Saturday, May 5, 2012

El Colchon vs The Matress




In the old days in New Mexico there was just the colchon, no bed for the most part. Just the colchon folded and used as a sort of a couch. It was unfolded and spread out and used as a pad on the floor. Sort of like a futon is used today, except there was no futon frame. And this was if you could afford it, otherwise it was a buffalo hide where you would wrap yourself in and get your sleep.



When I was a kid and slept down my grandmothers, which was often, I slept on a "colchon", literally a thick "colcha'" or blanket instead of a store bought mattress. It was stuffed with cotton. The cotton was removed and washed every now and then. The colchon cover would be removed and the cotton was washed and placed out to dry and then reinserted into the cover and spread out as best as could be done. No need to explain it was a bit lumpy.

To the box spring with a mattress. In my mind they came into popular use by most Hispanos in New Mexico after the 2nd World War. It was a big improvement over the old colchon stuffed with cotton.


Today a "memory foam" mattress sometimes worth in excess of $2,500.00. Getting a good mattress is an exercise in shopping. Almost like buying a car. None come cheap and you need several in every house. Do you do the memory foam thing, or the coil spring? Do you use a foundation or a box spring?


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