A new mattress shows up in a box. The old one does not leave that way. Mattresses are big, floppy, surprisingly heavy, and most curbside trash service will not take them with the regular garbage. If you are stuck with an old mattress in Winston-Salem or anywhere in the Triad, here are your real options.
Option 1: Donate it, if it is in good shape
A clean mattress with no stains, tears, sagging, or pests may be accepted by some charities and furniture banks. Standards are strict for health reasons, and many donation centers do not accept mattresses at all, so call before you load it up. Be realistic: a mattress more than a few years old, or one with any stains, will almost always be turned away.
Option 2: Ask the store that sold you the new one
Some mattress retailers offer to take your old mattress when they deliver the new one, sometimes for a fee. Ask at checkout, not after delivery. The driver usually cannot add it on the spot if it was not on the order.
Option 3: Haul it yourself
If you have a truck, you can take a mattress to a disposal facility yourself. Check the facility's current rules and fees first, since mattresses are often handled differently from general trash. Tie it down well. A mattress catches wind like a sail on US 52 or I-40, and a mattress in the road is a serious hazard.
Option 4: Put it out for city bulky item collection
Many cities offer some form of bulky item pickup, but rules, schedules, and fees vary and change over time. Check with the City of Winston-Salem, or your own town if you live in Kernersville, Clemmons, or elsewhere in Forsyth County, for current details before you drag it to the curb. A mattress left out on the wrong day can get you a notice.
Option 5: Have it picked up
If you do not have a truck, do not want to wrestle it down the stairs, or have more than one item, a junk removal pickup is the simplest route. We carry it out from the bedroom, load it, and take care of disposal. You do not need to move it anywhere first.
What about a mattress with bed bugs?
Bed bugs change the plan. The goal is to get the mattress out without spreading bugs through your home, a stairwell, or someone else's truck. Here is what to do:
- Seal it first. Wrap the mattress and box spring completely in heavy plastic. Mattress disposal bags work well. Tape every seam.
- Mark it. Write "bed bugs" on the plastic so nobody picks it up off the curb and takes it home.
- Tell your hauler. Let us know when you book so we can load it separately.
- Treat the home. Throwing out the mattress alone will not solve a bed bug problem. Work with a licensed pest control company.
Tips for moving a mattress yourself
- Clear the path first: pick up rugs, prop doors open, and move anything fragile out of hallways.
- Stand it on its long edge to get through doorways.
- Use two people on stairs, and keep the heavier person on the bottom.
- Never carry a mattress flat overhead down stairs. You cannot see your feet.