How Long Is A Crib Mattress Good For

Babies are adorable and tiny, just can likewise be very expensive. There is a lot of gear to buy, including a crib mattress. If you lot have access to a used one, you may wonder if it's safe to utilise or if y'all should buy a new ane.

A crib mattress can toll several hundred dollars, so it'south very tempting to simply reuse your older child's mattress for a new baby or purchase one secondhand. However, a used crib mattress (even if information technology was used by a sibling, close family member, or friend) might not be every bit safe as you recall.

Is Your Used Crib Mattress Safe?

A infant'southward mattress must be house. Soft mattresses are associated with an elevated risk of sudden infant decease syndrome (SIDS). Over time, the surface and shape of a crib mattress can settle and get soft and uneven. Reinforced edging (which stops the edge of the mattress from caving down nether your baby'due south body weight) can too weaken with time.

Without a firm edge, your little i could become trapped betwixt the mattress and the crib rails, which could result in injury or even decease.

However, if you purchased the mattress new for an older sibling, you might exist able to reuse it. Information technology is safe for your baby if information technology is clean, in proficient status, and meets these safety standards.

Proper Fit

Mattress size matters. Almost cribs utilize a standard-sized crib mattress, but yous volition also notice those that do not. An ill-plumbing equipment mattress can pose a serious condom hazard for your child.

To see if your potential mattress is a practiced fit, try the "ii-finger" examination. There should be no more two finger-widths of space between the side of the mattress and the crib frame. Any larger and your babe could get entrapped between the two, resulting in injury or suffocation.

Firmness

The mattress surface should appear firm and even. If you notice any sagging or signs of body contouring, the mattress poses a take chances for SIDS and should exist replaced.

To test a mattress's compactness, press your hand into the middle and effectually the edges of your mattress. When you lot remove information technology, note how quickly it regains its shape. A business firm and resilient mattress will snap dorsum quickly.

Frame Integrity

The overall frame of your mattress should be in adept repair. If you find whatever testify of a broken frame or back up bars, the crib mattress should be replaced. Additionally, if the mattress rattles when moved or if you can feel the springs sticking upwardly through the cushioning, do not use the mattress.

A Make clean Record

Just considering a mattress looks make clean does not hateful that it is clean. Experts often suggest confronting using a secondhand mattress because you don't have intimate knowledge of its past. Fifty-fifty a close friend or family member might neglect to mention an accident or two—especially if the mattress appears no worse for the clothing.

Be sure to inspect the mattress for bed bugs, small, flat, reddish bugs that subsist on blood. These tiny creatures are experts at staying hidden during the day, and then expect in the mattress seams and any other possible hiding places near the bed. If y'all practice detect bed bugs, it'southward best to pass on the mattress. If you already own the bed, it's usually best to call an exterminator.

Additionally, check the mattress for signs of mold. Crib mattresses are often covered in a waterproof blanket, making mold less likely. Mold unremarkably grows in damp, wet, or boiling conditions, so if the mattress (or room it is in) has been exposed to wet for an extended catamenia, it may have mold. Fifty-fifty if you don't meet mold, it could be there. A musty scent is a telltale sign of mold or mildew, which in the initial stages of growth may be invisible to the naked eye.

That said, no 1 knows your mattress' history amend than y'all. If you lot determine to reuse a mattress, fifty-fifty if information technology looks clean, be sure to thoroughly make clean it by wiping it down with lather and a clammy material.

If you lot're planning on reusing your existing crib mattress, exist honest with yourself. If it ever experienced a skilful soaking or has whatever unpleasant odors, you lot probably shouldn't employ information technology.

Summary

Any crib mattress that you lot utilise needs to be able to withstand a thorough inspection. If information technology does, comprehend and store it in a make clean and dry place while you await its next occupant. Once in utilize, invest in a water-resistant mattress cover, and don't forget to conduct regular inspections to ensure your piffling i's mattress is holding up.

A Word From Verywell

While it tin can be tempting to reuse a crib mattress or purchase one secondhand, yous should but consider a used mattress if it meets the above guidelines for safety and cleanliness. It's important to make sure whatever mattress y'all choose is still in good shape and then that information technology'due south prophylactic for your babe.