In helping your child wage war against the discomfort and embarrassment of nighttime wetting, a plastic mattress cover is the first line of defense.
Vinyl mattress protectors, rubber sheets as they were once called, are sold at most major retailers and, depending on the size of bed, cost about $7-$12 a sheet. When making your child's bed, place the plastic sheet atop the mattress and follow with a conventional cloth sheet set. For greater comfort, you may consider adding additional layers. For instance, if your protector is a little loose it may slide uncomfortably between the mattress and fitted sheet. This slippage can be minimized by using a quilted mattress pad between the mattress and vinyl layers. If sliding is still an issue or if your child dislikes the way the sheets interact with the vinyl, place a large bath sheet or beach towel in between the mattress protector and the sheets. The extra layer of bulk will tighten loose sheets and make them less likely to shift and the absorbent padding will provide another soft layer of defense. Depending on your child's age, it might be well advised to provide extra bedding and cleaning materials with which he or she can attend to any nighttime mishaps on their own. Absolutely keep extra sheets, blankets, and, if used, beach towels, in a discreet, but handy, location in your child's bedroom. Perhaps they are stashed in a box under the bed or in the closet or, depending on the frequency of accidents, maybe they are even located underneath the aforementioned vinyl/mattress pad layer! Obviously most sheets will not stretch to accommodate another sheet set and mattress pad, but perhaps they might accommodate another vinyl cover and another fitted sheet? The top layer could just be pulled off and put aside with the next day's laundry. This could be a great way to help your child get a dry bed with a minimal amount of wakefulness on other your or his part. However, no matter which route you chose to take, it is still essential that, after any accident, the vinyl be cleaned before it is removed from the bed.
If a great deal of dampness is present, there is a very good chance that it has pooled atop the vinyl protective layer. It must be absorbed before the cover is removed or it will drip all over the floor and on any other surface with which it comes in contact. That was the bad news. The good news is that cleaning a vinyl sheet is so easy you could do it in your sleep! For the most part, the best way to clean a vinyl mattress cover is to wipe it down with a paper towel and then follow up with a disinfecting wipe or spray cleaner. If you find that you absolutely must wash the cover in a machine, make certain to set the water temperature to "cold" and the cycle to "delicate". Do not be tempted to put it in the dryer! Even at relatively low temperatures you may open your dryer door to find, at best, the integrity of the plastic has been compromised and, at worst, a gooey mess now needs to be peeled from the dryer walls. Better to hang it up to drip dry over a line or in the bathtub. As mentioned above though, wiping down the cover with a good cleanser is probably the fastest, easiest and most effective way to go.
From pull-ups to alarms, there are so many devices meant to get you and your child through the trials and tribulations of bedwetting, but really none are as simple or effective as a good waterproof mattress cover. They are fairly inexpensive, durable, easy to clean, and, on a properly made bed, no one ever need know a vinyl mattress protector is being used. It is not going to help your child's bladder mature or sense of timing improve, but it will help both of you take positive steps in minimizing the discomfort, inconvenience, and embarrassment of a battle quietly being waged in many a bedroom each and every night.
