Silly question about wetting the bed

[StealthPolarBear]

OK if a child wets the bed the mattress must be ruined, surely??
The reason I ask is because I want to take DS's waterproof sheet off (must be at least 3 months since he last weed at night) but I can't imagine how you would clean the mattress. You could sponge it, but surely it would have seeped right through?

bump
people talk about "changing the sheets" but surely if you put a thin cotton sheet on top of a soaking wet mattress it will just come stright through?
Dying to get rid of the waterproof sheet (it is crinkly and makes his top sheet twist round) but the risks are just too high

You can put pampers disposable pads under a normal sheet just in case - that's what I still do with DD because children do occasionally randomly wet the bed and as you said it's a total disaster on a normal mattress. Hippychick waterproof sheets are great but really expensive.

I did do that but again it got screwed up and while it started the night under his bum it never seemed to finish there. Suppose I can do it though as it;s better than nothing

If you are worried for the first few weeks you could put one of those disposable changing mat sheets under his top sheet in the appropriate portion of the bed?
I did this in the last few weeks of pregnancy in case waters broke, didn't want to risk my lovely mattress. Just put a new one in when I changed bed sheets, you get a pack of 8 or something.

An alternative to your waterproof sheet could be a washable padded mattress topper. Although not waterproof, it would absorb the worst of it and then you can bung in the washing machine. Mothercare / ikea have them I think.

Don't think it would ruin it if was just a one-off tbh. If you gave it a good clean, and let it dry thoroughly, bacteria won't grow if environment is dry.
If you have a steam cleaner / wallpaper stripper you could give it a blast with that.

It has been a few months now since he was last wet at night, but I'm just nervous of a complete one off :o

I suppose you're right that it wouldn't ruin it - I do have a mattress protector but still think it would soak right into the mattress. What do people mean by "change the sheets" then?

Some kids' mattresses are waterproof, so if you've got one if those you don't need to worry. I use two of the Pampers mattress protectors - if you only use one then DCs are always going to wriggle off it - and I make sure they're tucked well under the mattress sides.

no they're just normal mattresses. Never thought about using two :o But they aren't wide enough to tuck in, they just hve to lie on top

Do you not have the ones with wings for tucking in? Or does he just sleep on a wide bed?

My son is 10 and was dry at 7. He still has a waterproof sheet on his bed and a good job too as he wet the bed last week when he was ill. Why do you want to take it off?

Dont think they have wings, they are just squareish. Bed is a normal single.
Do most people leave them on then? Want to take it off as it;s horrible, I am forever trying to smooth his top sheet which gets all crumpled and screwed up. Slides around a bit. Makes crinkly noises when he turns over. None a big deal but I always assumed it would be a short term thing - maybe they're not in which case I will invest in a really nice one.

Ones with wings are much better, and I use a cheapo mattress protector from IKEA that holds in place with elastic to keep everything in place. But I only use them when the Hippychick one is in the wash, which used to be all the time, now much less frequent thank heavens.

we've got decent quality waterproof mattress protectors on all the children's beds as well as some cheaper ones that get used if the good ones are wet. Even when they've stopped wetting they occasionally get sicked on or have a bed sharing sibling in them that might have an accident

we've got 4dc one in nappies, one that has regular accidents split between 5 single beds and an enormous pile of bedding!

I still use a mattress protector for dd(7) and ds(4) bed as they can pee/puke at any time. Their protectors are waterproof with a cotton top layer and are not crinkly.