Cutting a mattress up

[Tim+]

Any tips for cutting up a king sized mattress to make it easier to transport to the tip?

Tim

[Andy Burns]

Be prepared for a fight!

I didn't fancy taking an angle grinder to it (suppose I could have doused it with water first) so used bolt cutters to snap all the rods round the edge, then rolled it up using a pair of ratchet straps to apply pressure ... it just fit in an estate car.

[The Natural Philosopher]

...fitted...

[Chris Bacon]

1) Fold it in half and use a couple of reatchet straps to keep it that way. 2) If it's foam, cut through it with a knife.

2) If it's got springs, cut through the layers of cloth and foam with a knife, cut the springs with bolt croppers (make sure the jaws are adjusted properly to make it easier. Wrap it up with something to minimise harm from cut ends.

[Chris Hogg]

My thought also. 'Fit' jars every time I see it in books written by Americans.

[alan_m]

Don't

I tried this with a sprung mattress 30+ years ago and regretted it.

Just tie it to the roof of your car. Intact it is unlikely to scratch the paintwork or do any other damage.

[GB]

Having read the suggestions, can I ask how much your council would charge to collect it? :)

[alan_m]

+1 My council charges £8 to collect a mattress (plus £5.5 for any other additional bulky item collected at the same time)

[Andy Burns]

£22.30 here (that is minimum charge and you can send two items for the same price)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Or even 'fits'

Fit means 'sexy'

[newshound]

+1 (or pay for collection)

[The Natural Philosopher]

With the current cost of diesel, probably a good deal

These days I have to hire a small van to take stuff to the tip.

[Andy Burns]

Round here, vans and trailer have to be registered to be let in.

[Tim+]

Thanks. That worked a treat. Was able to get it in the back of my car.

Tim

[Tim+]

£25 here for a bulky uplift. Straps and folding worked better than I expected so it?s away now.

Tim

[SH]

ditto here, I have to apply for a DiY waste permit to take my trailer up to 10 times per year.

After that, you get charged PER trailer.

It does not make any difference whether its a 3ft by 4ft by 1ft trailer or a 6ft by 18ft by 4ft trailer......

[Tim+]

That why I have an EV. ;-)

Tim

[Tricky Dicky]

Our council allows tipping from cars and trailers at its recycling centres for free as long as you have a residents permit which is free. You can get a van permit free again on application but you need to provide a registration number which can pose a ?Catch-22? issue if you plan on using a hire vehicle as they require at least 24 hours notice but for obvious reasons hire companies cannot give you that information in advance. We found that out when disposing of concrete/asbestos panels. In the end the guy at the office said the paperwork would be at the centre and just fill in the registration on entry.

There is a sliding scale for bulky collections starting at £15 for 5 items whatever their size might be.

Richard

[Chris J Dixon]

Last time I had a little clay subsoil to dispose of, I transported it in old compost bags, keeping them down to a weight I could easily handle.

Their rate (I wasn't even aware at the time it would be chargeable) was "per bag". They did allow a little leeway for my small bags, but I was unhappy that to minimise costs I would probably have had to risk straining my back. :-(

Chris

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

alan_m formulated the question :

I have not checked for a while, but last time it was £20 and covered three items.