A mattress is large but light, which makes it easy to damage by dragging. The bag keeps out dirt and moisture, the carry keeps the springs from bending and the right sequence keeps the cover from tearing. A new or clean mattress deserves the same care as a used one.
Cover it before it moves
Slide the mattress into a mattress bag or a full-size plastic cover and seal the opening with tape. A box-style mattress carton, a telescoping cardboard sleeve, does the same job and adds rigidity.
Sizes matter. A twin, full, queen, king and California king each have a matching bag, so check the label on the mattress and match the cover. Your estimator can note the bed sizes in the written estimate.
- Strip the bed and wash the bedding.
- Lift the mattress and slide it into the bag.
- Squeeze out extra air and tape the opening shut.
- Tape the seam again around the middle for handles.
- Label the cover with the room and the word mattress.
Carry it flat or on its side
Never fold a mattress. Folding bends the springs in an innerspring bed and cracks the foam in a memory-foam bed, and the damage does not come back out.
Two people can carry a queen or king on its long edge, one at each end. Heavy mattresses often need a third pair of hands or a mover who has the right straps.
Box springs, frames and headboards
Box springs go in their own cover or box, and bed frames come apart with a screwdriver or a wrench. Put every bolt in a labeled bag taped to the headboard. For the frame, see how to take apart a bed frame for a move.
Wrap headboards and rails in moving pads so the finish does not scuff.
Bed bugs and storage
A sealed mattress cover helps keep a mattress clean in storage and in transit. The U.S. EPA explains how bed bugs spread and what to check for, and a covered mattress is one simple precaution when a bed goes into a vault or a new home.
For a stored mattress, set it on a pallet or flat on the vault floor, covered, and leave it dry. See how vault storage works.
On the truck and at delivery
Mattresses ride on top of or against a wall of furniture, never under a heavy piece. At delivery, remove the bag in the room where the bed goes, then check the corners and the label.