Caring for Mattress Covers

The very best way to clean a vinyl plastic mattress cover is to wipe it down with a paper towel and then follow up with a disinfecting wipe or spray that is alcohol free (alcohol may ruin the plastic) to kill off any bacteria or if the plastic cover is soiled. If you find that you absolutely must wash the cover in a washing machine, make certain to you set the temperature to "cold" and the fabric setting to "delicate". Absolutely, DO NOT put the mattress cover in the dryer! Even with a low temperature setting you may open your dryer door to find, at best, the integrity of the plastic has been compromised, and at worst, a very gooey mess that now needs to be peeled of the inside of your dryer. It is much better to hang it up to line dry in the bathroom. As mentioned above, though, wiping down the mattress cover with a good cleanser is probably the fastest, easiest and most effective way to go. Following this advice, your mattress cover will last for a long time. Please remember, the acid in urine is very destructive and can ruin to your mattress cover, in addition to products, such as Vaseline, diaper rash ointments and hemorrhoid ointments that contain petroleum. You are advised to check the ingredient list on the product to see if it contains petroleum by-products. The petroleum in these products will attack and degrade the plastic or vinyl materials, and will cause the material to become hard and brittle to the point where the material will crack. To preserve the plastic, the best advice is to clean the mattress cover often.

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