In trying to be eclectic, I decided to investigate mattress makers' claims that the weight of your mattress doubles in 10 years. I found that the scientific investigators scoffed at such a ridiculous claim. Only commercial mattress websites and light-weight glamour/consumer chat sites gave it any credibility.
Since most of the weight of a mattress is from its springs, no amount of dead skin, dust mites (plus their poop) could conceivably add significantly to the weight, even in 100 years. Plus, these items could only add to the outermost layers. I've beat a lot of dust out of some throw rugs over the years, and I've never noticed one seeming even a tad lighter when I brought it back inside. And these are rugs that are walked on daily. I think the mattress "urban legend" was perpetrated by the industry, following suit with all manner of extended warranty scams and the like.
When we bought our last mattress we were told it was good for about 14 years. Now the same one is being advertised as an 8 year mattress. Remember when auto parts places started pushing "replacing your hoses and belts every four years"? Aside from the fact that many people don't even keep a car that long, the recommended practice is to have your mechanic check hoses and belts whenever your car is serviced. It's not hard to detect cracked or damaged parts well before they'll give you a problem.
I still think the solution to falling for items like these is better teaching for critical thinking at early ages. But I'm afraid too many gullible adults are not qualified to provide the training. Let's be skeptical of advertising claims, but not paranoid. Let's buy into common sense, not nonsense. We'll sleep better.
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