If you’re moving to a new home, whether it’s to upsize or downsize, it’s a great opportunity to assess your home inventory and decide what items to bring along. While smaller items are easier to decide on, larger household staples like your mattress may take more consideration. There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to whether you should take your mattress with you or buy a new one for your new home, but if you do decide to move it, it’s important to keep it clean during transport.
To do this, it’s recommended that you wrap your mattress before moving it. You can easily buy a mattress bag for moving online or at a store, which will cost you anywhere from $8 to $40 depending on the size and quality of the cover. Once you have your mattress wrapped, the real work begins. If you don’t have hired help, you’ll need to figure out how to move the mattress by yourself.
To make this process easier, start by mapping out a route and clearing a path from its resting place to the car or truck. If you don’t have a dolly or a friend to help you, you can use cardboard boxes to help the mattress glide across carpeted and hard floor surfaces. You can also reinforce floppy mattresses with cardboard in the front and back, turn the mattress upright on its longer side for easier sliding through doorways, turn it on its side when going down stairs, and lift from your core when needed. Remember to keep the mattress close to your body and take breaks when needed.
Moving a mattress by car requires caution and careful consideration. If you do not have access to a large truck or van, using your car’s roof may be an option, depending on the size of the car and mattress. However, we advise using extreme caution and only resorting to this as a last option.
While it is not illegal to tie a mattress to your car for transport in most states, doing so improperly can be dangerous and illegal. Thus, securing the mattress properly and driving slowly and carefully is essential to ensure safety. If your car has a luggage rack, use it to secure the mattress with industrial-strength rope or ratchet straps. If there is no luggage rack, lay the mattress flat on the car’s roof and place the box spring on top.
To load the mattress, prop it against the side or back of the car and lift and push it from the bottom to slide it onto the car’s roof. Remember to engage your core throughout to protect your back.
