Mattress bags and cartons for beds

A mattress is large, awkward and absorbent. It picks up dust in a truck, dirt on a driveway and moisture in a warehouse if it goes unprotected. Covering it takes five minutes, and it matters most for a mattress headed to storage, where it may sit for months. Here is how the bag and the carton differ, and how to use each one.

At a glance

• Bag for a short local move, carton for storage
• Sized to twin, full, queen, king or crib
• Seal every seam against dust and damp
• Supplies at the Sparks office, 2277 Glendale Ave

Bag or carton

A mattress bag is a thick plastic sleeve that slides over the mattress and seals with tape. It keeps out dirt, dust and drips, and it is the usual choice for a local move. A mattress carton is a cardboard box in two telescoping halves that encloses the mattress completely. It adds a stiff outer shell, so it suits long-distance moves and storage, where the mattress will be stacked against other goods or kept for a long time.

Both come in sizes that match the bed, from a crib or twin to a king. Check the size on your mattress tag before you buy.

Fitting a bag or carton

Two people make this job easy. Clear the room first, so there is space to stand the mattress up.

1. Strip the bed and vacuum the mattress surface.
2. For a bag, stand the mattress on its side and slide the bag over the end, pulling it down evenly.
3. For a carton, set the base half down, lower the mattress in, and slide the top half over the mattress.
4. Seal all seams and the opening with wide tape, overlapping the edge of the plastic.
5. Write the bed and room on the side, for example GUEST ROOM QUEEN, and mark TOP.
6. Carry it on its side, and keep it flat only when a truck or vault is set up for it.

Mattresses headed to storage

Beds that go into vault storage are best in a sealed carton or a bag with every seam taped. O'Brien's runs full-service vault storage in its Sparks warehouse, in wooden vaults 7 ft by 7 ft by 5 ft, from $40 per month, and a protected mattress rides in a vault without picking up grit from nearby items. Read how vault storage works before you pack.

The mattress guide at how to pack and move a mattress goes into the frame, the box spring and the headboard.

Other bedroom supplies

Bed frames come apart with a few bolts, so keep the hardware in a labeled bag taped to the frame. Slats and rails can be wrapped in a moving pad. Pillows, linens and blankets pack easily in a large box. The longer guide is how to take apart a bed frame for moving.

Where to get them

O'Brien's carries boxes, wrapping supplies and tape at the office in Sparks, open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, phone 775-359-6683. Standard and custom supply price sheets come on request. Your free in-home estimate includes 10 free heavy-duty boxes, and the packing calculator will tell you how many more the bedrooms need.