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Mount Emerald, converted houses, 1970s walk-ups

Near South Lincoln: mattress care in houses, conversions and walk-ups

Near South is two housing worlds. Around the Mount Emerald historic district, half of all homes sit in buildings of two to nine units, many of them old houses divided into apartments, and most are studios or one-bedrooms. Farther south, most homes are pre-1940 single-family houses with three or more bedrooms. Either way we clean the mattress where it sits, at $249 for the first mattress. Call or text (402) 512-5658.

What housing does Near South have?

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for census tract 17 (around Mount Emerald) and 23 (southern Near South), beside Lincoln as a whole. Tract lines don't match neighborhood lines exactly.

MeasureNear SouthLincoln
Housing units2,979 / 2,688128,449
Median year built1970 / before 19401982
Built before 194033% / 57%12%
Built in the 1970s28% / 6%14%
Single-family detached13% / 59%55%
In buildings of 2 to 9 units51% / 34%12%
Studios and one-bedrooms56% / 22%17%
Three or more bedrooms15% / 53%54%

What does the record say about Near South?

Mount Emerald and Capitol Additions Historic District
Listed on the National Register in 1980: roughly bounded by A, G, 17th and 22nd Streets, about 20 blocks and 228 dwellings. The nomination notes many houses converted into apartments and five apartment buildings more than 50 years old. (National Park Service, NRIS 80002453)
Lincoln's first landmark district
Mount Emerald became Lincoln's first local landmark district in 1981, a year after the city's preservation ordinance. (City of Lincoln, Historic Designations)
Summer air
Lincoln Airport's average July dew point is about 65°F; LLCHD recommends 30 to 50 percent indoor relative humidity. (NOAA normals and LLCHD)

Why does Near South need its own plan?

Because the same neighborhood holds two kinds of bedroom. In the tract around Mount Emerald, only 13% of homes are single-family detached houses; 51% are in buildings of two to nine units, against 12% citywide. That is the footprint of a neighborhood where large houses were divided into apartments and small walk-ups filled in the gaps: 28% of that tract's homes were built in the 1970s. More than half are studios or one-bedrooms, so the typical bed is a single queen or full in a compact room.

South of there the picture flips. In tract 23, 59% of homes are detached houses, 57% were built before 1940, and 53% have three or more bedrooms. A visit there often means two or three beds in one house: a main bedroom plus children's or guest rooms upstairs.

What does the National Register record tell you about the rooms?

The 1980 nomination for the Mount Emerald and Capitol Additions district describes about 228 dwellings on roughly 20 blocks between A and G Streets and 17th and 22nd Streets, with brick alleys, rear garages and many houses converted into apartments. For a mattress visit that often means an upper-floor unit reached by an older staircase. That doesn't change our method, because the mattress is cleaned in place: low-moisture dry vapor steam, HEPA vacuuming and UV-C light treatment on the surface, seams and tufts.

How do older rooms change the moisture side?

Old houses vary room by room. Lincoln Airport's average July dew point is about 65°F, while LLCHD recommends 30 to 50 percent humidity indoors. An attic-level bedroom without good air conditioning can sit well above that range in summer. A hygrometer tells you where yours is, and our Lincoln humidity and bed mites guide explains what LLCHD and Nebraska Extension recommend. After a cleaning, the bed stays unmade until it is dry to the touch, and we run a moisture check before we leave.

What should students in Near South read?

Near South sits about a mile south of UNL's City Campus. If you are a student there, the academic year hub covers move-in timing, used beds and parents' booking, and the move-out and disposal guide covers the North 48th Street transfer station.

What does a visit cost in Near South?

The same as anywhere in Lincoln: the first mattress is $249, any size, with normal stains, pet odor and ordinary urine accidents included. Each additional full, queen or king in the same visit is $199, each additional kids bed (twin or full) is $149, and underside treatment is +$50–$75 per mattress. A severe or biohazard case carries a surcharge we quote before starting. Every visit includes UV-C light treatment, HEPA vacuuming and two checks: a moisture check after the job and the built-in bed mite sensor on our UV-C vacuum. 72-hour bedroom CO₂ testing is a separate optional service, priced by quote, and it isn't a medical test. See Lincoln pricing for every rate.

What do Near South households ask?

I live in a house that's been split into apartments in Near South. Can you still come?

Yes. We bring the equipment to your unit and clean the mattress where it is, so stairs and a narrow hall don't matter. Tell us the floor and whether there is street parking when you book.

Is there anything special about cleaning a mattress in a 100-year-old house?

The house doesn't change the method; the room's air does. Upstairs rooms in older houses can run warm and humid in July, so keep the air conditioning or a fan running, keep the bed unmade until it is dry to the touch, and we run a moisture check after the job.

Most Near South units are studios or one-bedrooms. Is one mattress worth a visit?

That is what the first-mattress price is for: $249, any size. If a roommate or a neighbor in the same building wants theirs done during the same visit, each additional full, queen or king is $199.

Where do I get rid of an old mattress from Near South?

Lancaster County residents can take a mattress to the City of Lincoln's North 48th Street transfer station, 5101 N 48th St, with a covered, secured load. Our move-out and disposal guide in the academic year hub has the details.

Do you serve the southern, single-family side of Near South too?

Yes, the whole neighborhood. In tract 23 more than half of homes have three or more bedrooms, so a visit there often covers two or three beds; each additional kids bed (twin or full) in the same visit is $149.

Sources

Changelog

  • October 5, 2026: First published with ACS 2020–2024 tract figures.

Published October 5, 2026. Written by Lincoln Mattress Cleaning, operated by Sleep Sanitation.

Book a visit in Near South

Call (402) 512-5658

Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Missed a call? We return calls and texts on Saturday and Sunday too.

Text or email instead

Which other Lincoln neighborhoods have guides?

Call (402) 512-5658