I’m looking at DIYmatress.com and building a mattress with all latex. I called and spoke to someone and they mentioned that all of their covers have an inch of wool inside as a fire protector.
Is this something I am going to notice? It seems odd to me to pay $500 for a high quality latex top layer only to lay on wool.
Thanks!
Yes you will absolutely notice a difference in feel having wool versus not having wool between yourself and the latex. Most of the customers I speak with end up prefer the feeling of having wool in the cover versus not having wool in the cover, even in some instances when I’m expecting the customer to prefer the feel of a thinner stretchier cover (like when they say they want a really plush feel, or if they say they have severe pressure sensitivity issues). If you want, you can order a 7" cotton & wool cover and then put the top layer of latex on top of that like a topper, just something to think about!
Hi Michaeldamron,
Wool possesses the remarkable ability to naturally regulate both body temperature and humidity, while also acting as a barrier against the proliferation of bacteria, mold, and mildew. If you highly value these attributes, it’s worth considering the investment in a quilted wool mattress cover. However, it’s essential to bear in mind that wool is not washable. In the unfortunate event of a spill or if your pet has an accident on your mattress, removing odours from wool can be challenging. An appealing alternative could be buying a standard mattress cover and using a washable wool mattress protector, as they offer the advantages of wool while allowing for easy cleaning.
I hope this helps!
cheers!
I am a wool NUT. Persian rugs, blankets, clothes, upholstery, you name it. AND, I have personally NEVER had a piece of wool I could not wash. And I mean with soap & water.
Same goes for alpaca & cashmere. Only thing I won’t wash is a custom tailored suit-because I suck at ironing, and have no reason to learn to iron.
1st thing I will tell everyone to do is VACUUM your bed regularly-every time you change your sheets. This keeps the bedding cleaner longer-dirt and dead cells are what wears fabric.
Now onto washing:
I’ve had people cringe when I tell them, but I wash my wool regularly.
It comes down to whether or not you want to put the time/effort in. Wool behaves like wool, which is hair, so you take care of it as such.
Never ever agitate when wet, and never put in the dryer if you are not trying to felt it.
Wool is heavy & most delicate when wet. Depending on how big the piece is, it may be VERY HEAVY when wet. Wool will smell “sheepy” when wet. Kinda like very mild wet dog smell. This is completely normal. Do not let this freak you out.
Wool needs to dry flat, you may need to pull it gently back into shape. You need to consider the space the item(s) will take up whist drying. Plan ahead!
I’m not telling you to do what it is that I do, but I am here telling you it CAN be done & it will allow you to enjoy your wool items longer.
Before ditching that wool item you spent $100’s for-if you have the time/space & determination-WASH IT!!!
I have a queen size 25 year old mattress encasement cover from a soft sided waterbed that I converted to a regular mattress. It has a flippable zip off quilted wool topper cover. I clean it once or twice per year. It has a sticker that tells me it cannot be washed…
Past few years it IS showing wear-not of the wool, but on the fabric encasement, in the spots where my giant breed dogs circle before laying down to sleep, & the part where my butt goes when I am reading in bed. It gets covered with fitted sheet, so not issue. The wool however is still going strong.
I have wool blankets in use that are over 50 years old, as well as a carpets over 100.
Fill a tub of suitable size, and use a mild baby shampoo-mix a small amount of shampoo thoroughly in the warm water 1st. You do not ever need to purchase expensive wool wash if you do not want to-wool is hair-treat it as such! Hair releases dirt very quickly-you do not need much shampoo. Example, for a full/queen blanket I use about twice as much shampoo as I would to wash my medium length hair-about an ounce.
Saturate your wool, in a bath tub, or fill your top loading washing machine-set to delicate & PULL THE DIAL SO IT DOES NOT AGITATE. Let it soak in the soapy warm water for 15 minutes-or longer-you can push it or swish it to loosen dirt with your hands if heavily soiled-but never ever agitate. Next: Move your washing machine dial to begin to drain & spin on delicate to squeeze out the water. Now rinse-move your dial back to the wash cycle so you get the same water temperature to rinse in-and rinseTWICE-in the same exact warm temperature that you washed in-this is important!!!
When rinsing: Stay right there at the washing machine-let the washer fill- pull the dial when it is done filling so it does NOT AGITATE-let it soak in the rinse water a few minutes, turn the dial to drain & spin & let it. Repeat. When done spinning-gently gather your garment out-from underneath it’s weight-don’t pull hard from the edges. Lay your garment where it can be laid out completely flat. I like to lay out a cotton comforter/quilt instead of a layer of towels & dry on that.
A wool mattress topper can take up the entire floor space-so plan ahead to not have use of that space. I flip the item as needed every few hours so both sides can dry.
For my wool mattress topper-it IS 1 or 2 day (overnight) project to dry because it is an inch thick & quilted. When it is at least 75% dry, I throw it over a clothesline in the sun & air to get air to both sides. When fully dry, it goes back on the bed.
Have I ruined a few items in the past years? Yes-a coat & a blanket, only because I was distracted & answered the phone or door & forgot to pull the dial & the washing machine agitated & felted them.
Also, as a personal choice, I add in 1/2 tsp natural lavender oil to my rinse water.
Before you ditch the expensive wool topper-wash it like your grandma would.
The guy from Sleep Essentials can build you a mattress without the silly fire retardant stuff.
He just sells you the components and you put it together.
John