To replace piss soaked mattress

[MintBaileysMilkshake]

I think our houseguest pissed the bed in the spare room. One side is musty and soaked through to the mattress (through sheets, mattress topper and mattress itself!). I'm trying to be kind and think maybe he just suffers from night sweats possibly...but realistically it's piss.

Anyway, will replace bedding and mattress topper. What I'm wondering about is the mattress itself. It's a bloody nice, expensive one. Do I need to replace it? Or what else can I do. I need to get it completely clean and unpissy as I sometimes sleep in it with my new baby. Fuck fuck fuck!

Houseguest is in slightly poor health, which may explain, so obviously I won't make a song and dance about it, but I could cry.

Can you get a attic bed protector for next visit?

Plastic

You would definitely be able to smell pee. I don't have a clue what it is but if it doesn't smell like wee then it isn't. Sprinkle whole area liberally with bicarb of soda to help absorb/dry it off, hoover it off after a couple of hours.

Spilled tea or coffee?

Just ask what was spilled so you can make a decision how to clean it. Just be matter of fact.

Waterproof under mattress topper in future.

Possibly spilt tea then, he has it with about six sugars so might explain the sweet smell. Still why not fess up?
I wish I could send the smell to you to tell me, though, it's really strong as soon as you walk into the room. Surely tea wouldn't do that. Will any ammonia scent become stronger as day goes on do you think? Or do I need to buy a pee detector!?

I just want to know whether I'm facing a big steam cleaning/mattress replacing bill or not!!

I know, I know, I need to ask!

wee often start of not smelling much at all of anything.

Wee doesn't smell of ammonia til it dries out in my experience.

This happened to us once - the guest fessed up. The mattress did not smell at all to start with. As Shonajoy said, it will once it dries.

For info: we replaced ours on our house insurance, no problem.

Thank you for reminding me to buy another waterproof cover for the mattress. More of a child issue than incontinent guests - but you never know.

A friend of ours stayed over when he was going through an extraordinarily difficult time in his life. His personal hygiene was incredibly poor at this time and he drank too much. The bed he stayed in smelt really musty after he stayed over, it wasn't a urine issue more of a unwashed booze soaked bloke issue. The main smell was musty though - could that be the problem oh the sheets did look brown after he had slept in them for nearly a week

Thanks for advice and thoughts all
I am in sniffing every hour- ugh, really hope it is something innocent but I don't know. The fact that the patch is localised around the middle of one side, where you'd expect someone to piss the bed, is what worries me. If you were drinking something, it'd more likely be up the top right?

I would replace the mattress. I've never heard of steam cleaning one but definitely don't jist leave it to air and dry out because when you sleep on it your own body heat is likely to activate the smell. I've done this (slept on a urine dried mattress i mean) and it's foul to wake up in what seems like a urine soaked mattress

Is there a chance that your guest could be diabetic?

It sounds gross but sweet smelling urine is an early symptom of diabetes / not handling diabetes properly.

just to re-iterate, steam cleaning does work, google and find a company, they come to the house so it is obviously cheaper to have more than one done. It may not be worth it just for one, unless a very good quality mattress that you want to replace with the same.

I have cleaned wee off when my kids have had accidents, and no protector on. Wet and soak up with lots of towels, I use a weak bleach or bicarb. If you do it properly, the mattress does come clean and not smell. Not sure if I would want to do it for a guests accidents (as opposed to a child's)

I would be matter of fact - I noticed there was something spilt, can you tell me what so I know what sort of cleaner to use?

Callani has a good point, the diabetes issue may explain the incontinence too if it is new onset your houseguest may be producing much more urine than usual. This happened to an old housemate of mine who developed T1 diabetes in her 20s, bedwetting for the first time in over a decade was the first noticeable sign.

Hippy Chick mattress covers are fantastic for future reference - you'll need something for nappy leaks/breast milk leaks/vomit if you're going to share it with a baby.

We've used a steam cleaner on a pissed-on mattress before: it was the first time anyone had ever slept on it, and it had to be made to order, so replacing it was unfortunately not an option. It's absolutely fine now: no stain or smells or anything. It took some time, but we got there. We did also use some upholstery cleaner from John Lewis to deal with potential staining.

Mind you, the guest in question was mortified and actually bought us the steam cleaner by way of apology...

Oh I'd replace eww

I guessing you could hire a steam cleaner from somewhere which hires out Rug Doctors and the like?

Leave it to air for a few days if it starts to honk then it's piss and then I'd replace

Get waterproof mattress protectors on all beds - you can get ones with a terry cotton top that don't feel like plastic, aren't particularly sweaty. Last for ever (don't bother with the cheapo ones - they split after a year or so and that defeats the purpose! )
Good for Dcs, even on your bed - in case you spill a drink, hotwater bottle bursts, Dc gets in with you etc etc
I've been thankful for them on numerous occasions...
DD1 started getting nosebleeds in the night - one night her bed was soaked - would never have got the stain out...
And when poorly DD2 vomited in her bed so I brought her into ours and she vomited again - we would have been bed less...
With the terry type ones though you need spares - cos the top does absorb the spill (so not for a bed wetting DC - you can get them that are more plasticky (less comfortable) but you can just wipe them over)

Meant to say -if it is piss doubt you will ever get it out -although it might not smell if it is always covered up.
I had to replace some floor boards in a house I bought from old people...think they had had a chamber pot and kept spilling it - tried everything I could to get rid of it - bicarb, vinegar, soaked it and vacuumed up the water, steaming etc etc but as soon as the sun shone on it it stank again ...didn't smell until the bed had been moved and the sun could get to it though...

I think it's solvable. I would be looking into steam cleaning but also scrubbing at it with disinfectant and boiling hot soapy water. Bicarb is also good. A friend of mine spilt tea on a very expensive duvet and even dry cleaning didn't solve the issue so you may have to live with a stain.

My first thought was diabetes when you mentioned the sweet smell.

John Lewis do a decent cotton-faced waterproof mattress protector. You do need to take them off regularly though to let the mattess air properly as, inevitably, moisture in the air gets into the mattress from the open underside.