Children's mattresses: how can you clean them properly without using a washing machine?
The health of our children is our top priority and can be handled in many different ways. One of these is to ensure the items they use daily are hygienic. Given this, it goes without saying that the mattresses on the children's beds/cots should be kept in pristine condition.
But a mattress for a small bed/cot cannot always be put in the washing machine, so washing it can be a challenge. Well, this can still be done - read on to find out more:
Why do mattresses get dirty and how often should you clean them?
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We know that children - especially when they are very young - don't pay attention to how dirty they get. And, of course, this dirt transfers itself to their mattresses. Food, saliva, hair, skin and more, get onto the kids's mattresses and needs to be dealt with timeously.
The ideal is to wash and clean a child's mattress at least once a month. But how can we do this at home and by hand?
Washing a mattress by hand
Washing a small mattress is simple and only requires a few steps:
- Sheets. Take the blankets and sheets off the mattress and wash these in the washing machine. This should be done frequently;
- Vacuum. Once the above is done, remove all surface dust and hair by vacuuming the mattress thoroughly;
- Stains. At this point, identify stains and pre-treat them. You can do this by using a brush and a detergent specifically designed for mattresses. For more stubborn stains, you may need to repeat this cleaning task;
- Wash. Once stain-free, move on to the actual washing. For this, you will need a brush or cloth. Wet these in warm water mixed with a delicate detergent (even dishwashing liquid wiill work if nothing else is available) - and then pass these over the entire surface.
- Drying. Once washed, wring out any excess water as best you can (and perhaps using dry, clean cloths to blot up water), and leave the mattress to dry in the open air (weather permitting).
Once dry, the mattress will be cleaned and disinfected and ready to go back on the children's bed.
Easy and fast
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As you can see from the foregoing, it is relatively simple to keep the kid's mattresses clean without having to resort to using any special equipment or the services of professionals.
Just be sure to use non-aggressive products and that they have been completely rinsed out of the mattresses before putting them back into use.
