Care of W. J. SOUTHARD Mattress

Following our care guidelines ensures your mattress will live up to its potential and help give you many undisturbed nights of sleep.

In the first four to five weeks, you and your mattress will get to know each other.  The natural materials will respond to your body in a way that will make your mattress more comfortable.  Gentle body impressions and subtle shifts are perfectly normal, but it will not affect the performance of your sleep system.  The materials should conform to your body like a pair of shoes. Proper care will prevent normal body impressions from becoming sags and prolong your mattress longevity. 

Adequate support helps to avoid structural damage and prevents your bed from sagging in the middle.   For full, queen, split queen, king and California king size sets use a bed frame that supports head, foot and sides as well as a rigid center support.  On a free standing bed frame, it should have at least 5 legs including a rigid center support.  Platform beds should have at least 5 five hardwood slats at least four inches wide each. 

When placing your mattress on top of platform or wood slats, use a mattress pad over the slats.  This will reduce wear on the mattress cover and impede the transfer of splinters. 

Please rotate your mattress every three months to encourage even wear.  If you have a two sided mattress, please flip every six months to minimize body impressions. 

Unless your W.J. SOUTHARD is a custom size, use a standard-size washable mattress protector to keep the sleep system clean and free of odors. 

Should a liquid soak through your mattress protector, remove sheets and pads immediately.  Wick away spots with a solution that is 1:3 parts white distilled vinegar and water.  Spray solution on the spot, blot it with a cotton fiber and then expose it to direct sunlight until the spot fades and the mattress dries.  Make sure mattress is thoroughly dry and free of cleaning solution before returning it to use.  Never use detergent or a hard brush.  Vacuum your mattress to remove dirt, dust, or lint. 

The fresh cotton or lanolin scent you may detect comes from the natural materials.  Simply let the bed air out for a couple hours without any sheets, and the scent will subside.  Once a month, strip all the sheets and mattress pad to allow the natural fibers in your mattress to breathe. 

Do not place your mattress on a sheet of solid wood.   A surface like this will not allow your bed to breathe.