Mattresses with washable covers: what "washable" actually means, and what it does not
"Washable cover" sells mattresses to new parents, pet owners and anyone with a memory of a bad night. It is a real feature, and it is also easy to misread. Here is what a washable cover is, what it protects, and what it does not.
What is washable
A washable cover is a zip-off outer fabric that comes away from the mattress and goes in a domestic washing machine, usually at 40 °C. On a well-made mattress it is the knitted or woven top and sides in one piece with a zip around the border. It is usually not the base fabric.
What it is not: the mattress. The foam, springs and fillings underneath are not washable and never will be. If something has gone through the cover into the comfort layer, the cover coming off lets you dry and air the mattress, but it does not clean it.
What it does and does not protect against
| Washable cover alone | Cover plus a waterproof protector | |
|---|---|---|
| Sweat and skin over time | Yes, wash it | Yes |
| A small spill caught quickly | Mostly | Yes |
| A big spill or an accident | No; it goes through to the foam | Yes, the protector stops it |
| Dust mites | Helps, washed hot | Helps more |
| Smell | Yes | Yes |
So a washable cover is for freshness and for the medium-sized disasters. A waterproof protector (with a breathable membrane) is still the first line, and the washable cover is what you are glad of when the protector was in the wash.
The fire-barrier question
UK mattresses must meet BS 7177, and the fire barrier is usually in or just under the cover. When a cover is designed to be removed and washed, the maker has to ensure the mattress still passes with the cover off and on, and that washing does not strip a fire-retardant treatment. Ask two things: is the mattress fire-tested with the cover removed, and is the fire barrier a woven layer that stays with the mattress, or a treatment on the cover that washing degrades? A good maker will answer; and the answer should never be a fibreglass sock under the cover, which is dangerous the moment the zip is undone. See fibreglass in mattresses.
How to wash it
- 40 °C, gentle, with the zip closed and, if it fits, alone.
- No fabric conditioner (it coats the fibres and reduces breathability).
- Line dry or low tumble; hot tumble drying shrinks knitted covers so they will not zip back on.
- Put it back on slightly damp if it has shrunk a little; it stretches.
- While it is off, air the mattress uncovered by an open window.
Buy a spare
A cover takes a day to wash and dry, and the night in between is when the next thing happens. Makers who offer washable covers usually sell spares; buy one with the mattress.
Who it is for
- New parents, for the obvious reasons and for the years after.
- Anyone with pets on the bed.
- Allergy sufferers who want to wash at 60 °C (check the cover allows it).
- People who simply like a clean bed and would rather wash a cover than replace a mattress.
How we built ours
The New Parent has a zip-off knitted cover that washes at 40 °C, over a foam core with micro-springs and a 50 kg/m³ firm edge. The fire barrier stays with the mattress, and the build is tested with the cover on and off. Spare covers are sold separately, and we would rather you bought one with the mattress than found out why later.
The short version
- Washable means the zip-off outer fabric, not the mattress.
- Still use a breathable waterproof protector; the cover is the second line.
- Ask how the fire barrier survives washing, and check there is no fibreglass under the zip.
- 40 °C, no conditioner, no hot tumble, buy a spare.
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