How to dispose of a mattress – 4 great options available

Give your mattress a second chance with these disposal options

Mattresses are bulk and how to dispose of your old bed can have a negative or positive impact on you and the community. Learn about your disposal options here.

Disposing of an old mattress often poses a great challenge, considering its size. You can’t just wrap it and place it in the rubbish dump. There are state guidelines and ordinances for dumping huge furniture pieces.

But, here’s the catch! Mattress disposal does not have to be a huge challenge. In this post, you will discover 4 practical and cost saving ways to get rid of your mattress:

Reselling your mattress
Donate your mattress
Recycle or upcycle your mattress
Professional waste disposal and removal services

Ways to dispose of a mattress

Before you decide on your preferred disposal method, check your mattress first. Are there any structural defects? How many years have you been using it? Your answers to these questions could help you choose an apt way to say goodbye to your bed.

1. Consider reselling your mattress

Are you just planning to move out and don’t want to take bulky things with you? Or are you looking forward to buying a new mattress with a better design and make? If the mattress you have is a relatively new one, reselling it would be a good choice. Doing this helps you recover some of the cash you used to buy it. You can do this in two ways:

Organize a garage sale. Aside from your mattress, look into your other belongings and decide which of them you’d be willing to let go. Collaborate with friends. Ask them if they have any pre-loved items to sell alongside your things. Doing this helps you offer more options to potential customers.
Post an advert on different online platforms. Write an online advertisement with a detailed description and realistic picture of the bed. Include your contact numbers. And post this advertisement on different sites, including Facebook, Craigslist, eBay, Bonza and other platforms. Who knows one of your friends is urgently looking for the kind of mattress you have.

As you find a new owner for your bed, make sure that it is still fully functional. Do not resell your mattress if it has lumps, noisy springs, projecting coils, and sagging parts. These structural defects could cause a lot of discomfort to its new owner, preventing them from enjoying a good sleep. You wouldn’t want them to wake up with body aches and the urge to return the bed.

2. Donate your mattress

If your mattress is still in good condition, you might want to give it away to charities. Charitable organizations often accept usable household items and distribute these to those in need. Before you donate your mattress, though, it’s important to clean it first. Get rid of the offensive smell and stubborn stains. Do not donate it with huge rips, holes, and tears. It is also good to have any structural problems fixed if the mattress has any. Do not donate the mattress if it has any infestations.

Yes, you could do the cleaning on your own. You could hire a mattress cleaner and repair professional to get rid of the tough stains. Or better yet, ask the charitable organization if it’s possible for them to handle the cleaning.

Some of the organizations that might accept your donation are the following:

Habitat of Humanity – This organization seeks to improve the housing and living conditions of people from low-income communities. As they build homes, they are also in need of household items (e.g., mattresses, chairs, tables) to furnish their newly built houses.
The Salvation Army – With its huge network of local branches, some The Salvation Army sites accept donations that could be used to provide shelter and home improvement to their recipients. Just call the nearest branch for a pickup schedule.
Municipal Offices – Your city or town office might also be open to accepting mattress donations that could be upcycled. Cities and towns are highly encouraged to implement recycling programs as part of environmental protection initiatives. And this would be a wonderful program for you to participate in.
Religious Charities – Many non-profit religious organizations also accept donations of any kind, including mattresses, household items, and foods. These donations are distributed to shelters and residential housing for the poor, orphans, and the elderly.

3. Recycle or upcycle your mattress

If you’re not moving anywhere and are just planning to buy a new mattress, you might also find the idea of upcycling and recycling a productive weekend activity. Take your old mattress outside and clean it for the last time. Based on its dimensions, make, and design, choose one or more of the following mattress upcycling projects to do:

Dismantle the mattress and repurpose the wooden or metal bed frame into a garden bed, garden edging, or creeping garden wall.
Remove and collect the foam layers and fabric. Turn these into landscaping mulch.
Use the mattress fabric and foam as insulation materials or protective padding for fragile objects (e.g., glass, porcelain, furniture).
Remake and repaint the metal or wooden bed frame. Use this as a rack for shoes, wine bottles, or books.
Create seasonal decorations out of repurposed fabric and foam.
Use the springs to hold flower vases. These would be perfect table centerpieces, especially during holidays and special occasions.
Repurpose springs into snack holders. Repaint and sanitize the springs. Cover each spring with cardboard or any other durable material from the inside. Then, fill the springs with candies and snacks.
Remove the fabric and foam from the mattress frame or box. Repaint the frame. And attach accent lights. You can have this mounted on the wall or attached to the ceiling. You could also detach the individual springs and tie them with wires to serve as hanging light holders.
Turn the bed frame into a focal wall piece for your bedroom or sitting room. Then, attach or hang your favorite paintings and other decors.
Create a memory or vision board out of the mattress frame. You can attach printed pictures of your travel bucket list, family pictures, or memorabilia (e.g., your kids’ awards, baptismal outfit, certificates).
Divide and cut the bed frame into portions and turn these into hanging or wall-mounted racks. Attach hooks to the frame and springs. You can use one rack for the kitchen to hold the knives, chopping boards, and ladle. Place another rack in the bathroom to organize your toiletries and towels, as well as one in the bedroom to keep the combs and cosmetics in one place. The racks also make perfect storage options for the sitting room and study area to keep the magazines, pens, and scissors organized.
Cut a portion of the mattress frame at just the right size to fit in your kitchen counter. Clean and repaint it. Then, cover the bed springs from the inside with a waterproof material to make it a silverware organizer.
Use the individual springs as a jewelry organizer.
The individual springs of the mattress could also be used as Christmas tree toppers.
Mattress springs are also a perfect photo or paper stand or organizer.
Flatten the mattress spring, repaint it, and use it as a curtain tie-back.

With these projects, you can maximize your mattress and create other useful household items out of it. You can even sell your projects or have them featured at your community’s recycling contests and exhibits.

4. Professional waste disposal and removal service

How long have you been using your bed? Mattresses have different life spans, depending on the make. Innerspring mattresses could be used for as long as 10 years and latex beds for 20-25 years. Yes, a repair would be great when you start to notice the first signs of wear and tear. But if you’ve been using your mattress way past its life span, perhaps it’s time to get a new one.

Don’t dispose of your mattress like any type of garbage. Remember, there might be ordinances against keeping large items near public garbage collection areas. Also, it is not advisable to store your old mattress at home as it could become a breeding ground for dust mites and bed bugs. Mildew could also build up, making it look more unsightly with rust-colored stain.

If you think your mattress is no longer usable, your last resort is to contact a professional waste removal service to dispose of your mattress. Professional haulers have the right vehicle and equipment to take the mattress easily and without stress.

Have you been eyeing on that brand new and elegant mattress displayed at the mall or

online store? Are you planning to transfer to a new place and are now finding ways to minimize your luggage for the move? Or do you think the stain and odor of your mattress are beyond repair and recovery? Is your bed causing you more discomfort than restful sleep? Whichever is the case, perhaps it’s time to dispose of your old bed.

Saying goodbye to your bed could be challenging, especially if you got used to it for a long time. Ultimately, your health is more important, and you deserve to enjoy a good rest every night.