Need to get rid of a mattress? Here’s the lowdown on how

Unlike a fine bottle of red, mattresses sadly don’t get better with age. Sure they last a decent run (our mattresses, for instance, come with a 10-year guarantee!), but at some point, it’s time to wave goodbye. 

So, how do you get rid of a mattress that’s seen better days without just adding it to a landfill and ruining the environment? We’ve got you covered. 

Plus, we’ll help you work out which Koala mattress is the right one for you because you’ll need something to sleep on!

How long does a mattress last?

No mattress lasts forever, and you’ll probably go through a few in your lifetime. So, how long does a mattress last? That depends on a few things, including the quality of the mattress and how you’ve treated it. But in general, you’ll get 10ish years. 

If your mattress is sagging, stained, and not giving you a restful night’s sleep, it’s probably time for a new one. 

After you’ve selected your new Koala mattress, you’ll need to dispose of your old one. But before you grab the occy straps, borrow your neighbour’s ute and scrape together the fee for the tip. STOP! We don’t want your mattress ending up in a landfill. The climate’s got enough to deal with right now.

One million mattresses end up in landfills every year. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Get rid of your old mattress in an environmentally friendly way.

How to get rid of old mattresses

Sure, it may feel easy to just pay the tip fee, dump the mattress and walk away. But at Koala, the environment matters to us. And we reckon it matters to you too. 

According to the Australian Bedding Stewardship Council, about 1.8 million mattresses are discarded in Australia every year. Planet Ark reports more than a million of those end up in a landfill. Unwanted mattresses take up a lot of space, are hard to bury, take ages to break down and pose a fire hazard. 

There must be a better way. Mattresses are made up of many different types of materials. And a lot of these can be stripped away and recycled or reused. 

So, you can help the environment by preventing your mattress from going to landfills and helping use less energy because recycling old materials uses less energy than making new ones.

Ways of old mattress removal:

🛏️ Contact your local council to see if it offers a mattress recycling service. Many do!        

🛏️ Talk to local charities to see if they may take it. Some charities have a policy that does not accept mattresses. Still, if yours is in good nick (without stains, sagging or tears), a charity shop could give it to a home or family that needs it.                    

🛏️ Google ‘mattress removal services near me’ to find companies that support mattress recycling in your area.      

🛏️ Try out your local community board, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace. There will be people out there looking to take it off your hands or who can tell you about mattress disposal services in your area for free (or for a small fee).    

What happens to returned Koala mattresses?

When Koala receives a product back from a customer, those salvageable are thoroughly cleaned before we pop it in Koala Second Home.      

That’s our furniture recovery and factory outlet in Campbelltown, where you can grab a bargain — discounted new and near-new Koala goodies. 

Can your mattress be saved?

Still not sure if it’s time for mattress removal? Maybe it just needs a refresh. Click over here for tips on how to clean a mattress.    

🛏️ Sprinkle your mattress generously with bicarb soda, leave it for half a day and vacuum. Let it sit in the sun or crank up the fan to give it an airing. This is an excellent solution if there are fresh stains or it’s getting a bit whiffy. 

🛏️ Spray old stains with a solution of one part vinegar and two parts water and let it dry — preferably in the sun. 

🛏️ Rotate the mattress 180 degrees monthly to keep it fresh and extend its life. No matter how great you are at cleaning, sometimes you just need to let go. And that’s okay. You tried your best. And now you deserve a rest. But you’ll need a new mattress for that.      

So, here are our tips for buying a mattress online.

Out with the old, in with the new

Mattress buying would be a lot more fun if you didn’t have to worry about what to do with your old mattress. But worry no more. There are alternatives to just dumping it in a landfill. 

Plus, there are many ways to reuse or recycle your old mattress. And, when it’s time to buy a new mattress… Shop our mattress range.