How to Clean a Wet Bed with BedGuard

Bedwetting is a common problem for many children. In fact, according to the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, almost a third of four-year-olds wet the bed. Thankfully though, the problem will often resolve itself over time or can be fixed through simple treatments. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t have to clean a few wet beds as a parent.

Urine can cause unpleasant stains and odours, so it’s essential to clean it correctly. If left uncleaned or cleaned improperly, wet beds can result in ruined mattresses. In this guide, we take you through how to clean a wet bed the right way so both you and your child can sleep soundly, even if accidents occur.

Traditional Mattresses

If your child sleeps on a traditional mattress and has wet the bed, the most important thing is to act fast. By attending to the accident quickly, you’ll be ensuring that the liquid doesn’t have time to set into a stain before being cleaned.

How to Clean a Traditional Mattress

• Before cleaning the mattress, strip the wet bed of its sheets and put them in the wash.
• Use a towel, cloth or paper towel to blot up as much liquid as possible. Be sure not to rub as this can cause the urine to spread and seep deeper into the mattress.
• Create a cleaning solution of 2 parts water, 1 part vinegar, and a little detergent. Spray the solution onto the soiled area and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can use upholstery cleaner.
• After 10 minutes, blot with a clean towel and apply baking soda to wick away any remaining moisture. Allow this to sit for another 10 minutes.
• Use a wet cloth to dab away baking soda before vacuuming to remove any residue.
• Use a fan or blow-dryer to dry out the mattress completely.

BedGuard Mattresses

Unlike traditional mattresses, BedGuard mattresses are waterproof and designed to repel liquid. As such, odours and stains are prevented from penetrating the top layer making the mattress significantly easier to clean.

How to Clean a BedGuard Mattress

• Before cleaning the mattress, strip the bed and launder the sheets.
• Blot the mattress surface with some paper towel as soon as practical. By doing so, you will transfer all liquid and odour to the towel.
• Dispose of the paper towel.
• Wipe over the area with a baby wipe or hand wipe to sanitise your mattress.

After cleaning your BedGuard waterproof mattress, the surface may feel cold for a short amount of time as it returns to room temperature. Likewise, the cleaned area may also appear wet or discoloured but will soon return to a regular appearance.

The only part of the BedGuard mattress that isn’t treated to be waterproof is the 36mm tape that sits around the edges. As this tape is made of Nylon, it may stain, so clean any spills that reach this area immediately. If a stain does occur, you can use a small amount of household bleach applied with a soft cloth to remove it.

Protecting your Mattress from Stains

Cleaning any spills is undoubtedly vital for maintaining the condition of your mattress, but protecting it from future spills can be just as essential. If you have a traditional mattress, you may want to consider investing in a waterproof option to ensure any accidents are easy to clean and don’t permeate the surface. Alternatively, a waterproof mattress protector can also be used to help protect your mattress, but you may want to purchase two to have one to use when the other requires washing.

Another excellent way to protect your child’s mattress from being soiled is to help prevent their bedwetting. Some useful methods for doing so include encouraging your child to regularly use the bathroom throughout the day, restricting drinks after dinner, and having them use the bathroom before bedtime.

Are you looking to make cleaning up accidents easier? At BedGuard, we offer a selection of waterproof mattresses for children, babies, and adults. Browse our range or contact us to find the right option for your needs.

Photo by Roberto Nickson (@g) on Unsplash