Z")
Mites live in mattresses,
and have tiny mites to bite 'em;
tiny mites have lesser mites,
and so _ad infinitum_
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/13 "2010-08-27T18:08:56Z")
> [@Nametag](#):
>
> Mites live in mattresses,
> and have tiny mites to bite 'em;
> tiny mites have lesser mites,
> and so _ad infinitum_
That’s awesome. Is that yours?
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### Author:  [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/14 "2010-08-27T21:00:20Z")
> [@pravnik](#):
>
> > [@Nametag](#):
> >
> > Mites live in mattresses,
> > and have tiny mites to bite 'em;
> > tiny mites have lesser mites,
> > and so _ad infinitum_
>
> That’s awesome. Is that yours?
It appears to be a paraphrase of Jonathan Swift. Good one thou.
So nat’ralists observe, a flea
Hath smaller fleas that on him prey,
And these have smaller fleas that bite 'em,
And so proceed ad infinitum.
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/15 "2010-08-27T22:05:23Z")
Ah, thought that sounded familiar, thanks. I like Nametag’s better.
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### Author:  [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/16 "2010-08-28T01:00:26Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#):
>
> Who doesn’t put something between the sheets and the mattress?
Me. I’ve never kept covers on mattresses, although I do put sheets on 'em.
> [@](#):
>
> I can only imagine what the mattress would look like by now if it didn’t have that cover on it. Ew.
Ours look fine.
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### Author:  [@Add99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Add99)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/17 "2010-08-28T01:33:24Z")
A friend of mine once sold very expensive vacuum cleaners door to door. In the morning, everyone would gather, get psyched up with motivational donuts and loud talk, then shuffle out to the vans to be dropped off on a corner and do their thing.
The prime territory for these vacuums, priced upwards of $600, was…wait for it…trailer parks. It was no problem getting in the door once he offered to clean a room for free. And clean he did. Sofas, carpets (trailers almost always have carpet), the little demonstration of how the vacuum head was oh so gentle and would beat the tobacco out of a cigarette without so much as tearing the paper, blah blah.
But the winner, the thing that sealed the deal, was if you could get in the bedroom. He could suck so much crap out of a pillow, then dump it out right in front of you that you would gag. And buy a vacuum. Five easy payment plans, one is right for you. Sign here. Done deal.
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/18 "2010-08-28T02:20:23Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#):
>
> Haven’t seen the commercial the OP mentions, but I found these:
>
> [“After 8 years, your mattress practically doubles in weight from dead skin, sweat, and millions of dust mites.”](http://www.radioads.com/RadioAds.asp?ad=mattress-firm&CallLetters=WKSL-93.9&Market=raleigh&state=tn&AdID=97992)
>
> [“It is estimated that up to 20% of a mattress’s weight after 5-7 years of use is dust mite and dust mite fecal matter.”](http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joplin-MO/Joplimo-Mattress/339765225814)
>
> Obviously they can’t both be true (translation: at least one is lying big time), but I feel confident saying they’re both false (translation: they’re both lying big time). And true or not, it’s still not a problem.
Since the second claim doesn’t include dead skin and sweat, they can both be true.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/19 "2010-08-28T02:26:41Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#):
>
> > [@pravnik](#):
> >
> > That’s awesome. Is that yours?
>
> It appears to be a paraphrase of Jonathan Swift. Good one thou.
>
> So nat’ralists observe, a flea
> Hath smaller fleas that on him prey,
> And these have smaller fleas that bite 'em,
> And so proceed ad infinitum.
As I recall, this was a dig at the genus of _critics_.
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### Author:  [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-firm-says-8-yrs-and-your-mattress-is-full-of-skin-dust-mites/551628/20 "2010-08-28T02:44:57Z")
> [@Zsofia](#):
>
> > [@TriPolar](#):
> >
> > Good point. And to a lesser degree, the smaller mites that live on the dust and skin mites.
>
> It’s mites all the way down, you see.
How am I ever to establish a reputation as resident Board wit if people keep stealing my jokes?
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