Would you buy or use a used mattress??

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

As mentioned in another thread, we just bought a house. Before we move we are trying to sell off a bunch of stuff we don’t need/want.

We have a lovely solid pine twin bed, we are asking a really low price. You don’t find good solid wood furniture like this at Wal-Mart and the like. Sounds like a deal doesn’t it?

We have had many people inquire about it. Why do we still have it? Because everyone who has asked about it only want it if it comes with a mattress :dubious:

All I can say is ICK. Now if it was from my own family I might think about it if I was really hard up for a mattress, but I am not sleeping on some stranger’s dead dust mites, dust mite poop, and dead skin cells that the dustmites didn’t eat.

We threw the mattress out before we put it up for sale because we thought no one would want it. Silly us :smack:

#2

I take it neither of you have ever slept in a hotel or a motel? Or slept on a college supplied mattress while you lived in a dorm? Or house swapped? Or stayed in anyone’s guest room? :dubious:

#3

I am sitting on my used mattress right now. I don’t see the big deal, as long it is isn’t stained or otherwise questionable, what does it matter? You sleep right on the mattress anyhow.

My roommate bought a used mattress off Craigslist when we moved into our apartment. What she didn’t know at the time was that it was a HOT guy’s used mattress. :wink: We found out when he brought it over. So basically she gets to sleep on his bed every night…

#4

I don’t see the big deal. As long it’s not too old or stained, ripped etc.

#5

Never lived in a dorm. I’ve never travelled much so maybe 3 times in my life in a hotel. Yeah, even a quickie one nighter on a strange mattress freaks me out, but no way would I move it into my home and sleep on it everynight. Sorry, it just squicks me out. :eek:

Maybe I watch too many of those Dateline/20-20 type shows where they tell you all the grody things that are living in old bedding.

#6

For my primary bed I always end up with a new mattress because of the shopping process. I doubt many people selling used mattresses are willing to let me come over just to lay on it for a few minutes for me to tell them I’m not interested or are going to offer an in home trial period.

When buying mattresses I’ll only occasionaly sleep on or for a guest bedroom I would rather save my money and pick up a used one.

#7

I’ve used secondhand mattresses. When we moved from Seattle to Iowa, we got our first beds and mattresses at estate auctions. If the mattress looked clean, we kept it. We might have sprayed it with Lysol, but I don’t remember.

Iowa must have a law about this, because the auctioneer always makes a point of saying that they’re not allowed to sell the mattress. You buy the bed but the mattress is free.

The local furniture store will take a used mattress in trade, but they don’t re-sell them. They’re donated to various places.

#8

Of course. Mattresses are expensive. Maybe if I was King of Persia I wouldn’t buy anything but the finest new mattresses with silk sheets to accompany. But I’m not.

#9

A clean one is fine. There’s a matress pad and fitted sheet over it, and you can use an apolstery cleaner on it. You can put a plastic cover on it that envelopes the whole mattress. The people looking for a cheep bed are likely to not have money for a mattress.

#10

Bah, look at you, gettin’ all fancy with your brand new mattresses.

Why, in my day, we would’ve been dancing in the streets to get a used mattresses. We had to sleep on bare wooden planks (you couldn’t sleep naked or you’d get splinters) and we used a concrete block for a pillow. And we liked it!

#11

I bought a used tawdry hotel mattress in New Orleans in college. It was about thirty dollars and the grimy store clerk said that the hotel replaced their mattresses every year. That was good because the results of 300 sexcapades seemed reasonable but I would definitely balk at anything over 500. Seemed to work fine.

I have had friends and family give me several mattresses as well. There is no reason to think that they aren’t doing anything strangers are.

#12

Sigh. I guess I am in the minority here. It just never occurred to me that anyone would want a used mattress. I know new is expensive (well for a good one anyway) but it’s like buying a car or a house, this is something you are going to use for years and years.

Oh well. If anyone is interested, my used mattress is lying somewhere in the county landfill :smiley:

#13

Would this have anything to do with your username :wink:

#14

I slept on a used mattress for two years in the college dorm, although there was a foam “egg crate,” a mattress pad, and a sheet between me and it. I currently sleep on a “used” mattress in the house where I live, my best friend’s house, since the room I rent was formerly his guest room. Again, plenty of layers between me and the mattress surface. I never even gave it a second thought, and to be completely honest, I find it extremely odd that someone would be so squeamish about it. I realize what must go on in hotel beds when I’m not in them, but I don’t go around with my own CSI-style black light looking for stains on the sheets. Sometimes you’re better off just not knowing and not thinking about it.

#15

So… do you not get used cars or houses then? :stuck_out_tongue:

#16

Looked at craigslist lately? There’s tons of used mattresses on there. That is where I got mine.

Dead skin cells? What, do you sleep directly on the mattress? Everyone should have a mattress cover on their mattress that keeps it clean, and that is washed periodically, and of course sheets. And if someone is really anal, they can vacuum or steam clean the mattress. Voila, clean mattress, put a clean mattress cover and sheets on, and it’s as good as new.

It is a terrible waste to throw out a used mattress that is in good shape, especially as much as mattresses cost.

#17

I’m trying to recall if I ever had a new mattress. I think the one in the bunk as a kid might have been new. Then:

Borrowed house: Used Mattress.

Grandparents’ house: UM

Futon: doesn’t really count

Donated bed: Very Lumpy UM

Dorm: Very UM

Taken from a dumpster: Extremely UM, and pretty comfy, I might add. I wish I still had it.

Grandparents’ inherited bed: UM

The scares about crawlies in bedding are the product of urban industrialized wimps. And yes, I’m serious. When a church friend moved to Egypt, she had to strain out the insects from the flour before baking. That’s a point probably none of us has had to reach.

#18

:stuck_out_tongue:

Okay everyone I get it, I am just a squeamish :wally .

I still dont like the idea for my own personal use, but at least I’m aware now that it’s a common thing. I’m looking at the bright side here, you all fought a little ignorance in this thread and taught me something. I swear I will never throw away an old mattress again :cool:

#19

I don’t exactly relish the thought of used mattresses. I’ve no qualms about giving them away, because I take good care of my stuff, but I’ve no idea how well other people take care of their stuff.

When I was an active alkie, it wasn’t unusual to wake up after having pissed the bed. Yeah, passing out from booze is fun. Anyway, that thought in the back of my mind would prevent any used mattress purchases.

I squick out each and every time I have to stay at a Hotel/Motel. I KNOW what they’ve been doing on those beds and the likelihood of the bedding (spreads, blankets) being washed after each guest seems small to me. I can hardly even sit on a bed at a motel. Ick. It’s really hard to get a restful sleep when you’re trying so hard not to put your face on the pillow!

#20

That’s a big reason most farm wives shifted all the flour before using it. The stones and like were not in the flour 40 years ago, but bugs got into the flour bin.