Mattress Covering

[jrylee]

I'm wondering if people cover their mattresses with mattress protectors - not just a mattress pad and sheets.

I had purchased a double bed 4" piece of foam from the Mattress Factory and it has been fine. However, while living in the tearbaby last fall during chilly weather, I was using an electric heater to keep warm and it created a lot of condensation (even with the window partially open). I had some Reflectix window coverings stored under the mattress and where my body crossed the Reflectix I got mildew in that area on the bottom of the foam (obviously I won't be storing the covers THERE anymore!). I have a regular mattress pad on the foam, but it only goes around the top and bottom outside edge. I had considered getting one of those mattress protectors that are like a bag to put the mattress in, but didn't know if that would create more moisture inside or not. Since the mattress lays on a wood board, there isn't any air circulation to keep moisture from developing on the bottom.

Anyone have any suggestions - to bag or not to bag?

Thanks!

[S. Heisley]

Jordan, yours is a more rare situation from what most of us experience because most of us use our trailers for vacations and week-end trips. Even those who live in their trailers usually have their mattresses up on a platform so they can store things underneath. If you have enough room, raising the bed via a lightweight platform might not be a bad idea because it would allow air to circulate as well as giving you an extra place to store things.

As far as mattress pads and covers go, it sounds like the moisture on the bottom of your mattress may be coming from your body. A moisture-proof mattress pad might have kept that from happening. Now that you've had problems with mildew, I would worry about possible mold spores as well. To be on the safe side, on a warm, dry summer day, I would take the mattress out of the trailer and spray it with a spray bottle of a bleach mixture made of 1 part bleach to 8 or 9 parts water and then leave the sprayed side in the air/sun until the entire mattress is thoroughly dry. This should kill any lingering spores to help eliminate any chance of you getting sick from the mildew/mold. I would also spray or wash down the floor where the mattress has been with a bleach solution and allow that to dry well, too, as some of the mildew/mold spores may be hiding on the deck of your trailer. Before winter, you may want to encase the mattress in a plastic cover, just in case any mold spores continue to lurk.

[JuneBug]

Moisture from respiration and your body is getting through the mattress and condensing when it hits the relatively colder surface underneath your mattress. Likely the reflectix just wasn't providing enough insulation.

Buy some ensolite, and lay it down beneath the mattress for insulation and put your mattress on top. This should address the condensation issue on the bottom of your mattress.
Basic ensolite was the go-to backpacking mattress pad forever, but now it has been replaced by higher tech products. It wasn't particularly cushy, but did a great job of insulating the sleeper from the cold, cold ground.
Probably a one quarter inch to half inch thickness should do it.
You can buy it here in 60 inch widths, by the linear foot.
http://foammart.com/closed-cell/ensolite/

[Cosmo]

Boaters (and RVs) are using Hypervent for mattress moisture

A first hand report from a friend I just checked with who is using it says:

"Awesome. Exceeded expectations. It does not prevent condensation. It holds the mattress above the condensation and makes it very easy to mop up. Water IN the mattress takes forever to dry out."

Ihttp://www.hyperventmarine.com/

Cosmo

[deleted]

For ease of laundering I got two of these.



I did have to alter them to fit my smaller than standard mattress but turned them into two mini fitted sheets. I put one on the bottom first to protect the underside of the mattress from the floor, then one over the top.

Over that I place a heavier cotton mattress pad followed by a cotton, fitted sheet.

So there's a waterproof mattress cover both top and bottom directly against the foam.

On laundry days I take off the cotton sheet and cotton mattress pad to wash leaving the two waterproof covers aside unless they actually got wet which has only happened once when the thin plastic container I use for grey water cracked in the trailer due to road vibrations. Stayed at a Super 8 that night and hung everything around the room to dry.

http://www.protectabed.com/mattress-protectors/premium-mattress-protectors.asp

While living full time from my trailer during the winter I did use a small ceramic heater and always kept the vent or windows cracked to reduce condensation. That said you could also create an absorbent bumper of sorts using terry cloth or some type of absorbent fabric to lay against the trailer wall wherever condensation could be leaking down under the mattress if that's a problem in the future (like coming off the windows and getting between the wall and mattress then pooling under the mattress. That way the water will collect in the bumper instead of seeping to the floor. I'd make two sets, one to use each night so while one dries out you have another ready to go.

[jrylee]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to thank everyone for their input and suggestions. I've been moving so have been purging stuff and packing, purging more stuff and repacking, and so on to try to get everything I need / want for living on the road to fit comfortably in my teardrop and car. I am down the the nitty gritty crap that drives me crazy!

Sharon, thank you for your suggestions and thoughts on what could have caused the issue. My bed is a raised platform so that does help some. The Reflectix pieces I had were just under part of my body, and that's the only place I had mildew issues. I'm guessing it held the moisture there instead of letting it air out normally. I

JuneBug, thanks for the suggestion of the ensolite. I had a camping pad of that years ago - hadn't thought about that as a possibility - would also add some extra comfort to my foam mattress. Though I'm actually thinking of putting some on my floor under the carpet for insulation and cushioning (I have an open dropped floor in my teardrop. That might be really nice on cold mornings!)

Cosmo, thanks for the link to the hypervent - that is so cool! Someone over at TearJerkers also mentioned that. I think that would be a wise thing to have since I will be living in my teardrop in changing climates and environments. I think I will look into that when I can afford it.

Stacie, I almost went with what you did (great minds think alike!) - then I saw the "bag" protectors and thought that might be easier. I thought so until I went to make my bed up. I think it took me at least 15 minutes fighting with the foam mattress and mattress topper and all the coverings. If I went with the bag type protector I'd have to take my mattress out of the teardrop to get it on - which would then require me getting it back IN the teardrop! I think I'd have to have an unsuspecting helper help me with that. Not sure what would be the biggest challenge - getting the mattress OUT of the teardrop or back IN or getting that sticky foam to slide down into a "bag". Probably not a good idea to ask a friend to help me with it if I ever want them to speak to me again! I almost stopped speaking to myself after trying to make the bed!

For now, I did a temporary and FREE fix. First I scraped the mildew off the foam with a wire brush and sprayed it with vinegar (I don't have bleach Sharon) & let it dry. Then I rolled up my Reflectix window covers and moved them to the car - hopefully just that will solve any future problems. Then I tackled the bed. When Egon made my teardrop, he included a 1- 2 inch mattress topper that had a thick mattress pad over it for the bed. I added the 4" foam piece. I used the thick mattress pad he gave me to cover both pieces of foam then a fitted sheet and so on. When I made the bed this time, I added a waterproof mattress pad that my dad and step-mom didn't take when they moved and put that over the 4" piece of foam, then added the mattress topper and it's thick mattress pad over all of it then my fitted sheet. Let me tell you, THAT little experiment was quite a challenge to do in the teardrop without taking any of it out! Needless to say, fighting with "sticky" foam is NOT my favorite sport.

So, I will see how that works for me. When I can afford to upgrade to a mattress protector "bag" or another waterproof mattress pad to cover the bottom of the foam I will do that and I would like to get some of that hypervent too. I think that would be a wise purchase.

Thanks everyone for your input and suggestions. It really helps to hear what others have done and to be introduced to new products out there that can help.

Happy camping!

Jordan