How to wash a mattress pad

A mattress topper is an excellent invention that protects the mattress from dirt, dust, traces of pets, stains, and prolongs its life. Thanks to him, the bed will stay clean longer. However, the cover itself needs to be cleaned, including washed, like other bedding, though not as often. The rules for caring for such a product mainly depend on the type of fabric from which it is made. From this article you will find out how often you need to wash the mattress cover, whether it should be done manually or in a washing machine, which detergent is better to use, and you will also find answers to other questions on this topic.

How often to wash a mattress pad

In general, the regularity of washing depends only on you, this can be done both once a week and once a month. Very often washing does not make sense. The mattress pad is in contact with the mattress, which is already clean, as well as with the sheets, which are changed 1 or 2 times a week, so it should not get very dirty. In addition, the more often the product is washed, especially by machine, the less it will last. However, experts recommend carrying out such a procedure at least once every six months. Between washings, the cover can be vacuumed, for example, at each change of bed linen. You can also beat and air the product so that it stays fresh longer.

Washing by hand and machine

Of course, machine washing is easier, as a mattress pad, especially designed for a large family bed, is quite heavy when wet. It will be difficult to clean, rinse and especially squeeze it out. To understand whether your product is machine washable, look at the tag, which should be sewn to one of the sides of the cover. It indicates the type of fabric, there are recommendations for washing, drying, ironing, the possibility of processing with bleaches and stain removers.

If for some reason there is no tag on the product, the type of fabric is not determined, it is recommended to carry out only gentle processing with the minimum allowable parameters. That is, wash in warm water, by hand, using liquid products, do not rub hard and do not wring out, do not bleach, dry on a rope or dryer bar. Also hand wash items made of delicate fabrics, for example, wool, silk. It is not recommended to process such mattress covers in the machine, as they can be deformed, stretched or, on the contrary, sit down, after which normal operation will no longer be possible.

In the machine, you can wash covers made of fabrics such as polyester, microfiber, cotton, linen, holofiber, mixed fabrics, for example with the composition: 80% cotton, 20% polyester, polyurethane membrane.

How to wash a mattress pad depending on the type of fabric

Consider the features of the processing of mattress covers, depending on the material of manufacture:

1. 
   Cotton, linen. Processing is suitable at a temperature of 40-60 and even 90 degrees, you can wring it out at high speeds, use ordinary washing powder, dry it in a dryer or in the sun.

2. 
   microfiber. Water temperature — no higher than 60 degrees, any detergent, but liquid is better, do not use bleaches containing chlorine, wring out at medium speed, do not dry in a dryer or on a battery.

3. 
   Blended Fabric — follow the information on the tag or use a delicate, gentle wash cycle, including cleaning products by hand.

4. 
   Bamboo. If this is a thin product consisting of a single layer of bamboo fiber, it can be machine washed at a temperature of 30-40 degrees, use liquid household chemicals, do not use spin, dry it outside or in a well-ventilated area. Orthopedic bamboo mattress pad or bamboo-filled product cannot be washed. You can apply dry cleaning, including with a vacuum cleaner. Stains are removed manually using special preparations.

5. 
   Coconut. The coconut fiber mattress topper cannot be washed. You can carry out dry cleaning with a vacuum cleaner, ventilate. You can also give the product for professional dry cleaning, it is recommended to carry it out at least once every 2-3 years.

6. 
   Jacquard satin, silk, other delicate fabrics. Such materials require careful handling, therefore they should be washed at a minimum temperature, using appropriate detergents, without bleaches and chlorine-based stain removers, without wringing and drying in a tumble dryer. You can iron such a cover, but also at a minimum temperature and only from the wrong side.

7. 
   Pouch filled with feather or down. Machine washable, but the water temperature should not be hotter than 40 degrees. Instead of detergent, you can use special balls for washing, they, moreover, will not allow the feathers to stick together. The spin speed should not be high — no more than 400 revolutions. An additional rinse is required, bleach with chlorine is not used, it is better to dry in the sun, shaking the product from time to time so that the feathers and fluff dry better and are evenly distributed over the cover.

8. 
   Wool. As already mentioned, products made from such a delicate material are best washed by hand. But if your washing machine has a “Wool” mode, you can also use the machine processing method, just set this particular mode, the necessary parameters are set there by default. Use liquid detergents with lanolin, designed specifically for woollens. It is not necessary to iron and dry the mattress pad in the sun. So that it dries faster and does not stretch, wring it out without twisting it, wrap it in a terry towel to remove excess moisture, then dry it horizontally, spreading it across the dryer.

9. 
   Mattress pad with antibacterial impregnation. Wash only according to the instructions. Usually such products are not afraid of contact with warm water (30-40 degrees), as well as spinning at high speeds. But it is better not to use detergent at all, but to use special balls for washing.

Before washing mattress covers with filler, you need to take into account the processing features of not only the fabric, but also the filler itself. For example, the artificial holofiber material used to fill mattress covers can be washed at a temperature of 90 degrees, but if silk, jacquard-satin was used in the manufacture of the product for the outer layer, then the processing should be more delicate.

A mattress topper made of any material and any thickness, hardness can be put on the mattress only after it has completely dried after washing. If the product is even a little damp, the mattress itself will suffer (mold may develop) and the sheet, and it will be very unpleasant to sleep in such conditions.

Features of caring for a mattress topper depending on the degree of its rigidity

All this information has already been written above, so just briefly summarize:

1. Soft — can be washed by hand or in a typewriter, use regular powder or gel, the possibility of wringing, drying and ironing depends on the type of fabric.

2. Medium hardness and thickness — hand wash in warm water, can be vacuumed and aired, use only liquid powders that do not linger in the fibers and do not require long rinsing. You can periodically take it to dry cleaning.

3. Hard, thick — do not wash, you can ventilate and vacuum. If there are stains, they are removed with a solution of laundry soap and water, using a sponge. Once every 2-3 years, dry cleaning is mandatory.

Do I need to wash a waterproof mattress cover and how to do it

A waterproof mattress cover is not necessarily a rubberized product; they are often made of a membrane fabric that simply repels moisture and water. But it can and should be washed if it is not prohibited by the manufacturer and is not directly indicated on the tag. If it cannot be washed, then it will need to be dry-cleaned. And if the product is really rubberized, then it is enough to wipe it on both sides with a sponge moistened with soapy water, and then just with a clean, damp cloth.

You can wash waterproof mattress covers both manually and in a typewriter. The mode in both cases should be as gentle as possible — warm, not hot water; liquid detergent; no spin, no drying in an electric dryer, in the sun or on a battery. Just wrap the product in a terry towel, lightly remember to separate the maximum amount of moisture, hang it over a bathtub or other container so that the water glass itself.

Removing stains before washing

The mattress topper is designed, among other things, to protect the mattress from dirt and prevent stains on its surface. That is why the product itself is often stained — from biological fluids, drinks, food, cosmetics. In the process of washing, especially delicate, it can be very difficult to remove such contaminants. Therefore, they must be disposed of in advance, using improvised means or household chemicals.

Stain removal methods depending on the type of pollution:

1. Grease stains must first be treated with some kind of absorbent. Salt, soda, crushed chalk, starch can absorb fat. It is necessary to sprinkle one of these substances on the stain, press it with a napkin and any load, leave for several hours. Then clean the product with a brush, blot again with a paper towel, if necessary, wipe with alcohol (vodka, medical alcohol).

2. Yellow stains after washing are removed with hydrogen peroxide. If the contamination is large, the product should be soaked in 5 liters of water with 4 tablespoons of peroxide for about 2 hours, then washed.

3. Urine, if it has got on the product recently and has not yet had time to dry, can be washed off in the usual way. Old pollution is removed by soaking for 1 hour in water of 30-40 degrees, 1 tablespoon of ordinary vinegar is added to 1 liter of liquid.

4. Tea and coffee stains are difficult to remove without the use of specialized stain removers.

5. Traces of blood are removed by treatment with hydrogen peroxide. After that, the stain must be washed in cool (not hot!) Water with laundry soap, left for half an hour, then washed as usual.

6. Traces of cosmetics can be removed with micellar water, as well as alcohol.

7. A red wine stain will help eliminate the ammonia. Only after treatment, be sure to wash the mattress pad, as ammonia smells very unpleasant, which will not contribute to a restful sleep.

Any stain lends itself better to cleaning if it is “fresh”. Therefore, it is recommended to remove it from the mattress cover immediately after it occurs. At the same time, it is better to remove the cover from the bed so that the pollution does not soak the fabric and reach the mattress, which will undoubtedly be much more difficult to clean.

Tips for caring for a mattress topper and using the product

Here are some tips to help you wash your mattress topper efficiently and effectively:

1. The mattress pad is best washed separately from other things. Feather and other fillers take up a lot of space when wet, become heavy, so the load on the drum should not be increased. Ordinary thin covers can be washed with sheets and duvet covers, other linens, but make sure that there is at least 20% free space left in the drum. So the washing will be of better quality, and the laundry will be rinsed much better.

2. If you wash your mattress cover with other items, make sure they are more or less the same color. White is processed separately from color and black/very dark.

3. Any stain remover, whether it is an industrial preparation or an improvised remedy, is pre-tested on an inconspicuous area of ​​the product. If some kind of negative reaction occurs, for example, a change in the color of the fabric, you should not continue to use the stain remover.

4. To make the mattress cover less dirty, last longer, there is no need to wash it often, use the product for its intended purpose. No need to sleep directly on it, always cover the cover with a sheet.

Well, the last piece of advice — before you buy a mattress cover, consult with the seller or manufacturer. Try to find out all the information regarding the care of the product, whether it can be washed, if possible, on what mode and how often.