Too embarrassed by mattress to throw it out!

[WingsOnMyBoots]

We've only had our mattress for a bout three years but we really need to replace it. We can either take to the tip of pay the council to collect it. I don't really mind which way but my dilemma is I am so ashamed of it I daren't throw it out! For the past three years I've been having extremely heavy periods and often while I sleep it's leaked onto the mattress. I'm fairly certain that any methods to remove blood stains won't remove them entirely but if anyone knows how I can get rid of these or somehow cover them up I would be very grateful. Sorry if this has grossed anyone out.

I think it would be quite therapeutic to prop it up against your garden wall and then splatter paint over it.

Had this issue when moving house. Have a super king bed and a huge heavy mattress to go with it. It is only 2 years old and was expensive so didnt want to just get rid of it. Problem is, i wear quite a lot of fake tan and it always gets onto the mattress. I also have absolutely terrible night sweats where i wake up completely drenched and this has caused the mattress to look pretty disgusting. Just before the house move, i found a zip up mattress cover on amazon for about £20 and got my mum to help put it on as the mattress is so heavy. Once zipped up it hid all the unsightly stains.

But if you are just dumping it then i would save the £20 and go with the paint idea. Would be quite fun!

I'm liking @FurCoatFurKnickers idea

Do get a mattress topper for your next one, but make sure it's breathable. I can understand why every hotel and b&b I ever go to seems to put protective covers under the sheets, but if they're rubbery stuff it invariably ends up with me dripping with perspiration at 4 am. I now routinely check the bed and remake it if the under sheets have any sign of plastic.

I put an old duvet cover over mine.

This happened to me - black bin bags taped around it.

Just 'spill' some bleach all over it if you are worried but tbh most mattresses people throw out will be fairly gross. I reckon almost every woman has had one night where they've leaked. Plus people sweat, people wet the bed etc. I doubt the people at the dump will notice and of all the bodily fluids that end up on mattresses period blood is the by far the least disgusting. They will have seen worse. In future I would get yourself a waterproof mattress protector and maybe visit your go about he heavy periods if you havent already.

Not saying period blood is disgusting just the old mattresses have stains! And period blood is probably the best option

I second YAS. Put it outside another mumsnetter's house. :-D

If mainly on one side roll it up and secure with duct tape. Otherwise get creative with ink or paint!

Wow, dismantle & recycle sounds great! I want to try to do that next time. Ta 4 thread.

OP: get a bottle of black ink if you can't bear to dismantle.

As per Royalcoronation above, roll it up as best you can with the stained side of the mattress on the inside, if it won’t roll just fold it in half and get someone to sit on it whilst you wrap tape or rope around it to secure. It should then fit in the car easier to take to tip or can be left out for collection.

So glad I came here to ask! Yes, I will definitely use a mattress topper right from the start with the new one, even though my heavy periods seemed to have ceased, fingers crossed.

I had period blood on my mattress and was really embarassed so bought a zip around mattress cover before I moved (it's a good little mattress, just has blood on it)

I wouldn't pay to cover it for the tip, no way.
You could tape bin bags or odd bits of plastic to it.
When we had our new mattress the delivery men took it away free.

Just want to thank everyone who answered - I've decided to put white paint on the spoiled bits as it's the easiest, fastest, cheapest solution.

We offered to take one to the tip for friends as we had a biggish estate car and I must admit I was a bit embarrassed thinking people would think it was ours !!

i was looking at my mattress today and it's the same. really horrible but i certainly won't be buying anything to cover up the stains before the council pick it up it's madness people! I expect they've seen alot worse. we're human after all.

wouldn't splattering it with paint just make it less likely to be recycled? If they could be anyway

Pour bleach on the stains

My last mattress was grim! Mainly tea stains etc but I too had the disposal conundrum.
My new one has a waterproof sheet on. Rubberized with a towelling surface and then another quilted cotton topper over It.

Mine looked pristine when I got rid of it. I had a mattress protector and 2 toppers then a waterproof layer than the sheet so nothing got through that lot.

They still zipped it straight into a cover when they collected it.

IKEA makes excellent nonrustling waterproof mattress covers. Trash guys only notice things they can salvage.