I threw out a perfectly good Japanese futon mattress last week. I bought the mattress right after I bought my house, thinking I’d be perfectly satisfied sleeping on the floor in a minimalistic Japanese style. After all, I’d just ended a 2 month road trip sleeping on an air mattress in a coffin-like unheated camper. Sleeping on a queen size padded futon with real sheets in an actual bedroom would be a substantial step up.
It was.
But, after a week, I realized that sleeping on the floor was not for me. Dust and debris from the floor got into the sheets constantly. It was not comfortable for reading or sitting. Worse was getting up and down during the night to pee.
Still, I had to try it because the idea was appealing.
After that experiment, I bought an Ikea platform bed and put the futon on it. Being off the floor was better, but the futon was too thin. I could feel the platform’s slats through it and it sat too low in the frame.
At that point, I ordered a Tuft & Needle foam mattress that I’ve used ever since. It’s perfect.
I rolled up the futon and put it in my spare bedroom closet figuring I’d use it when I had a houseguest. I would give the guest my bed and I could make do with sleeping on the floor for a few days.
Except now I know that is never happening. I’ve been here four 4 years and haven’t had a single house guest sleep over during that time. Nor do I want to have one. On the off chance I have an out of town visitor, they can stay in a hotel.
None of the thrift shops will take a mattress, so I put it in the trash along with the military wool blanket I bought for “emergency use” when I was on the road. I was instructed that wool stays warm when wet and might save my life.
It didn’t. I never used it. It was itchy and smelled like oil.
Next up, I plan to sort through my kitchen drawers, closets and cabinets to get rid of anything else I put away “just in case”. If I haven’t used it in 4 years, I probably don’t need to keep it anymore.