3 Common Cleaning Mistakes 

2. Using just any vacuum cleaner

It doesn’t matter how expensive your multipurpose vacuum cleaner is, chances are it’s not strong enough to suck out the mites and dust out of a mattress topper.

Investing in a specialized vacuum cleaner for mattresseses will save you a lot of grief in the long run.

Image on the right shows a specialized fabric vacumm cleaner that’s just right – Housemille Anti-dust with Advanced HEPA Filtration.

Washing a Mattress Topper or Pad: Dos and Don’ts

• As mentioned above, you should check the care instruction tags before the wash, it’s how you’ll know if your brand of topper calls for cold water only
• Always use a mild laundry detergent.
• Only put the mattress topper or pad in the dryer if the care label recommends it, otherwise, you should hang it out to dry.
• Use a “delicate” setting on your washing machine

Don’ts:

• Never use fabric softener on your mattress covers or pads. It’s unnecessary.
• To prevent the growth of mildew, do not use a mattress cover that is not completely dry

Cleaning Poly-cotton Fiber Mattress Pad and toppers

Here’s how to clean your polyester fiber mattress:

Step 1:

Follow the instructions on the tag. Most pads have the instructions attached.

Step 2:

Check the pad for stains and treat them before you wash. You can use stain removers meant for similar fabrics.

Step 3:

Put the pad in the washing machine and wash in cold water. You can machine-wash most poly-cotton fiber mattress pads. Although not all brands specify the temperature of the wash, washing it in cold water will prevent your pad from shrinking after several washes. Use mild detergent but don’t use bleach.

Step 4:

Most instruction care tags recommend tumble drying, but you should do so on low heat. Get a few tennis balls and put them in the dryer if your pad is larger than a twin size, this way the pad will not fold up and form a ball. The tennis balls will ensure that the middle gets cleaned as well.

Step 5:

Hang your pad under the sun to dry. Sunlight is a great disinfectant and odor remover. Flip your mattress over from time to time so that both sides will get dry at the same time. If it’s a latex pad don’t keep it under direct sunlight.

Cleaning a down feather mattress topper requires specific steps so that the topper or pad will not end up damaged. Even though it is often advised to take the feather toppers and pads to the dry cleaner for professional cleaning, you can still do it at home.

A down feather mattress topper will need spot cleaning from time to time, in which case you should brush a wet cotton cloth over the spot or stains.

Follow these steps to clean your down feather topper or pad:

Remember to check the feather down topper for holes. You don’t want the feathers to escape during cleaning

• Load your mattress topper and pad in the washing machine
• Use cold water
• Use mild laundry detergent
• Set your washer to a gentle cycle
• If your washer is not large enough to contain your feather mattress topper, you should take it to the local laundromat
• Put 5 or 6 tennis balls in the washer so that the feather mattress topper doesn’t fold in on itself during the wash
• Dry on very low heat. Hang it out to dry completely. Make sure it’s completely dry so that the topper will not develop unpleasant odors and mold.
• Remember to flip sides so that it can dry evenly

Cleaning Latex Toppers and Pads

• Keep natural latex toppers away from heat sources like radiators, wall heaters, etc.
• Never use a heating blanket over a latex mattress topper because the heat could cause it to dry out and fall apart.
• Latex mattresses pads and toppers cannot be washed or even dry cleaned. To keep your latex “healthy” , you need to change bed sheets regularly.
• Regular vacuuming is enough cleaning for latex mattress pads.

How to clean Wool Mattress Pads

• Change your bed sheet at least once a week so that your wool mattress pads stays clean and fresh.
• Vacuuming with a brush attachment is a good way of cleaning a wool mattress pad. This should be done occasionally.
• Airing out wool mattress pads will also help to keep it fresh.
• In the case of surface stains, cleaning with a wet rag dipped in mild detergent solution will effectively blot out the stains.

How to clean Egg Crate Pads

• To start, take the mattress pad outside and shake it out. Even when there is no visible dirt, you will still need to do this because most times the dirt works its way into the crevices of the mattress pad and shaking it out is the best way to get unwanted materials out of the pad.
• Load it in your washer and set to a gentle cycle. You can take your egg crate mattress pad to the laundromat if it does not fit in your machine.
• Use a mild laundry detergent
• It is not advisable to dry egg crate mattress pads in the dryer. The heat could cause the foam to melt. Hang it on a clothesline to dry. Avoid exposing it to direct sunlight.

You can also wash your egg crate mattress topper by hand. It is a fairly easy process. The steps are outlined below.

• Use a small attachment of your vacuum cleaner and vacuum both sides of the topper to get rid of dirt
• Mix three parts water and one part laundry detergent in a spray bottle
• Spray both sides of your mattress pad and let it sit for one hour
• Take the mattress cover to the bathroom and hose it down with your shower head
• Squeeze the mattress pad by folding it over and pressing down on it till you get rid of all the water
• Take the mattress pad out to dry under the sun

How to Clean a Heated Mattress Pad

To clean a Heated mattress pad follow these steps:

• Unplug the pad from the wall outlet and switch it off
• Check for broken wires or other faults. Broken wires pose a fire hazard
• Set your washing machine to a gentle cycle
• Use mild laundry detergent
• Allow the electric mattress pad to soak in the washer for about 15 minutes
• Turn on the washing machine and wash for 2 minutes
• Drain the machine and rinse the pad with cold water
• Set your washing machine to spin dry
• Preheat the dryer for 2 minutes before putting the mattress pad inside
• Machine dry the heated mattress pad for 10 minutes
• Spread it outside on a clothesline to dry completely

Warning:

Check and re-check the washing instructions on your electric heating pad before you starts cleaning it. Commercial dryers, such as those in laundromats, may be too hot for your electric beating pad. When the temperature of the dryer is too hot, it may damage the mattress pad’s internal wiring.

Do not dry clean electric heating pads.

This guide on cleaning mattress toppers and pads of different materials covers the basics of how to go about it.

Nevertheless, we can’t stress the importance of following the label insctructions before anything else.

Finally, if you have any question about cleaning your poad or a topper, just comment below and we’ll do our best to help.

Last updated – 2024

Passive

These pads/toppers offer tepid cooling because the materials used are heat-dissipating.

If you only need something that will mildly cool down the mattress, these might do the job.

Click the button below to see our top picks.

Best active cooling for hot flashes –
BedJet V2

I understand that you’re probably looking for a simple cooling pad to help with the hot flashes.

I get that…

So, you might not like what I’m about to say – for “real” hot flashes, you’ll need some sort of active cooling.

This section includes an analysis of our top pick in the category and then two honorary mentions – the Adamson cooling pad and the Chill Cube.

One of those three will likely be a god fit and solve those hot flashes.

Bottom line – if you’re not ready for something like the BedJet, get the Adamson – it’s as slick and seamless as a classic pad but offers active cooling that’s robust enough for hot flashes.

Designed by ex-NASA engineer

Mark Aramli, an ex-NASA engineer designed the BedJet as the first Smartphone-controlled cooling & heating through controlled ventilation.

Although much cheaper than similar systems, BedJet comes with pretty much the same functions as other similar systems.

How does the BedJet work?

The basic idea is the same as in similar cooling systems. It’s basically a smart fan that uses air to regulate the temperature around the sleeper.

It includes a small and slick ventilation unit that goes under (or next to) the bed. It comes with a small hose that can be attached to any mattress.

The motor is practically silent because it comes with acoustic sound damping.The air wicks away the moisture and the heat that’s otherwise trapped between the mattress and the covers.

User satisfaction

BedJet has by far the highest user satisfaction rate compared to the similar systems.

Just to illustrate that, let’s look at the its satisfaction rate and compare it to the runner up (ChilliPad Cube, which is btw. much more expensive). These numbers are based on the data we gathered from every online retailer and combined with the satisfaction ratings of our featured testers (updated monthly).

Best passive cooling mattress pads and toppers for hot flashes

	Zen Bamboo Ultra Soft	Extra Plush by Exceptional Sheets	Ultra Luxe Waterproof Pad
Materials quality	9.6	9.0	9.1
Comfort	9.7	9.1	9.2
Durability & longevity	9.4	8.9	9.1
Cooling efficiency	9.6	9.2	9.1
Value for money	9.7	9.3	9.0
Overall Rating	9.6	9.1	9.1

What’s better about the TOP 3 cooling pads – detailed reviews

The Zen Bamboo Ultra Soft Bamboo Pad is made using bamboo fabric – a renewable resource that’s making its mark in the sleep product arena. This makes  the Zen Bamboo very durable.

The Zen Bamboo is designed with a double baffle. The quilted pattern is stitched with double needles to create more strength to the design. This pattern keeps the filler in place for the lifetime of the product.

Each square of the quilting pattern is about 8 inches square and one inch thick. It offers cushioning, support, and cooling, all at the same time.

While the idea of using a form of hardwood in a cover may seem ludicrous, it actually forms a fabric that is very comfortable to the skin. The Zen Bamboo is overfilled for added comfort.

The filler material is a down alternative that retains its loft. The loft is very important to comfort with continued use, as it springs back into shape more effectively. It also allows for better dissipation of body heat.

The blended bamboo fabric has a silky feel without feeling synthetic. This provides tactile comfort as well as wicking service, taking heat away from the body and dissipating it into the fibers of the filler.

It backed by a 30-day guarantee so that if you do not like it, you can send it back for a refund.

What we’ve seen in the reviews of this cooling pad is people reporting that it feels like a pillowtop mattress and relieves pressure points. It’s even recommended for use on a futon or sofa bed, making sleep more comfortable for guests.

In this months’s update, we’ve seen similar results in terms of the % of users that descibed it as “comfortable.”

With slight differences in materials and a more significant difference in price, this is a similar product to the Zen Bamboo.

It’s an extra-plush, and the second best cooling mattress topper. It’s fitted with an elastic skirt. This keeps it snugly wrapped around the mattress so that it does not slip off of the corners or allow any sliding or movement.

It’s current Overall Rating is 9.1/10.

The backing of this pad is a cotton polyester blend that aids in heat distribution.

The combination of each of these layers creates a comfortable sleeping surface that offers gentle support. It is hypo-allergenic and recommended for people who suffer from allergies.

The design accommodates mattresses up to 18 inches deep. This is sufficient for deep mattresses, including the one that already have toppers. It works equally well on memory foam, latex, or spring mattresses.

The combination of materials, along with the design, creates a comfortable sleeping environment. It is soft and silky to the skin and quiet when you move around on it. It doesn’t rustle with every move, which often disturbs a person trying to sleep.

The Extra Plush pad should be washed in cool water and dried at low temperatures.

It’s “encircled” by an elastic band – we’ve seen no reports of the band losing stretch and changing shape over time , which is a common issue with fitted pads.

The function of the bamboo in this pad is to disperse the body heat more efficiently. At this point about the only thing that works as well is silk, which is very expensive and has to be dry cleaned. In addition, the bamboo is far more durable than silk.

Finally – you can get a full refund within 30 days if you are unhappy with it.

Made by Coop Home Goods the Ultra Lux Bamboo Cooling pad is both waterproof and hypoallergenic.

It uses a blend of bamboo, ULTRA-TECH Polyester, and rayon to create a cool cover that not only keeps your body cool, it protects your mattress from stains.

With the moisture-wicking action of this cooling pad, your bed and sheets will stay fresh longer, even if perspiration or night sweats have been a problem in the past. It protects your bed from pets and spills, preserving the warranty.

The Ultra Luxe has an elastic mesh skirt that wraps itself around the mattress, securing it from slipping. The corners will not slip loose, and the pad itself will not slide around on the mattress.

Caring for it is simple. Wash and dry it at low temperatures, without bleach or fabric softener. Bleach will break down the fibers, and fabric softener will reduce the ability of the fibers to absorb moisture.

It comes with a 30-day guarantee for a full refund if you are not satisfied. It also has a 15-year limited warranty.

The Ultra Luxe is designed to fit 18-inch deep mattresses, including those with additional toppers such as memory foam. You can sleep directly on top of this mattress pad with perfect comfort, but most people want to use a fitted sheet on top of it.

What to Look for?

With the best mattress cooling pads mentioned here, the main material featured has been bamboo. This abundant, renewable resource has multiple uses for consumers, and one of the most revolutionary has been its use in fabrics.

Cooling Bamboo blend fabrics

Mattress pads with bamboo fabric are very durable, maintaining their shape and usefulness without “wearing out” as fast as other fabrics. The fibers in the bamboo fabric are an excellent choice forand we’ve seen it people repeat it in the reviews of the best cooling mattress toppers because they are soft and pliable, yet capable of transferring heat away from the body.

Which brand to go with?

Most of the companies that make mattresses are also in the business of gel and electric cooling pads (like Serta or Outlast). Don’t go for hype, like cooling pads you might have seen Dr. Oz talking about. Do your own research and read reviews of the cooling pads.

Serta Cooling pads

Serta makes a few models but they are close to cooling gel toppers or thing protectors. Companies dedicated to the niche generally put out better products.

Electric cooling mattress pad

Electric cooling mattress pads are a different breed altogether and nothing like the cooling gels or fiber we talked about above. Most of the time they include an extra electric unit that you slip under the pad to to it’s cooling. Most of these can also be used as heated pads.

Top pick among electric cooling mattress pads – Cool Buddy

Cool Budy electric cooling mattress pad (Queen and King size) works by placing the pad underneath your linen and controlling the temperature directly. For hot sleepers, this means that they won’t have to crank down the air conditioner down for the whole house.

Cooling mattress pad Queen size

Think about the size and read reviews of the cooling pads to see if it’s true to size. Most of the better ones do come in all sizes, but whether the colling mattress pad in Queen size will be a good fit for your bed depends on the depth of the sides.

Latex

While latex is a good fabric for cooling pads, many people have latex allergies. It is not used as much anymore because of this.

Smooth, static-free cooling cover

It’s important to choose a product that has a smooth cover. This is the part that will have the latex or bamboo blend fabric. It should be soft to the touch, rather than rough or scratchy. A heavily textured cover will grab the sheets or your pajamas and cause everything to get twisted and knotted.

Quilting

Quilting is crucial for comfort and longevity. Without proper quilting, the filler material would eventually slide to the edges of the cover, rendering it useless. The quilting pattern should be big enough – 8 inches square or 5 inches square – to provide loft and comfort to the sleeper. A smaller quilting pattern may not wick the heat away as efficiently.

Stitching

Double-needle stitching is an added detail that extends the life of the product. While one row of stitches may be broken through regular use, it is seldom that both rows will break. The stitching keeps the filler within its respective cell.

Filler

The quality of the filler is important for your chosen product. It needs to be a fibrous material rather than a roll of batting. The fullness of the filler will dissipate heat better than a solid roll of regular quilt batting. While down or feathers are excellent for cooling, they will have to be fluffed regularly because they will pack down. Synthetic materials tend to retain their loft indefinitely with little effort.

Backing material

The backing material should have enough texture to keep it from sliding around on the bed. It might be waterproof, which is a good idea to preserve the warranty, but be careful to get quality material. Plastic, vinyl, and other cheaper products are noisy. They are also hot, which completely negates the purpose.

Elasticized sides

All the best cooling mattress pads and toppers include elasticized sides.There is no need to add straps or garters to hold it in place, if it is properly constructed. The skirt should stretch under the lower edge of the bed and hold snugly. This keeps it from popping loose or sliding around.

Conclusions

The most affordable pads seem to be those with bamboo blend fabrics and quilted covers. These provide added cushioning to the bed. A quality pad will retain its loft throughout the night so that it does the job it is designed to do – pull heat away from your body and disburse it throughout the fibers of the pad.

Any of the products described here will fulfill these requirements and are quite affordable. If you have trouble sleeping at night because you get too hot, you might consider adding a cooling highest-quality cooling pad to your bed.

For easier navigation, this guide is divided into sections.

Click the button that describes what you’re looking for.

Why is it the best?

Cooling Pads

Heated Pads

full review

Best mattress toppers by filling material

On the other hand, Latex is a natural material known for being healthy, supportive and durable but not as comfortable as memory foam.

Memory foam vs. latex toppers

If you want the best of both worlds, the support that’s close to that of latex without sacrificing teh conmfort and all the spine benefits that come with better pressure points relief, you’ll want to go with a thicker, CentriPUR-US certifid memory foam topper.

Types of latex toppers

Three types of latex used to make toppers and pads are:

• Natural (the preffered choice)
• Blended
• Synthetic Latex

Why is Natural Latex the best choice?

Getting a topper made of synthetic latex beats the purpose of choosing letx in the first place.

Choosing latex should be about health and being risk-free and going with a pad or topper with added chemicals is like eating brocolli because it’s healthy but adding melted cheese on top.

If you ask us, it doesn’t make sense.

There is a lot of misinformation going around about Talalay and Dunlop latex and we believe that the confusion is created purposefully.

Why?

Because if the companies can convince you that somehow Talalay is the better option, they will sell you the type of topper that’s cheaper to make, does contain chemicals and is far from “all-natural”.

Talalay is not “better”

If you are looking into latex toppers you’re probably about safety and eco-friendliness.

The hush-hush of the latex industry

We apologize if we are bursting any bubbbles, but Talalay latex toppers contain 50% + of synthetic ingredients.

That’s why you’ll never see a Talalay topper with that’s GOLS certified (Global Organic Latex Standard)

We put the word better in quotes because a Talalay topper does last longer and is more lofty than Dunlop, but is never all-natural.

The best of them (including our pick presented below) are made with a high percentage of the finest down feathers.

If you want comfort that’s very similar to down feather and looking for a more affordable alternative, it comes in the form of hypoallergenic synthetic fibers. Fibre mattress toppers feel very close to down at the fraction of the cost.

Fibre is commonly used in hotels because it’s  easy to maintain and can be washed without compromising the padding

The very word “hollow-fibre” tells a story.

The fiber of these toppers is not as fine as that of microfiber and has more space in the knotting. This space makes it more breathable but also gives it a more bouncy, synthetic feel.

The luxurious feel of a wool topper is hard to beat.

Nature’s best insulator rightfully found its place among the best mattress toppers.

Below are some advantages & shortcoming of choosing wool.

The wool toppers and pads are usually made from premium merino sheep, lamb wool (regular or organic) or alpaca wool. Alpaca wool is extremely expensive and not widely available.

Organic wool mattress toppers and pads

Organic wool is a high-end product and to be qualified as organic, the sheep fleece used must come from livestock that meets the following criteria:

• All food and forage of the sheep must be certified as organic starting with the last third of gestation
• No genetic engineering or hormones used to treat the animal
• No pesticides in any form (on the animal or on pastures)
• High standards maintained for livestock health

Sheepskin mattress pads

Opposed to wool underlays, sheepskin mattress pads are made using real sheep skin.

Sheepskin pads are usually used for medical reasons – mostly to prevent or relieve bed sores, much like low air los airbeds, only they are completely natural.

They are made by manually sewing together pieces of organic shorn sheepskin pads and are very epxensive.

All cotton mattress pads – no polyester filling

The filling of all-cotton pads and toppers is 100% all natural cotton with no polyester added.

If you are looking for an all-cotton, no polyested pad make sure that you choose one that has deep, end-to-end stitching because cotton tends to shift between the chambers and form clusters over time.

Poly-cotton pads

All-cotton or does sound better than “poly-cotton”, but things are not that simple.

If you are a practical buyer, it’s our advice not to be deterred by the presence of polyester in poly-cotton pads.

Poly-cotton is actually a gentler finish material for pads and toppers

As a finish material, the finely brushed poly-cotton is actually much kinder to the skin and feels softer. On the other hand, it adds a lot to the quality, especially in terms of lifespan of the pad.

Other types

Toppers can turn your sofa bed into a luxurious sleeping surface

This is what you should think about to choose the best mattress pad or topper  for your sleeper sofa:

• Topper or pad – the obvious place to starts and the first decision to make

If you just want to add a bit of extra comfort to the mattress that comes with the sofa you’ll go with a thin pad.

But if you want to turn your sofa into a full-on bed that will in no way be different to regular mattresses, you will go with a thick luxurious sofa replacement topper (like our recommendation below)

• Allergens and chemicals – it’s easy to overlook it and say that it doesn’t matter, but in reality, you don’t know who’s going to be sleeping on it in the future…you might have guest with asthma or severe allergies. So don’t “gamble” and a pad for your sofa that will be hypoallergenic.
• Firm or soft – the choice here depends on whether you will be sleeping on the sofa or you have it for guests and sleepovers.

If it’s you, the choice is simple – just read through the reviews of the sofa pad see if it a right fit.

If the most probable scenario is that your sofa bed will be used by guests, your best bet is a medium firmness pad.

With all that said, below are our to picks in the two categories – sleeper sofa topper and pad.

Frisco Microfiber Sofa Bed Pad

by Madison Park Essentials

full review

When choosing a topper or pad for a portable crib or Pack n Play make sure that:

• The thread of the crib mattress cover is thick enough and waterproof
• It’s absorbent, resistant to bacteria and mites and machine washable
• The crib pad finish is soft and kind to the baby’s skin
• It comes with some sort of guarantee – that’s a clear indication of how the crib topper is made

Our top pick in the category is Little One’s Pad Pack N Play Crib Mattress Cover.

It’s a perfect fit because it’s designed specifically for pack n plays and mini portable cribs (3 and 5 inch depths).

It’s certified to be free of any chemicals, waterproof, machine washable, reinforced thread, soft finish…all round the best product in the category.

full review

The work on this guide continues month-in month-out.

We follow the market and especvially the topper aand pads we reviewed in the first place so that we can stay on top of things and notice if there are any quality changes

We also stay on the lookout for any new arrivals worth testing and reviewing.

We’re looking for wool experts.

Each category of this guide was given special attention – if our featured testers and reviewers were lacking experience in certain areas, we did the best we could to contact people who know more about the materials.

The one section of this guide that is still a sore spot for us is the wool toppers.

That section is based on user reviews and experinces, since our material technology engineer (in their own words) are not wool experts.

So, we continue to look for people who have a better grasp and understanding of wool toppers. If you think you can help or know anybody who can, drop us a line and we can talk about including new experts.

That part is crucial, it’s the bloodline allowing us to stay in touch with everyday experiences.

Bottom line – we strongly encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments below or through our contact page.

It’s essential to the process.

The Sleep Studies team

Cleaning and maintenance of mattress topper and pads