IF YOU OWN a king-sized mattress, you know how heavy and difficult it can be to rotate.

I, however, didn’t.

As a new owner of a king, it wasn’t until I tried lifting and rotating it with my partner that I discovered the realities of having such a large mattress: the additional 16 inches of width (compared to a queen), and the luxurious layers of materials, add a lot of extra weight.

Back-breaking weight. Ouch.

Since it’s important to regularly rotate your mattress every couple of months for even wear, I asked some of our Comfort Coaches at Verlo for tips and techniques on how rotate a king sized mattress without needing physical therapy afterwards.

Tips for how to rotate a mattress

Here’s what three of our Comfort Coaches had to offer:

Adam T:

Rotating a mattress is easiest when two people are doing it. Safety should always be the primary concern.

1. With someone on each side, grab the thick band on the bottom border of the mattress, also called the bottom “tape edge.”

2. Lift with your legs and slightly lift the mattress from underneath while sliding it a little forward. KEEP THE MIDDLE OF THE MATTRESS IN CONTACT (TOUCHING) WITH THE FOUNDATION AT ALL TIMES. There’s no need for you to carry the full weight of the mattress, let the foundation bear the weight.

3. Lift again and rotate a quarter turn (remembering to keep contact with the foundation). Put the mattress back down after completing a quarter rotation.

4. Continue lifting and rotating until the mattress is where it needs to be.

5. Slightly lift and slide mattress back to head of bed.

Darren B: 

The handles on the mattress shouldn’t be used for lifting the mattress, as they can rip and damage the mattress. Use the handles only to slightly move the mattress into place. Remember to grab the thick band on the bottom of the mattress for lifting.

For safety purposes, always use a partner when rotating a king-sized mattress.

Move the nightstand to a different area of the bedroom to allow room for rotating the mattress, and to avoid knocking a lamp down. Make sure you have cleared the area around your bed. You don’t want to be tripping over shoes or other items on the floor when you’re lifting a mattress.

Josh H:

If you use a dust ruffle, it will probably shift out of place when you rotate your mattress. To prevent this from happening, safety pin the dust ruffle to the fabric on the bottom foundation, taking care to pin all around the edges. (It’s best to do this when your mattress is completely off the foundation.)

Alternatives for lightening your load

What happens if you live alone, or there are physical restrictions that prevent you or your partner from lifting the mattress? If that’s the case, my advice is to call in the troops:

• Throw a party.
  Call it a “Rotate for a Roast” gathering. Invite people for dinner and when they feebly ask, “Is there anything I can do to help?” your answer is “Why, yes there is.” Before you serve them a savory roast, lead your company to the bedroom and let them earn their supper.

• Use child labor.
  If your house is the one that all the kids like to hang out at, use it to your advantage. Again, use food as a motivator. Whip up a batch of cookies and when the aroma of baked goodness wafts through the house and stirs the teenagers – strike quickly: “Hey kids, if you help rotate my mattress, you can have warm chocolate-chip cookies.” Consider it done.

• Call in professionals.
  Some mattress stores actually offer a mattress flipping/rotating service for a nominal fee. If it prevents you from getting hurt, or leaning on your friends too often, consider it money well spent. Plus, signing up for the service ensures your mattress is maintained on a regular basis.