This is a question I’m emailing to DIY Natural Bedding, but I thought I would ask here as well as it’s fairly general.
I have the DIY Natural Bedding Expandable Knit ticking because I’m deeply indecisive about how many latex slabs I need. (That’s another story.) Here’s what DIYNB writes about the Expandable Knit Ticking:
Well, I initially used wool batting, but it turns out that I’m much more allergic to wool than I thought (sadly, because I love the properties of this miracle material, and I used to be fine with it! but lately it makes my eyes water like crazy!) So, I removed the wool and immediately felt better, but now I’m concerned about whether my latex is protected enough. How much protection is enough? And what can I use instead of wool? (The Quilted Ticking they mention also has wool.)
Here are some alternatives I thought of:
Use cotton or poly batting
Use blankets
Individually wrap each latex slab in its own knit cotton covering/topper cover
Get a thick knit 5-sided mattress protector, e.g. Cozy Pure Organic Cotton, to wrap over top of mattress
Get a thin woven 6-sided mattress protector, e.g. AllergyEase, to encase entire mattress
Double Ticking! Get another knit cotton ticking and put one inside the other
Would any of these be better or worse for the purpose of “protecting the latex from elements that cause it to degrade,” and/or can you think of others?
Good to see you back on the forum ! Thanks for your question.
Congrats on your Expandable Knit Ticking purchase from trusted member DIY Natural Bedding ! They are deeply experienced in the natural and DIY categories, I regard their expertise and customer support highly. What response did you receive from them regarding your question?
You don’t say, but how many latex layers are you using? What size DIY did you go with? Can you share more updates of your DIY with the forum, there are other consumers out there who may benefit from your learning process.
Sorry to hear of your allergic reaction to the wool batting, that must be disappointing since you have enjoyed its use in the past. People’s bodies and sensitivities can change over time sadly, it seems part of how we age. Thankfully, your situation resolved itself by simply removing the wool batting from your setup.
Your concern about protecting the latex is admirable BurrowingOwl, and the use of a quality mattress protector as a barrier would help to keep the latex separated from any stains or moisture concerns and keep the mattress fresh. Use of additional materials either on top of the latex or surrounding other layers would be more of a personal choice, IMO, as these could change how you “feel” the latex, depending on what is added and how much of it is used. Latex is the most highly durable material used in mattresses and will retain its comfort and support properties even longer than springs in many cases. Generally speaking, the closer your body can be to the latex, the more you will enjoy its conforming comfort feel. Did you notice much of a difference with the additional wool batting over the latex (before the watery eyes set in)?
These are just my thoughts and again, I would defer to DIY Natural Bedding’s expertise in this area .
Thanks for the reply Sensei! I did end up being pretty happy with a solution to that immediate problem, which is the Cozy Pure organic cotton mattress protector (fitted sheet style, but more substantial than many others).
The feel of the latex with and without the wool was really different. You definitely feel the latex more without the wool. Unfortunately, I don’t like it! It turns out actually don’t really like the feel of latex and I do like the feel of wool - it has a great balance of supportive and pressure-relieving, and it’s so nice for temperature control. I have found some good replacements for other wool items (such as a silk-filled comforter), but I haven’t found anything to replicate the feel of wool in a comfort layer/topper or ticking.
As for my build, oh, it’s a long story and I could probably make a whole other post. Actually, I will!
! Thanks for your question.
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