Tips & Advice Center

If you or a loved one is experiencing nocturnal incontinence, it can be extremely embarrassing and difficult to deal with. While some people use protective undergarments, others choose not to wear such garments. Regardless, if you or someone you know is experiencing incontinence, it is important that your mattress is protected.

To protect your mattress, shop for a full mattress protector, such as a cover, mattress pad, or encasement. When selecting a product, keep in mind:

• Easy of Cleaning – Vinyl covers are wiped clean with soap and water, urethane covers and mattress pads are machine washed and dried. Most mattress pads take several cycles to dry thoroughly.
• Frequency of Changing – Fitted covers are put on the mattress like a fitted sheet while encasements zip around the entire mattress and may require assistance to get in place.
• Comfort – Urethane covers are breathable, and thus the most comfortable. Vinyl is more economical, but it does not breathe and retains heat.

For frequent incontinence, you may want to invest in some mattress overlay pads (underpads). These small pads lie on top of the sheets and are easy to clean and replace. They protect not only the bed but the bottom sheet.

For more information on adult incontinence, visit National Incontinence.

An estimated 5 to 7 million children over five (school-age) suffer from enuresis or bedwetting. While the exact cause of bedwetting is unknown, there are treatments and solutions to help your child deal with this embarrassing and unpleasant issue. Some treatment options include bedwetting alarms or medication. While these treatments can be effective, some parents or children are apprehensive to begin treatment, yet still need solutions to deal with problems as they occur. We offer many bedwetting solutions for you and your child.

A common temporary method for dealing with bedwetting is using disposable pants such as pull-ups or diapers. Because they are disposable, the amount of laundry is decreased and the child, sheets, and clothes are kept dry. Absorbency can be a problem for older kids. The cost of more than $400 per year can be a burden for many families.

Another common solution is vinyl waterproof covers. These economical covers protect the mattress with a layer of vinyl that prevents urine absorption. These vinyl covers protect the mattress and are easy to clean.

Another solution is a waterproof mattress pad. It fits over the mattress like a traditional mattress pad, but a layer of vinyl is sandwiched between layers of absorbent material. This solution helps prevent mattress penetration and urine overflow. Because of the absorbent material, it requires longer drying time.

Small mattress overlay pads are often the best solution for cutting down on laundry while still absorbing urine and protecting the mattress and bed linens. Mattress overlay pads or underlay pads (I know, it’s confusing!) are great for frequent accidents because they go over the fitted sheet and are intended to absorb urine before it can go anywhere else. They are easy to change and they often wash and dry in one cycle with other laundry. We also offer disposable overlay pads, which can get pricey when used for a long period.

While overlays are the ideal solution for dealing with enuresis, be sure you have some kind of full mattress protection as well – such as a vinyl protector or waterproof mattress pad. Some kids move so much in their sleep they can end up off the pad or the accident is so large that it goes outside the scope of the pad. Pillow covers are also recommended for children who fully empty their bladder in bed.

For more information on bedwetting, visit the Bedwetting Store.

There are a lot of products on the market to protect your mattress. Here is a brief overview of the most popular types:

• Vinyl Fitted Covers – Fit over the mattress like a sheet and provide a barrier between the mattress and moisture. They are the most economical solution and can be wiped clean with a mild soap or disinfectant.
• Waterproof Mattress Pad - Look and feel like a mattress pad, but provide a waterproof barrier between the sheets and the mattress. Mattress pads come in different thicknesses and with different waterproof barriers. Our best waterproof mattress pad has 4 thick layers and a urethane waterproof layer, making it the most comfortable. These pads are machine washable and dryable on low.
• Premium covers – Offered in both fitted and zippered, these covers are comfortable, easy to launder, and long lasting. For frequent changing, choose a fitted cover. The zippered covers provide protection from bedbugs and dust mites as well as moisture. Our premium covers can be machine washed and typically dry in one cycle.
• Zippered Vinyl Encasements – These encasements are a great way to protect your bed from mold, mildew, dust mites, bedbugs, and moisture. They do not need to be removed to clean and are intended to be left on for an extended time.

Depending on your situation, different solutions may work better. It is important to protect the mattress whenever wetting occurs because other methods (diapers, pull-ups, overlays) can fail.

Laundry is always a concern for families with bedwetting. From sheets to blankets to sleeping bags, laundry is often a daily activity. The easiest way to decrease the laundry load is by using overlay pads. They go over the fitted sheet and absorb moisture before it has a chance to get to the sheets. We offer disposable or reusable pads to fit your needs. The disposable pads are removed and thrown away while the reusable pads can be thrown in with other laundry and do not require their own cycle. If your child is using a sleeping bag, we also offer sleeping bag liners which can fit in standard washing machines. Don’t forget these easy solutions to decrease your laundry load!

Most people consider waterproof bedding after an incident has already occurred. From pets to kids to visitors, you never know when an accident may occur. If you are now considering waterproof bedding because an accident already occurred, you may want to get a stain remover to help remove the stain. We offer two different urine removers. While both products are intended to remove urine, they work in different ways and are good for different situations.

If you have set in stains on a mattress, Urine-Erase is the best product. It is a two step product which uses an enzyme process to effectively eliminate even 30 year old stains! It works best on mattresses and floors because it penetrates deep into the product to remove the entire stain. In the first step, the enzyme packet, gets mixed with water and is poured over the stain. The second step uses the enclosed solution to remove the stain. The process usually takes 8 hours. Using a fan can help a mattress to dry more quickly.

If you are looking for a laundry additive or simpler product, we also offer the one step, OdorZyme spray bottle. This is best for quick and incidental clean-up. Best for small, fresh stains, vinyl covers, and bathroom clean-up, this product is not intended for large mattress or carpet stains which require more product.

Keeping a container of each stain remover on hand is a good way to protect your bed, furniture, and floors from becoming ruined by human or animal urine. The faster you treat the stain, the better and quicker your results.