DIY Mattress Freshening

At least one third of our lives is spent sleeping on a mattress. Add in time spent reading, watching television, cuddling, nursing, and playing on one and the amount of time that we spend on our mattresses increases significantly.

If you think about the activities that take place in the bed, be it a bed you sleep alone in or one that you share with another adult and/or children, you will see how a mattress needs to be refreshed every now and then.

Many mattress are found to contain sweat, blood, urine, and other bodily fluids, along with dirt and dust. Some without a good, natural moisture barrier also contain mold and mildew.

Gross to think about? Absolutely. The good news is that it’s easy to freshen a mattress, even though it’s not something many of us think to do

Here’s How You Can Freshen Your Mattress

1. Start with washing all of the bedding including the mattress protector. In order to insure that any nasty germs are killed off, add about 10 drops of tea tree oil to your laundry detergent. Tea tree has been proven to kill off everything from the flu virus to MRSA!

2. Vacuum the mattress in every crease and crevice with the upholstery attachment. This will get rid of any dead skin cells, dust and other debris that have made their way there.

3. Mix some baking soda with 10 drops of tea tree oil and 10 drops of lavender oil. You can use a mason jar, shaking the mixture to combine the oils with the baking soda. Sprinkle the mixture over the bed and let it sit for a few hours. The baking soda will neutralize and odors and absorb any moisture. The oils will help to kill any germs on the surface of the mattress.

4. Vacuum up the baking soda once again using the upholstery attachment.

5. Spot clean any stains. The stains on mattresses are usually those of body fluid, and if you are finding them after freshening your mattress for the first time, then they have most likely been there for a while. You may not be able to fully remove them at this point, but here are some recipes to try. Please note that you do not want to get a lot of fluid on your mattress, so use as little as possible when cleaning it.

For blood: Make a paste of 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, 1 tbsp liquid dish soap and 1 tbsp of salt. Rub it in, let it sit and then scrape it off.

For urine and sweat: Mix 3 tbsp baking soda into 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide with 2 small drops of dish soap. Mix until the baking soda is dissolved and dab this on the spot.

For vomit: Make a paste using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Set it on the stain, let it sit and then scrape it off.

If you needed to do any spot treatments, wait until any damp spots on the mattress are dry before putting any bedding back on.
When you are sure that your mattress is dry from any spot cleaning, put all of the bedding back on and relax knowing that you will sleep ‘fresh’ tonight!

 

 

 

Taking the Big Kid Bed Plunge – Strategies to get a Child to Move into a Big Kid Bed

While there is no ‘right’ age for moving your child into his or her own big kid bed, there does come a point where it’s simply necessary for one reason or another. The appropriate time is different for each family, depending on their sleeping arrangements and what’s comfortable for the family and the child.

Timing is Everything. Moving into a big kid bed is a big transition for a young child. While exciting, it can also be scary and overwhelming. The move has to happen when everything else in the child’s life is consistent. Do not do it if the child is experiencing another major change at the same time. If he/she is potty training, weaning from nursing or a bottle, or starting school or daycare, wait until the child is comfortable with that transition first. If the move to the bed is coming because a new baby is expected, do the move months before the baby comes.

 

Continue with your bedtime routine. If you don’t have a routine, now is the time to set one up. For ideas on what this routine should include, you can see Bed-Time Tips for your Child.

Let your child be involved in the process. When a child is involved, it gives him ownership over the situation and allows him to feel that he is part of the decision. This can mean letting him pick out the bed, the comforter or a pillow cover and perhaps a stuffed animal to keep on the bed to snuggle with.

Talk about it. Start the big kid bed conversation a couple of weeks before the actual move. Start talking about other family members or friends who sleep in big kid beds. Get some children books, such as Your Own Big Bed and A Bed of Your Own to read together.

Expect that it will take some time. Chances are that your child won’t just go into his new bed and sleep through the night right away and that’s okay. Give him positive encouragement just for staying in it however long he does, even if it’s only a minute. Then remind the child he has to stay in his own bed. It make take a week or two before he/she is comfortable enough to stay put.

Stay with your child. You want your child to feel safe. The first few nights, get in bed and cuddle until he/she falls asleep. Then gently walk away once the child is asleep. If he/she wakes, go back in and cuddle. After a few days, if you decide that cuddling is not to be part of the bedtime routine, you can stay by the door to reassure your child you are still there, spending less time at the door each night.