TIPS ON HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR FUTON MATTRESS
Helpful Hints:
It's important to protect your bed from moisture to prevent mold & mildew since our futons are not chemically treated. We carry removable mattress pads made with natural fibers such as cotton or wool that can be removed and washed. Similar to conventional mattresses, futons can not be washed or dry cleaned. Spot clean any spills as quickly as possible with hydrogen peroxide and/or baking soda using an absorbent sponge. The shell of your futon is tufted in order to hold the batting in place and is not meant to be removed or washed.
Bring your futon along with any other items made with natural fibers outside to bask in the sun for a couple of hours to rejuvenate the loft and to sterilize the cotton and wool fibers of any absorbed moisture.
Keep your mattress at least 2 inches above ground on a platform frame with slats that are no more than 4 inches apart which allows optimal airflow, discourages mildew and supports the mattress. As with most mattresses, if you put it on the floor, be sure to flip it over each morning to air out.
Fire retardants are required by law in the mattress industry. Unless the mattress has wool inside (a natural flame retardant), we add a small amount of natural Borax as an effective, environmentally friendly, safe and approved fire retardant. Mattresses made without borax or wool are available upon request with a doctor's prescription.
The Break-In Period:
Like a new pair of shoes or a car, a futon mattress also undergoes a break-in period. At purchase, the thickness of your futon mattress will measure six to ten inches. In the first several weeks you may notice the development of a body signature in the surface of your mattress. This is a normal occurrence and indicates that the cotton layers are conforming to the contours of your body. Most mattresses made with natural fibers such as cotton will compress, this is not considered a defect. Fibers such as wool and our wellspring fiber are more resilient and will not compress as quickly. Generally our all cotton futon will compress about 50% and will get firmer with time. Our deluxe and luxury line of futons will compress by about 25%. Essentially a futon mattress gets firmer and better with age. However, depending on individual sleep patterns, occasional valleys may be more prominent in the area where the most weight is consistently applied. This is why it is very important to flip and rotate your futon mattress each week for the first month to evenly distribute the compression, then once a month thereafter to maximize comfort and longevity.
We make our futon mattresses and toppers in shells that measure to the industry standard mattress dimensions. However, at first your futon may appear to vary by a few inches in either dimension since a futon mattress does not maintain the rigidity of innerspring mattresses. As a futon mattress compresses and reaches its working loft, it will spread slightly in both directions.
It is rare for our mattresses to have a smell of any kind. However, some people have detected an earthy or hay-like smell at first. Airing your futon outside when it first arrives will dissipate any odors trapped from shipping/packaging. Any odor is due to the raw cotton fibers and unbleached wool that are used in the manufacturing process.
Please follow the guidelines above to get the most out of your futon and don't hesitate to call us if you have any questions.