How To Wash Sheets After Wetting The Bed

Bed wetting is also called nocturnal enuresis. It happens when one involuntarily releases urine while asleep.

Though it is most common among children, it can also happen to teens and adults.

When it happens in adults it is most likely to be an indication of an underlying problem such as diabetes, constipation, stress or urinary tract infection.

Adults who bed-wet should see the doctor to determine whether there is another problem that is being indicated by the bed wetting. How then, do you clean up after bed wetting?

What you need to note as you clean a wet bed is that you ought to act fast to clean it immediately the wetting happens. It is easier when you start cleaning the bed by cleaning the sheets.

Steps on how to best wash wet bed sheets

Below are a few steps you should take:

  1. You need to blot the sheets using a towel or a cloth.

Blot excess liquid on the sheets using a cloth or dry towel or even paper towel. Try to get as much liquid as you can to be absorbed by the dry towel or cloth.

Be careful not to rub the stains. Rubbing the stain will get the liquid to seep into the mattress more than it already has.

  1. Place the sheets in the washing machine.

Next, you should take your sheets off the bed and place them inside your washing machine. This helps to remove stains and odors from the sheets.

Add vinegar to them if the smell is very strong. Vinegar helps with strong odors. However, if you are still worried about stains, try to pour hot water on the stain, together with some laundry detergent. You can then proceed to clean the sheets normally.

  1. Dry the bed sheets

Now you can dry clean your sheets by putting them in a dryer gently, if there is no odor. If the sheets still have an odor, wash them again using vinegar and dry them in a dryer.

Once the sheets are dry you can take them out of the dryer and fold them nicely in preparation for use some other time. Cleaning the sheets goes hand in hand with cleaning the mattress as the two are used together.

How to clean a mattress after bed wetting

In order to clean your mattress, you need to follow the following steps:

  • Remove the liquid from the mattress

You need to remove the liquid from the mattress. You can do this by blotting it using a cloth or a clean towel. Blot it until only very little is left on the mattress.

Be careful not to rub the mattress as this will cause the liquid to be absorbed into the mattress.

  • Sprinkle some baking soda on the surface of the mattress.

Baking soda helps in absorbing any liquid that remained on the surface of the mattress. It also helps to remove odor.

You should therefore sprinkle a few spoonful of baking soda on the mattress and let it be on the mattress for a while. This should take a few minutes. After say five to ten minutes, vacuum up the baking soda from the mattress.

  • Spray or pour a cleaner on the surface of the mattress

Using an all-purpose fabric cleaner, cover all the wet areas of the mattress and in case the odor is too strong, have several layers of the fabric cleaner on the mattress. You can also come up with a home-made cleaner by combining vinegar and warm water.

After spraying the all-purpose or home-made cleaner on the mattress, allow it to sit for a few minutes, say five minutes.

  • Blot the mattress

Using a cloth or dry towel, blot the mattress after absorption of the cleaner into the mattress-ensure that you blot the whole mattress well. This is to ensure that mold does not grow in the mattress and to keep it as dry as it possibly can be.

  • Add baking soda to the mattress

Next, you need to add some baking soda onto the mattress to ensure that it dries up. Sprinkle the baking soda and allow the mattress to air dry for about 18hours. Avoid sleeping on the mattress until it is totally dry.

  • Vacuum out the soda from the mattress

Using a quality vacuum cleaner, remove the soda from the mattress after the mattress has had time to dry.

Place the mattress at a place with good ventilation to allow the smell that is remaining (if any) to fade away.

Confirm that the mattress is completely dry by touching it and smelling it to confirm that the smell has faded away.

Now that we have cleaned our sheets and mattress, the next step is to protect the bed from further harm. This can be done by following three simple steps:

  • Investing in a plastic mattress cover

You can protect your bed by using a plastic mattress cover which will keep liquid from getting into the mattress. A plastic mattress cover can be purchased from local hardware stores.

The plastic mattress cover will ensure that if you wet the bed again, the liquid will not get absorbed into the mattress. It comes in handy especially for people who habitually wet the bed. However, it is important to note that there is nothing wrong with being a habitual bed wetter.

  • Use a washable protector

You may also use a washable protector with breathable fabrics if you are not pleased with the sound a plastic mattress cover makes.

Fit the washable protector over the mattress before spreading your bedding and remove it to wash when necessary.

The advantage of a washable protector is that it does not make noise and is a bit more comfortable as compared to the plastic cover. A washable protector can be found at local hardware stores or online.

  • Investing in easily washable bedding

This is the third way of protecting the bed. You can get bedding that is easy to wash rather than use the plastic mattress cover or the washable protector.

Use the bedding especially in cases where one is likely to wet the bed again in future. This can be efficient in kids’ beds.

Such bedding includes those that are made of cotton as cotton does not hold stains and is easy to wash. In conclusion, it is important to clean your sheets appropriately after the bed has been made wet.

While at it, it is also good to note that there is nothing wrong with wetting the bed, be it in children, teens or adults. One should seek medical assistance.