apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Oh no no no no no. Dust mites. Ticks. Fleas. Odors. Invisible dead skin cells. Eeeewww. Who knows what dangers and atrocities lurk in the mattresses of strangers?

Never ever ever. Bed bugs are coming back in a new and vicious way because they're developing immunities to the usual pesticides used on them. They can cost huge amounts of money and tons of horrible chemicals to get rid of.

Better to just get a new mattress and practice frugality by keeping it forever instead.

For the napkins, how about regular cloth cocktail napkins.

Regarding the mattress, I did buy a used one a long time ago for my guest bedroom. I did my best to air it out, vacuum and disinfect it then I got a cover for it. It is long gone now, but you do what you have to when money is low.

I bought a used mattress once, but it was from a friend of mine. She was moving across the country but couldn't take her bedframe and mattress with her.
So I guess, yeah, I would buy a used mattress, but only from someone I know well. :)

I have bought used mattresses twice, because it was all I could afford at the time. Put some extra blankets or covers over it, and remind yourself that all hotel beds are used mattresses.

Absolutely not.
BED BUGS.
If you're broke buy foam rubber put it on the floor!

A big HELL NO. I am easily disgusted by the unknown trapped grossness in upholstered salvage as it is. Used beds usually have some big stain on the cover, and no many layers of blankets between is going to get me comfortable with it in my home. That's not even covering potential for bedbugs that seem popular in my area.

Read this website.
http://bedbugger.com/

Not in a million ^%$& 'ing years.

No, I agree with the first comment just thinking 'bout what's lurking in a used mattress makes my skin crawl!

I bought a 3000 dollar designer mattress that was only 2 months old for 200 dollars. It was in pristine condition, passed a black light inspection -- and I've slept like log since getting it.

Ah, AT, the home of the finely-tuned knee-jerk disgust reflex. A used mattress will have already offgassed most of the "toxins" people freak out about. And I encase all my mattresses in zippered vinyl covers anyway because of allergies, so I honestly don't care what sorts of dead cells and such are in it.

I would never buy a used mattress! Not after I looked up how to get rid of squirrels in the attic and came across the story of a woman who bought a mattress at Salvation Army and was being kept up at night by the mice that lived inside. They were walking around in the padding and she could feel them but she didn't want to get rid of the mattress so she was looking for alternate ways to get them out. Must have been some dire circumstances!

On the flip side, I never had any trouble selling/giving away my old mattresses.

You know when people will see something merely tacky and say they just threw up in their mouth a little? I think such an occasion as I have reserved the sentiment has arrived.

NEVER buy a used mattress!!! mold can grow inside them and you can develop really bad allergies.

It depends. If the mattress were owned only by one person that I knew, was relatively new (they do wear out, after all), was in really good condition (clean), and if I were going to put a mattress cover on it, yes, I would. If we are talking unknown previous circumstances, old, stained, smelly, torn, mouse ridden, or in any other way questionable -- no.

But as someone already said -- hotel mattresses are "used" and we still stay in hotels. People's guest beds are "used". Loaner sleeping bags are ickier than mattresses with clean sheets...

I can't think of any circumstances that would make me keep a mattress with "Mice" in it. Are you *$&*@#$ kidding me?

I had never even heard of bedbugs until this site, so I guess I've been lucky. Right out of college, I bought a used mattress that cost the original owner $1000 for $150. No stains and only used 6 months (she had the receipt). I had no problem with it at the time. I agree with tam-tbag, how is this different than sleeping at a friend's house, or in a hotel?

I don't think the pic in front of the question helps. I think most people would gag a bit at taking a mattress home off the street -- especially a saggy, stained, worn out affair like this. But honestly people --- if you knew that the mattress was fairly new and clean, why are you having the heebie jeebies? People buy mattresses all the time, then decide a couple months later that it's too soft/hard/whatever, and give them away or sell them. Not a big deal.

Hmmm, why would someone buy a $xxxx mattress then turn around and sell it for next to nothing? Honestly, I bought a "used" mattress which was still in the plastic because the person just moved and couldn't get it up the tiny staircase. So in that rare circumstance I would.

Used mattress=GROSS! I would rather sleep on the floor.

I did years ago when I was poor - and guess what? The earth didn't fall off it's axis and I didn't get eaten alive in the night...

...matter of fact, when you're in the Military - you get a mattress that dozens of other people have slept on before...

...and when you're in a Hotel or aboard a Ship, hundreds if not thousands of other people have slept, etc. on that same bed - With no reported deaths either!

If mold develops in mattresses, does that also mean one shouldn't keep their own mattress longer than a year or two? Why are we never this grossed out by used couches? I mean -- reupholstering something doesn't make it "new"! And you know people have been known to have sex on couches, right people?

totally gross. would not buy a used mattress.

One of your more sensible comments, bepsf. My sentiments, exactly. I sleep on a pricey Tempurpedic now - after dreaming and saving - but there's a time... and common sense plays a major role (I'd hope).

I bought a used mattress in Chicago as a student and had no problem, but I wouldn't do it in a city like New York that has widespread bed bug problems.

A used mattress is fine as long as it's:

A) Clean, and
B) Not too old.

I'm a little amused at all the "OMG GROSS" reactions. I can understand wanting to make sure a mattress is pest-free and not on its last legs, but freaking out at the very concept of a used mattress is just silly. Have you never slept on someone's guest bed before? Hotels have already been mentioned.

oddly enough, we've sold 2 used mattresses for (get this) what we paid for them. one was a mcroskey setup and the other from delaespada... and oddly retail of each had more than doubled since our purchase. the buyers were thrilled to get a (aahem) good deal... and for them, it was good... more than 1/2 off retail for a mattress owned by germaphobes and neat freaks. we now sleep on (and love -- more than the msroskey) a mattress and topper from ikea. who knew.

however, would i buy one? um, no. i don't even like to sleep at hotels... and i don't even let relatives sleep in my bed. fortunately, we have a guest room.

It is illegal to sell a used mattress in my state. Personally I don't have a terrible problem with it.

Probably not, unless I knew the person it was coming from and was 120% sure it hadn't been peed on or was full of bugs.

A mattress is something that should last a while if you take care of it, so I'd rather just cough up for a new one and use it as long as possible.

You people are babies. Utter babies. What a ridiculous misappropriation of germ phobia.

You aren't going to die from sleeping on a used mattress. How many college kids through the ages have pulled old mattresses off the side of a dumpster to sleep on with no reported illnesses?

I hope to God you lily livered rich kids get ready for the coming decline of America because a used mattress will be the least of your worries soon.

No wonder people want to blow us up. Jeeez.

I bought a mattress (the current one I own) because I was in college and couldn't afford to spring for a new one and the air mattress I was sleeping in wouldn't cut it. I went to the houses of several people who were selling them and checked each one out before I purchased mine. I ended up buying it from someone who had a very lovely and clean home and the mattress looked in good condition. They were selling it because they were upgrading to a larger mattress (the one I bought from them was a full).

I've got to agree with all the hotel, guest room comments. I made sure that the people I bought it from seemed nice and cared for the things they owned.

But I don't know I guess I'm gross that way. :)

Bought a used, name brand mattress from a stranger on Craigslist for $40. It's in great shape. Used about a year now with no problems whatsoever.

I have to use an allergen cover for my mattress anyway, so what's the difference? Glad to save the dough.

I bought the mattress of the girl who was moving out of the room I was moving into. I figured there wasn't much with a mattress that there wouldn't be with a carpet and I'd rather have a few dead skin cells than offgassing toxins. Plus I can't afford the mattresses with toxins still around. Don't know if I'd buy a used mattress in another circumstance, but I grew up sleeping on the same mattress as many family members before me. It's at least 80 years old and stuffed with horsehair and wouldn't be against sleeping on it still except it's smaller than a twin size.

I used to move around often, and a busboy job made buying a brand-new mattress seem idiotic. I slept on many mattresses of sketchy origin -- some came with the rooms I rented, some were dumpstered -- and never had a problem. Then, I don't live in New York. What a gross city

this is why mattresses and upholstered items have those tags that are not to be removed by law. the contents are guaranteed sterile and once the are used they are not. i prefer my own dust mites, thank you.

As far as "germ-phobia," I really only just have this one skeeve, and it's not really absolute. I've slept on old mattresses, peed-on mattresses, boarding room mattresses, hotel/motel mattresses, guest room mattresses, college dorm mattresses, a mattress that was stored in a garage loft over winter, and a mattress my ex's grandmother had died in (some of these are the same mattress). Never any military base mattresses, but there's still time.

I never said that I wouldn't sleep on one. I wouldn't really like it, and I wouldn't buy one. I'd really rather not. It's nice to have your own new mattress. I was really proud when I could afford one. I think I deserve that much.

the idea of buying a used mattress is like buying used underwear.... no thank you.

I used to live in a city with a bedbug problem. I had no money for furniture and had just moved from across the continent. I got a sofa and a mattress from the curb. I reupholstered the sofa and used a mattress cover. In other countries I slept on a bag of straw that was on top of two planks of wood. If you are tired enough, you can sleep on anything.

I had sold my almost new mattress (made my back hurt) to a friend. He had no issues with buying it but I had some as the seller. I had heard horror stories regarding used mattress and thought, what if I get a call from him saying there was a problem? I don't know what I'd do... saying buyer beware to a friend just wouldn't cut it. Thankfully he loves it and appreciated the great deal I gave him on it!

Read the bed bug registry.
Put in your address, see if your neighbors have bed bugs.
We have group where None of you have dealt with them so your all so cavalier, and think this is a "germ phobia" nonsense or some class issue of the rich privileged who sleep on new mattress.
Hotels, and traveling is the source of how many apartment infestations begin.

http://bedbugregistry.com/metro/nyc

My senior year of college I moved into an off-campus apartment and had to search for my first mattress, a difficult prospect for a penniless young girl who was a bit of a bed snob.

I did a little research and found that The Salvation Army breaks down donated mattresses, sterilizes the materials and builds new mattress sets that are amazingly affordable (I paid $200 for my ultra-thick, queen-size bed) and quite comfortable, especially if you throw a featherbed and great sheets on top.

When my boyfriend and I moved in together last year, we sold his expensive, uncomfortable mattress and went with my trusty Salvation Army one. I have slept like a baby for four years now.

I don't know if The Salvation Army is still doing this, but it's definitely worth researching for those looking for greener, inexpensive mattress alternatives.

Here's an article about buying a used mattress. It seems airbeds, such as the Sleep Number Bed, are the best.

http://www.sleeplikethedead.com/mattress-reviews-used.html

No, it is not safe or sanitary. It is best to get a new one. Sometimes, you can't help it...but it is worth getting a new one. (Someone recently sold a used mattress on Craigslist and it turns out it was infested with Bed Bugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)