Clean a PU hospital mattress cover in two ways: wipe the surface between patients with the disinfectant your infection-control team approves, and take the cover off for a machine wash when it is soiled or at a set interval. Libacce PU covers can be machine washed at up to 85 °C. Every time the cover is off, check the inside and the foam for staining.
Why does the cleaning routine matter?
A mattress cover is a barrier. While the membrane, seams and zip are intact, fluids stay on the surface, where they can be wiped away. Once the barrier is damaged, fluids reach the foam core, which cannot be cleaned. A good routine therefore does two jobs: it keeps the surface clean, and it catches damage early.
How do you clean the cover between patients?
- Put on the protective equipment your protocol requires.
- Remove visible soiling first with a disposable cloth and detergent. Disinfectant works poorly on a dirty surface.
- Wipe the whole cover with the approved disinfectant, including the sides and the zip area. Use the concentration and contact time its manufacturer specifies.
- Rinse with clean water if the disinfectant instructions call for it, and let the cover dry completely before the bed is made.
Avoid scouring pads and abrasive powders: they scratch the PU surface.
When should the cover be machine washed?
Take the cover off and wash it when soiling goes beyond what wiping can handle, when your protocol requires it after an infectious patient, and at a fixed interval set by your facility. Libacce PU covers can be washed at up to 85 °C; always follow the care label of the specific model.
Before you settle on a laundry regime, tell your supplier the temperature, the chemistry (detergent, disinfectant, bleach) and how often each cover will be washed. A 60 °C cycle with detergent and an 85 °C cycle with disinfectant place very different demands on a cover, and the construction should be specified for the one you actually run.
Which chemicals need care?
Disinfectants differ in how hard they are on coated fabrics. Strong chlorine solutions, solvent-based cleaners and alcohol, used above the recommended concentration or left on without rinsing, can stiffen or weaken a PU coating over time. That is not a reason to skip disinfection. It is a reason to use each product at its recommended strength, and to ask your cover supplier which chemistries the fabric has been checked against.
Can a PU cover be autoclaved?
Our PU-coated barrier fabric withstands 20 autoclave cycles at 121 °C for 20 minutes with no loss of performance (internal test method). Most facilities wipe and launder rather than autoclave, but the result shows how much heat the coating tolerates.
How do you check the cover after cleaning?
Every time the cover is off the mattress, or at least at a set interval:
- Unzip the cover fully and look at the inside surface for stains or tide marks.
- Look at the foam. Staining on the core means fluid has passed through the cover.
- Check the seams, corners and zip for splits.
- Run a hand over the surface for cracks, tacky patches or places where the coating is lifting.
If you find fluid on the inside, take the mattress out of use and replace the cover, and the foam as well if it is contaminated. Our article on when to replace a hospital mattress cover lists the signs to look for.
A short routine to pin on the wall
- Between patients: clean, disinfect, let dry.
- When soiled or at a set interval: take off and machine wash, up to 85 °C for Libacce PU covers.
- Every time the cover is off: unzip and inspect the inside and the foam.
- Never: scouring pads, undiluted chemicals, or a bed back in use while the cover is still wet.
Our PU hospital mattress cover is wipe-clean and machine washable up to 85 °C, and the full test data for the fabric is on our quality page. Send your mattress size and laundry regime to request a quote.