There are a lot of garage sales and swap meets that sell used mattresses but you should know that they could be very dirty with things you can not see that can harm you such as basic stains to dried bodily fluids and bacteria along with bed bugs.

The cost of properly cleaning a used mattress cost so much that most all used mattresses are junked and recycled.

A used mattress may offer significant savings over the cost of new bedding, but Texas has laws in place to help you avoid getting more than you bargained for. A mattress offered for resale could have stains, dried bodily fluids and bacteria. Texas allows the resale of mattresses but has laws requiring sellers to clean them before reselling and to clearly indicate that the bedding is used.

Governance
The Texas Department of State Health Services regulates the sale of secondhand or used mattresses in the state. Mattresses offered for resale must be cleaned or treated according to the Texas Administrative Code Rule 205.8.

Treatment
The state allows several treatment methods, including the use of chemical sprays, steam cleaning and commercial laundering. Steam cleaning requires cleaning for a minimum of 20 minutes. Dry heat is also an option during cleaning, with the state requiring use of special dry heat chambers capable of reaching a minimum temperature of 230 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 1 hour, 15 minutes. Commercial vendors must maintain accurate records about the cleaning of used mattresses and make them available for state inspection. Treatment is required of all used mattresses set to be sold, leased or rented.

5.Pawn Stores
Do not risk it they are NEVER clean to the state law, they might look clean but that is only to the human eye.

4.Online classifieds (craigslist, 5miles, nextdoor, 5close, letgo)
You must be very careful of buying used mattresses they are almost never clean, very commonly spread, and create issues that are hard or impossible to trace back to the mattresses.

3.Back of someones truck
Let’s face it this is almost never a good idea however if it is 100% new and wrapped it should be fine; the ones you need to worry about are any used mattresses.

2.Garage Sale
They are moving and your gain is there loss, but what you do not know is you might also be gaining stains, dried bodily fluids, bacteria along with bed bugs. Garage sales never ever clean the mattresses to the levels that kill that stuff so they are almost always at risk of having it.

1.Trading/Swap Meet
Used mattresses should not be bought at trading swap meets unless they are NOT used and in plastic sheet covering that is 100% sealed.