Uses for old mattress springs?

[gcvmom]

Okay, I confess: I HATE to throw things out when they might be useful for something else. I think I get that from my dad

Anyway, easy child/difficult child 3 was using a VERY old mattress that came with the bedroom set I bought from a friend of my mother. Like maybe from the 1950's. She finally started to complain that the springs hurt her back, so I decided to get rid of it. But the ticking is a beautiful vintage red and cream floral jacquard, and I know I could either use it to make some really pretty pillows or a blanket or SOMETHING -- and short of that, I could probably sell the fabric on eBay.

So I removed the fabric carefully from the mattress, snipping the cords that were sewn through the innerspring which held it all together.

The difficult child-boys stripped the cotton batting and coconut fiber from off the innerspring, which I'm pretty sure is steel. We tossed the fiber stuff and now I've got this twin-size innerspring frame that I feel MUST be useful for SOMETHING?

Any ideas to help me out here? Or do I resign myself to hauling it to the scrap yard?

P.S. The mattress still has it's original "Goodyear" brand tag and the price was $49.95! And it was guaranteed for 10 years... which probably expired before I was BORN!!!

 

[Hound dog]

Might want to at least see if that steel can be recycled for cash before you decide to toss it.

*sigh* They made things to last back then.

husband and I are sleeping on a mattress that belonged to his great aunt. The woman never bought anything cheap in her life. She used it for 25+ yrs before we got it along with the bedroom suite, and we've used it for the past18 yrs, (OMG it's been that long???)

We've only just last year added one of those space foam mattress toppers. husband moaned about needing it, I thought the mattress as comfy as ever.

Gee, I can't think of a thing to use those springs for.

 

[susiestar]

I would look for a metal recyling place at the very least. Maybe the kids could make moon shoes? I think I saw that on Fat Albert as a kid, so it maybe isn't something you want to suggest.

I know aluminum is going for 50 cents a pound now, as opposed to less than 10 cents a year ago! So check out that steel.

 

[Star*]

Steel is at an ALL TIME high for selling due to the stupid war.

Have you googled steel matress springs to see if anyone out there has made like wind chimes or something?

 

[Star*]

When my brains are in my behind........Im a smart.....

Take a picture of one of the springs and use it for your AVATAR - you can tell people you're sprung.

 

[gcvmom]

BOINGGGGG!!! That's okay... I bounce enough on my own already!

 

[gcvmom]

Daisylover -- kids already got them moonbounce shoes -- and they NEVER play with them!

Susiestar -- there is a scrap yard not far from my house that I've taken old junk to before (barbeque, microwave oven, stuff like that). I'll probably drag it down there after I dismantle the boxspring, too.

Online it looks like shredded mattress springs go for about $300 a ton... I think I'm a bit shy of that amount! But maybe I'll get a buck or two for it Beats trying to cut it up and put it in the garbage can!

 

[amazeofgrace]

have any trees in your front yard, maybe they be pretty hung with big red ribbons during the holidays on a tree with white lights on it??

 

[gcvmom]

Amaze... I think that would entail cutting up the coils, and I'd have to invest in bigger wire cutters.... But that sure sounds pretty!

I had an idea during dinner tonight, though. I'll just put the whole thing in the middle of the yard, sprinkle some dirt over the bottom of the coils, scatter some seeds, water it for a few days and then I'll have...

A FLOWER BED!!!​

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Man... sometimes I just slay myself (snarf!)!​

 

[Marguerite]

The coconut matting stuff you threw out - it makes a fabulous weed mat for the garden. Really, really good.

It's part of the permaculture method and you can do it for an ornamental garden too. We haven't done it with a large amount of coir, but I've used smaller amounts.

Our front garden was started with a Persian carpet tat had been left in someone's garage to go mildewed. It was beautiful, but so rotten that I could tear holes in it with my hands. That was useful, it meant I didn't have to cut holes.
We cleared an area of sticks and fallen branches, worked out where we wanted the garden bed, and spread the carpet our there. Where there were plants already that I wanted to keep, we just made holes on the carpet for the good plants to grow through. We didn't bother removing any grass; this stuff kills it and puts all the nutrients from the grass, back into the soil.
Kids over the road asked us what we were doing. "What does it look like? We're carpetting the lawn!"

We then covered the carpet over with sheets of newspaper and then compost. Lots of soil, by the barrow load. Then we topped it all with mulch.

For years, and even now about 20 years later, the weeds are easy to remove because they can't grow through the carpet layer. To put in a new plant, I just cut through the carpet layer with my trowel, and it's fine.

The metal coils - I'd be looking into recycling. I'm good at re-use, but not THAT good!

Marg

 

[gcvmom]

I'll probably end up taking it to a scrap metal recycler and collecting my 50 cents Until then, I just might indulge myself and plant flowers in it so I can take a picture and be done with my little joke...