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So What Do You Do With An Old Mattress?

Posted in: I'm Moving, Organization

old-mattressWhen you’re in moving mode, you’re bound to have some items that you don’t want to bring over to the new pad. At some point, this might be an old mattress. Perhaps you’re downsizing, moving in with someone who already has a fancy new mattress, or you want to upgrade your own bed…whatever it may be, you’ll need to figure out what to do with your old mattress.

new-mattress-bedroomWe recently decided to upgrade our mattress, and were at a loss as to what the heck to do with our old bed. Donate? Throw out? Recycle? We did some research to find the best mattress removal solutions and are here to share our findings. (side note: did you know you’re supposed to replace your mattress every 7 years. #mindblown)

How to donate it

Helpers Moving MattressThere are many organizations out there that accept mattress donations, and some will even come right to your home to pick it up! Here are some organizations that accept mattress donations. To find ones that serve your area, check out donationtown.org.

  • Salvation Army: Most Salvation Army’s will accept mattresses in good condition and you can even schedule a free pick-up for your mattress donation.
  • St. Vincent De Paul: If yours is in sellable condition, they will pick it up for free. If not, you can still dispose of it, but you’ll need to bring it to your local St. Vincent De Paul Donation Center yourself.
  • Local Churches/Synagogues/Temples: You can call around to local places of worship and ask if any congregants are in need of a mattress. It will take some research, but you just might be able to help out someone in your local community.
  • Local Shelters: Another option is to call around to local homeless and domestic abuse shelters to see if they’re in need of any gently-used mattresses.

But (and this is very important!) your mattress has to be in good condition for most of these organizations to accept it. If yours has stains or rips, then they may turn away your donation because they’ll be unable to find a home for it. So make sure to thoroughly inspect your mattress before you make a plan to donate it.

You can recycle it

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If your mattress isn’t in the best shape, and donating is out of the question…then the next best thing to do is recycle it! On Earth911.com you can enter your zip code to find a mattress recycling option near you. If you’re looking to dispose of yours for free, you’ll likely have to bring it to a recycling center yourself. There are some recyclers who will pick up your old mattress and recycle it…for a fee. If you’re willing to pay, there are options out there like Mattress Disposal Plus.

Throw it away (Correctly)

mattress-dumpsterAnd finally if you can’t donate or recycle your old mattress, you can throw it away. Yes, not the most environmentally friendly option out there. But in some cases, it’s the only way to dispose of a mattress in poor condition. Before you leave your old mattress out for trash pick-up, be sure to call your local streets & sanitations number to find out the protocol. Some areas will fine you for trash outside of your bin, whereas others will schedule a special pick-up. No matter what, it’s worth a phone call to make sure you’re disposing of it correctly.

So there you have it…a few options for mattress removal. Now you won’t have to think about this for another 7 years. Hopefully.

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