Why is it that everything that comes into contact with babies gets dirty? Hold a baby long enough, and you're bound to get spit up on, there's no two ways about it.
Apply the same thinking to where babies sleep, and you can only imagine how gross a cot could get.
Believe it or not, an unprotected pillow used by an adult gains up to 1 kg of dirt in a space of two years, according to Protect a bed.
Must read: What’s the scoop on kids and dirt?
In fact Good Housekeeping South Africa dug deeper into this in a recent article listing the five filthy things lurking in your pillow.
Here's what's sharing a bed with your baby:
- Spit up
- Leaking milk bottles
- Sweat
- A diaper accident
- Skin and hair oils
EWW!
If a pillow can be this dirty, how dirty could your baby's cot mattress be?
How to clean a cot mattress
Most cleaning companies like Chelsea Cleaning advise that when parents clean a baby's cot mattress they should start with vacuuming the mattress "paying special attention to the seams and stitch-overs."
For minimal cleaning, simply vacuum, apply a disinfectant spray and wipe the cot mattress to protect baby against allergies and dust mites.
South African beds company Sealy advises against drenching mattresses with water, as this may cause the mattress to not fully dry which may lead to your mattress getting stinky.
"You should never drench your mattress with water or any other liquid cleaning product as mattresses are not meant to get wet, they don’t dry quickly, they were not designed in that manner, especially memory foam mattresses."
They provide the following advice:
Blot don't rub
If there is a spill on the mattress Sealy suggests that you blot the stain with a dry cloth or paper towel to absorb all the excess liquids before the actual cleaning.
Soapy water
Instead of throwing water into the mattress rather fill up a spray bottle with soap water and spot clean the stained areas with a cloth.
Air dry
Drying will take longer so put the stained mattress outside or in a well ventilated room to air dry completely.
Chat back:
What do you think? Share your thoughts with us, and we could publish your letter. Anonymous contributions are welcome.