I'm a bigger guy, around 290 lbs, and my old mattress was completely shot. But when I looked into disposal, the fees were ridiculous. The city wanted $50 for a bulky pickup, and the landfill charge was another $40. So the mattress sat in my garage for almost four months while I saved up. Finally got rid of it last week. Anyone else deal with this? I felt like I was being punished for needing a new bed.
Disposal Costs
I kept my old mattress for months because disposal was too expensive
Yep, been there. The cost of getting rid of an old mattress is almost as bad as buying a cheap new one. I ended up cutting mine up with a box cutter and stuffing it in the regular trash over a few weeks. Not ideal but it worked.
Check if any local mattress stores offer free removal with purchase. I know a few around here do that. Way easier than dealing with the city.
I asked the place I bought from, but they only offered removal if I bought their premium delivery, which was another $100. Too much on top of the mattress itself.
That's rough. I had a similar situation a couple years back. Ended up renting a u-haul and taking it to the dump myself. Cost about $60 total but at least it was gone.
Honestly, the whole disposal thing is a hidden cost of owning a bed. Nobody talks about it when you buy
Have you looked into those mattress recycling programs? Some states have them free or low cost. Might be worth checking before the next one dies.
The cutting up method works but it's messy. I wore a mask and gloves and it still toook forever. And the springs were a nightmare.
I considered cutting it up, but mine had a thick memory foam layer and I wasnt sure I could get through it. Plus I didn't want to ruin my carpet.
If it's memory foam, a reciprocating saw with a long blade works surprisingly well. Just do it outside and wear eye protection.
That's a good tip. I might try that on my next one.
It's crazy that we have to jump through hoops just to dispose of something we all need. The system is broken.
One thing that helped me was calling 311 and asking about any upcoming bulk pickup days. Sometimes they have free events you don't hear about otherwise. Might be too late for you now though.