It's been a while since I've seen a posting about this, but I remember that there were a lot of good answers. My oldest daughter will be 5-years-old next month. Her issues have always been more with going pee than poo--a bit "backwards," but we've been fine with that! We constantly have to remind her to use the potty before going to bed at night, but sometimes she still has an accident. She's now had two in one week, after going over two months without one. So, what IS the best way to clean her mattress, at least as best as it can be? I remember reading about putting the mattress out in the sun and UV light, but with it being winter, I'm looking for alternatives. Thanks!
Folex works pretty well for getting the smells out - it's marketed for pet accidents - you can find it with the carpet cleaners at the store.
Definately use a waterproof mattress pad! Helps when they throw up all over their beds too. :-)
I use OxyClean on my son's mattress.
I know this might sound weird, but try putting baking soda on it. Just sprinkle it on. It takes the smell out of the mattress. Also, have you tried putting a mattress liner on it? We have one on my daughter's bed and when she does (hasn't been a while) I just put it in the wash and her mattress is still dry.
After our cat peed on our mattress (he is now an outdoor cat), I had a carpet/upholstery cleaning company come clean it and sanitize it with steam. Then, I put a mattress cover on the bed, so in case one of our kids crawls in bed with us, or our other cat loses her mind too, or whatever, the mattress is protected. My girls both have waterproof mattress pads on their beds (because you just never know!). That way if the bed is peed on, has Kool-Aid spilled on it, or whatever, it's as simple as just taking off the mattress pad. Also when my older daughter used to wet the bed when she was little, I'd take the mattress pad/sheets off, and then put her sleeping bag on the bed. That's faster at night than re-making the bed.
I hope that helps!
I have a vinal/plastic type cover that goes over the matress and zips so no moisture can get on the matress (we have 1-2 nights a week where she wets) I then have a cotton mattress pad that I put over it, then her sheet, etc...
it has saved our mattress as she went through a phase of wetting the bed almost nightly.....
Hi J.,
I don't know how to clean the mattress, but once you get it clean there is a square matress cover that can be bought at the drug store for about $14.oo. It can be easily washed. I bought two to rotate. They are located by the adult diapers at Rite Aide.
This is similar to other's advice, but I found water-proof pads for crib matresses at Babies-R-Us. I used them when we had the crib and have kept using them on his twin bed. They have a water-proof lining on one side and a soft backing on the other, so it is comfortable to sleep on. These are nice because they are bigger than some others. I put the fuzzy side up. Also, I double make the bed so it is super simple when in the middle of the night. So it goes-matress, matress pad, water-proof pad, sheet...then water-proof pad, sheet, so you just strip off what is wet, and you don't have to remake anything when you are soooo tired. I am having some similar issues with my almost 4 year old son and it's driving me crazy. I can't wait until he is done with his accidents.
I used Folex and it works. Also after you buy the mattress pads put two on so when she has a wet bed at 2 in the morning you strip off the top layer and then you have another mattress pad underneath. Saves you time. Good luck.
Once you get the mattress clean invest in a waterproof mattress cover to go under her mattress pad & sheet. I t will make clean up much easier and the bonus is that it also blocks allergens like dust & dust mites from getting into the mattress. I wipe my son's off with a Lysol wipe when he has an accident and put his back-up set of mattress pad & sheets on the bed and tuck him in. Easy!
White vinegar is great for getting out pee smells. Once the mattress has been cleaned, cover it with a plastic mattress cover to keep from having to clean the mattress all the time. I like to put a lightweight pad or blanket over the plastic cover, then put on the sheet. That just seems to make it more comfortable sleeping on the plastic. It doesn't take much to throw the sheet and pad into the washer when an accident occurs. The big thing is to make the work as simple as possible for you and the stress on her as little as possible. Even if she doesn't show it, she is probably embarassed and stressed when she has an accident, and doesn't need anything to add to that. It won't help her quit, and she may be one of those kids who will simply need a lot more time to gain control. I was a very late bed-wetter and remember the distress of waking in the morning to a wet bed.
