Mattresses

[shellylh]

I don't want to get a bed bug cover because then I will always be afraid of ripping it.

[shellylh]

As long as I don't currently have bed bugs, I am not going to buy any bed bug encasements except possibly from here (they don't take any returns).  I would be too worried that something with bed bugs bought them and then returned them (I read about this happening on some review on amazon).  Also, the shitty foundation I bought has a bunch of splintered wood so it would probably rip any encasement I put on it.  

[Grand Enigma]

We use this - http://www.flobeds.com/products/2140QU

The wool is nice as it sleeps cooler and does a good job wicking away moisture. Awesome too since its washer/dryer safe.

With a little one or two ending up in our bed most nights a protector was necessary... Well cheaper than replacing the entire mattress cover.

[shellylh]

I was looking at that one and it looks very nice. It is pretty similar to the one I got (wool stuffed in cotton and is also washable).  I might just keep mine - I don't know if they will let me return it anyway.  The thing I don't like about mine is that I can see a single black speck inside of the cover but I don't know what it is.  That made me worry that there might be a bedbug inside of it - probably not since it doesn't move and I tried to squish it and nothing happened.  I can't really see it, I can just see that there is something there.   Any quilted type mattress protector could potentially have bed bugs inside of them which makes me worried. 

I was thinking of getting a wool puddle pad (which would be one piece of wool so that I could better check for bed bugs).   The problem is that all the things I looked at are from very small companies that I don't know much about. Also, some of them say that they will ship in 1-4 weeks so I would have to wait a while.  I think you are also supposed to put a cotton mattress pad/protector over them to soak up and distribute the sweat. 

I don't have any cat, dogs, or kids sleeping in my bed so maybe I could get away with no pad?  I do wake up sweating a lot though which would probably be bad for the mattress.  Maybe I can just put down 3-4 flannel sheets under my sheet (although that would be really hot probably). 

My life was so much easier before I had bed bugs. 

Edited September 21, 2015 by shellylh

[shellylh]

I did that but it keeps being wadded up into a ball.  Since there is a lot of insulation and it bunches up, I wasn't sure how long it would take to get every part of it at 120 for the necessary time.  

[shellylh]

I could put it in the Packtite but I think the dryer would probably be better.  I'll do it a couple more times (1 hour each time? I think that is the longest it will do and the last 5 minutes is a cool down period).   For comforters in the Packtite closet (bed bug heater), they say to open the comforter up, put the thermometer inside the insulation, then let it get to 120 and hold it for an hold.  I'm sure if I do this, I will just have a ruined mattress protector and will have to buy another one.  I'm not much for sewing.

You have more confidence in maintenance people than I do...

[shellylh]

 

 

We use this - http://www.flobeds.com/products/2140QU

 

The wool is nice as it sleeps cooler and does a good job wicking away moisture. Awesome too since its washer/dryer safe.

 

With a little one or two ending up in our bed most nights a protector was necessary... Well cheaper than replacing the entire mattress cover.

 

I purchased this protector and got it delivered today.  I was planning to wash and dry it before using it.  How do you know when the mattress protector is fully dry (the directions say to take it out as soon as it is fully dry)?   I obviously don't want to put a partially wet protector on the bed and also don't want to overdry and ruin the wool.

[Grand Enigma]

Our dryer has a dampness level setting that works quite well.

You could likely get away with drying it until it is just a little damp and air drying until dry.

[shellylh]

Unfortunately, I don't know that I have a place to air dry it.    I have a auto-dampness setting on my dryer but often things are still damp when it stops (if the load is full).  

I also read somewhere where someone said it really stunk when they first got there's (I haven't opened it up yet).  Do you remember a weird smell at first? 

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, that's called "outgassing".  It's normal, just give it some time to air out.

Clean out the lint filter?  If it's not the lint filter -- get apartment maintenance to clean out the exhaust of the dryer.  I usually have to turn my mattress pads "inside out" once or twice to get them fully dry because they don't "tumble" in the tumble-dry dryer.  (Basically just rearrange them so that the inner parts are more outer and the outer parts are more inner.)

Once you get it mostly dry, just put it on the bed to air dry with nothing on top of it.  I usually try to time it so that I'm doing this at the beginning of the day, so that it has all day to air dry.

[shellylh]

Ok it didn't smell too bad but barely fit in my front washer (at my house). I wonder if it'll fit in the washer at the apartment in the future...

The dryer I have had been like that since day one with a brand new vent (I'm still using the washer/dryer at my house since they are nicer). I just put it in the washer so I guess I'll have to find a place to let it sit to air dry in the old place for tonight.

[Dusty Chalk]

Okay.

Yeah, mine's the same way, hence the turn-it-"inside-out" and run it a couple times approach.  I've had to do the same thing at other places I've lived, so I'm kind of used to it.  I don't let it run the whole cycle, just the main part (when it's full on), then rearrange it, then start the cycle anew.  I used to have to only do it twice, now I"m up to three, I should probably schedule something with maintenance.

But you shouldn't bother if you're not keeping it.  

And if you're not going to stay there through the end of the dryer cycles, I wouldn't recommend leaving it in the dryer, but I've left stuff "mostly dry" (/mildly damp) overnight, and as long as I run another cycle in the morning, it's been fine.

[shellylh]

Our dryer has a dampness level setting that works quite well.

 

You could likely get away with drying it until it is just a little damp and air drying until dry.

I ran it until it was all the way dry (washed and dryed on medium but I didn't have a "gentle" setting for medium).  I went to take it out once and but then felt a small part that was still damp - maybe I should have taken it out then.  The fabric has all these little dust particles falling from it like it's disintegrating.  I had to run a small load of wet towels through the dryer to get out all the extra small lint/dust particles after drying it.  The company did warn of a lot of lint from the terry cloth exterior (and that you would need to clean out the link before and after - which I always do). Is this normal?  Basically, when I shake it out and then run my hand over the hardwood floor, there is a bunch of dust/fine lint all over the floor (you can't see it until you run your hand over it unless sunlight hits it).  I feel that if I put this on my mattress I am going to have to vacuum a bunch of stuff off it next time I remove it - which I guess isn't the worst thing in the world. 

I hope that is what terry cloth does at the beginning and I didn't dry it too much and too hot and ruin the wool inside.  I bought this to be water resistant.  Can too much heat ruin the water resistance property of wool?  

I am tired of dealing with mattress protectors. 

Edited October 8, 2015 by shellylh

[Grand Enigma]

Ours had a ton of lint the first few washes. I wouldn't be too concerned.

I believe the only warning I saw with regards to heat was that over drying could cause the protector to lose some body.

[jp11801]

recently returned a Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe (too hard for this side sleeper and too $$$) and bought a Brooklyn Mattress medium firmness for 1/5 the price. SO far I am loving the new mattress. 

[shellylh]

Ours had a ton of lint the first few washes. I wouldn't be too concerned.

I believe the only warning I saw with regards to heat was that over drying could cause the protector to lose some body.

Do you end up having dust/fine lint particles all over your mattress? The lint seems must finer than usual lint. Maybe that is the case with terry cloth.

I wonder if it could be pieces of the wool breaking off because it has become brittle and coming through the cover.

[Grand Enigma]

I cannot say I have looked. I will check next time I remove it.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

All things lint when new, I can only imagine terrycloth would be a higher lint producer than usual.

[Voltron]

Let it lie, Shelly.  It is just a mattress cover and new ones will create mass quantities of lint, fine or otherwise.  Put it on the new bed and sleep tight.  There is nothing to worry about here...

[Grand Enigma]

^ I see what you did there.  Let it lie indeed.

[shellylh]

I'm ignoring it right now because I have to get ready to go to Austin City Limits tomorrow. 

[It's not necessarily lint though, they are not fibers, just little smaller than sand like particles.  I talked to someone at the company and she said they do that for a while... she wasn't sure why, said it could be wool.]

Edited October 9, 2015 by shellylh

[swt61]

The point is you're letting insignificant things get you all worked up. This is not a normal or a healthy way to go through life. 

[mikeymad]

Ordered Leesa mattress yesterday - will report back on results. 

[swt61]

I don't know what a Leesa mattress is, but it makes me envision a blow-up doll.

 

[mikeymad]

dat's it!