It is best to use an eco-friendly laundry detergent when washing your Organic Crib Mattress Pad Protector. Water is not harmful to natural materials, but we do not recommend using strong solvents. Your crib mattress pad protector should be dried completely before putting it back on the crib mattress.
Notes on Cleaning
This product can be tumble-dried on low to medium heat in the dryer (best for humid climates) or dried on a line. Dryer balls can help speed up the drying process and prevent clumping. We like to add a drop or two of essential oils (lavender works great!) to our dryer balls for added freshness.
The cotton inside your crib mattress pad protector is organic and includes little lovely bits of cotton shell husk. (See the picture below.) When you wash your protector, these husky fibers and stem bits might show through the organic cover and appear as darker spots, particularly when held to the light. Don't be alarmed. It is not mold. Just the tell-tale sign of the truly GOTS organic certified cotton we use.
Washing Instructions
Place the Crib Mattress Pad Protector in the washing machine with eco-friendly laundry detergent. Use the gentle/delicates or low setting on your washer with cold water.
Remove promptly from your washer when the cycle is complete and place in your dryer on low to medium heat (use dryer balls, if possible). Alternatively, you can line dry and/or a combination of both.
Once it is fully dry, you can put your mattress pad protector back on your mattress. Give it a good shake before putting it on to help fluff it up.
Tough Stains
Pre-treat tough stains before laundering. For challenging stains, we recommend using natural cleaning options. Here are a few ways to treat your Crib Mattress Pad Protector without using harsh commercial cleaners or stain treatments.
Use your eco-friendly laundry detergent to pre-treat most stains. Alternatively, eco-friendly dish soap works great to pre-treat greasy stains.
Combine baking soda with a little water (1 part baking soda, ½ part water) to create a paste to scrub out stains. If you like a little fragrance, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to this paste. An old toothbrush works great to lightly scrub the stain.
Hydrogen peroxide is a great option to remove blood. Pour as little as you can to get the bubbling action.
As long as you are putting the mattress pad protector in the washing machine after your stain treatment, it is not necessary to dry the treatment area. If you are spot treating only and do not plan to wash it in the washing machine, be sure to dry the area thoroughly (a hair dryer on low heat works great).
Mold
When subjected to prolonged moisture, any natural fiber is a candidate for mold. High humidity, high temperatures, darkness, and stagnant air can all contribute. Here's how to treat it. In general, it is best to wash your Crib Mattress Pad Protector in hot water (only for mold). Hot water kills mold more effectively than cold water and better removes mold spores and allergens too.
When you're washing your Crib Mattress Pad Protector with a mold-killing solution, it's best to wash it through at least two full cycles in your washing machine. We recommend using borax or vinegar to help kill the mold. Borax is a natural mold killer that does not emit toxic fumes. To kill mold on fabrics with borax, you can either purchase borax laundry detergent or add Borax powder to your washing machine. Mix the borax with hot water before adding it to your washing machine to make sure it's completely dissolved.
Add your linens to the washing machine along with laundry detergent.
Dissolve half a cup of borax in very hot water.
Once the washing machine has filled up, add the borax you dissolved in hot water.
Let the washing machine run through like normal.
Vinegar is another option. It kills 82% of mold species and can usually kill the mold growing on fabrics. Vinegar will also remove the moldy smell from fabrics. You can soak your Mattress Pad Protector in a vinegar solution and/or add vinegar to your washing machine.
To soak, put your Crib Mattress Pad Protector in a bucket, add 1-2 cups of vinegar and fill with water. Soak for about an hour.
Then put your Crib Mattress Pad Protector in the washing machine along with detergent and let the machine fill with water.
Add about a cup or two of vinegar to your washing machine.
Let the washing machine run through its cycle as normal.
After you've washed it, hang it on a clothesline in the sun. The heat from the sun and the sun's ultraviolet light help kill mold. The sun has a natural bleaching effect that can also help fade mold stains.