Some of you might not know how to wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover, but you can wash and dry them. A waterproof mattress cover is a convenient home or bed accessory that will help you sleep.
The biggest advantage of these waterproof mattress covers is that they stop the mattress underneath from getting wet. If you eat or have sex in the bed, the mattress might get wet from food spills or bodily fluids.
A mattress with a waterproof mattress protector will be protected from these spills and fluids. However, if the mattress protector doesn’t have a cover, then the mattress’s insulation will get dirty.
To keep the mattress clean, you will need to clean the mattress cover. By keeping the cover clean, you will have a better sleep without any worry of spills. As I said above, many of you don’t even know that you can wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover.
Here is a quick overview of how to wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover. Begin with a standard detergent or down wash. Keep the water warm or cold while the washing machine is in its normal or bulky setting. When you are drying a waterproof mattress cover, the dryer should be on the normal or low setting. You don’t need to iron mattress covers, so that’s a plus. Also, wash and dry your cover once a month or whenever there are visible stains.
Table of Contents
How to wash a waterproof mattress cover
In general, washing a waterproof mattress cover isn’t the hardest of tasks if you use a washing machine. In fact, using a washing machine makes the whole process very easy.
At the same time, there are a few steps or instructions you need to keep in mind for your benefit. Some of these instructions are pretty common, but following them will be useful.
Here is some helpful advice that will help with washing waterproof mattress covers:
- Follow Manufacturer’s Instruction
- Find Mattress Cover Heat Setting
- Wash Waterproof Mattress Cover with Washing Soap
- Mattress Cover Washing Cycle
- Can Add More Cloths
Follow manufacturer’s instruction
Before you wash a waterproof mattress cover or mattress pad, you should pay attention to some of the manufacturers’ instructions. This is because different brands of mattress covers will have other instructions.
Some of the bands will ask for specific tasks that need to be followed. If you don’t follow them properly, you might damage the cover badly. You can sort these tasks labeled on the mattress protector on the care label.
One of the main things that you need to look for is whether the cover you are using is washable or not. One time I didn’t read the care label and washed a nonwashable cover, and it was utterly ruined.
Another time I washed a cover without reading the type of soap I need had to use. After I washed it with the wrong soap and the cover became discolored.
Therefore always check for the care label. If you can’t find one or it’s ripped, then all you need to do is email the manufacturers’ customer service department.
Find mattress cover heat setting
Once you have read and followed all the instructions for your waterproof cover, you need to kind the preferred heat setting. This might be me repeating myself, but different brands have different standards.
You can read the instructions in this heat setting sense, and they should be mentioned. Depending on the type of mattress cover, you might need to wash them in specific temperatures. The standard temperature to wash a waterproof cover is about 40 degrees, but some can go as high as 90 degrees.
Even though I knew about the maximum temperature of my washing machine, I didn’t know about my cover’s desired temperature. But thankfully, while checking the care label, I learned my cover needs 50 degrees when washing it.
If you don’t follow the heat recommendations, you might damage the cover badly. Also, if you want to use the mattress protector with a heating element, you will need to know how much heat it can take.
Wash waterproof mattress cover with washing soap
As I have said above, a mattress cover has sweat, semen, and other liquids spilled on it. By other things, I also mean some of the more harmful stuff like dust mites, bed bugs, allergens, or bacterias.
Therefore when cleaning it, you need to read the washing instructions and wash it properly. There are some hypoallergenic waterproof mattress protectors that will be easier to clean.
Now that you know this, you might be tempted to use the strongest or mild detergent or washing soap available to you. BUT don’t do that cause if you did, those will destroy your cover.
Surprisingly I found that using just regular washing soap to clean my mattress cover was more than enough. For covers that have semen or urine, you might do a washing cycle using white vinegar or baking soda. Afterward, do another washing cycle using laundry soap.
I found the covers to smell nice and be fresh by doing it like this.
Mattress cover washing cycle
Using a washing machine will do washing and drying a waterproof cover relatively easy for all. But you need to be sure that your cover is machine washable. Nowadays, it might not be that common, but some manufacturers state how to wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover from their brand.
For the most part, a standard mattress protector should only need a 1-hour washing cycle. However, this time is related to you knowing the temperature of your washing machine and mattress protector as well as the type of washing soap used.
Be sure to follow the washing cycle time limit; otherwise, you will wear out your mattress protector sooner than later.
Can add more cloths
There are many like me in the beginning who believed you couldn’t wash and dry mattress cover with other articles of clothing. But the truth is that you can easily do all your weekly or bi-weekly laundry simultaneously.
As long as you ensure that the water temperature, washing soap type, and clean cycle time are correct, you can add more clothes to the washing machine.
How to dry a waterproof mattress cover
Once you are done with washing mattress covers, you need to know how to dry a mattress cover. According to the tests I have run on my cover, I know of two different methods that wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover.
The first method is to tumble dry, but it has some issues that you need to be careful of. When it comes to drying a waterproof mattress cover, you need to choose the correct temperature. My advice for you is that you choose a low to medium heat and a gentle or delicate setting.
You can indeed set the heat at high and dry your cover faster, but you run into the issue of damaging the waterproof vinyl cover. Therefore go with low to medium heat for a tumble dryer and be patient.
The second method is the oldest in the book, and it uses a drying line to dry your cover. While using a drying line is the slowest process of drying a cover, it is the better one, in my opinion.
Anyone that uses a drying line should take care to place the waterproof membrane on the line. This ensures that the hanging pegs don’t come into contact with the membrane layer and damage it.
Wash a waterproof mattress cover: Cautions
By now, you know that when you are washing or drying a mattress cover, you need to be careful. You need to keep in mind multiple issues while you are washing or drying a cover.
Here I and homishguide have mentioned some of the more common ones that will be of most use to you. However, even though these issues are quite common, you should take heed just as I have.
Don’t use bleach powder
As you wash your mattress pad, be careful about using anything like bleach because of badly it might damage it. In addition, due to the acidic nature of bleach, there is a possibility it might break down the membrane of the cover.
If that were to happen, any food spill, urine, or bodily fluid would contact the mattress and damage it.
Don’t use hot water
You know that you shouldn’t use cold or warm water to wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover, but simultaneously you shouldn’t use hot water either. The best water for washing covers is heated water around 40-90 degrees celsius.
Don’t use dryer sheets
A dryer sheet contains the clothes or bed sheets to keep them wrinkle and lint-free while washing them. However, when you clean and wash mattress protectors, using a dryer sheet is damaging.
In fact, I know of people that did use a dryer sheet and ended up causing wear and tear on the mattress pad.
Don’t iron mattress cover
Drying a cover is more than enough since you will only be sleeping on it or having sex. Also, the waterproof covers have a waterproof backing that can be easily damaged due to the ironing machines’ high temperatures.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Is it possible to dry the mattress cover in a dryer?
Yes, you can dry a mattress cover in a dryer. The process of doing so is called the tumble dry. To do it properly, you need to follow some basic rules. Firstly make sure you heat the barrel properly and do not use cold water. Next, run it just long enough to dry it thoroughly. Finally, don’t put the cover inside a dryer sheet.
How frequently should I wash my mattress protector?
My personal take is to wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover every two months. However, if you have a bad spill or the protector becomes really dirty, then don’t wait.
Do I need to wash a mattress cover before first use?
If any bad odor or issue is sleeping on a brand new cover, you can wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover. Otherwise, I didn’t find any obvious benefit of washing a cover before my first sleep.
Can I wash a mattress cover with other clothes?
Very much so. There is no need to wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover by itself when you machine wash. Instead, doing so is a waste of water and electricity, in my opinion.
How to protect a waterproof mattress cover from pets?
To protect a waterproof mattress cover and air mattress from dogs and other pets you need to take care of the animal.
Conclusion
Learning how to wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover is quite important to me. If you don’t do so regularly, you will find yourself facing some medical problems, or so I have heard.
Even if you don’t wash a cover is a hygienic thing to do, and we should all do so. Keeping something clean and smelling fresh never hurt anyone.
