Hi - I have a mattress that I inherited when I moved into my apartment. I use it as a spare so it hasn't had that much use. I want to wash the cover but there's no care instructions of any sort, not even a brand name that I could google.
The cover unzips completely so it comes apart into 2 pieces. It's a canvas like material on the outside with a softer fabric lining the inside. (The mattress itself inside is one giant sponge with holes if that helps identify it).
It's a good mattress and I don't want to mangle it if it's not meant to be put in a washing machine. Here's some pics:
Hmmmm. It looks a lot like the pfister mattress cover I used to have. I washed mine and it died - shrunk a bit. I was able to buy a nice, washable replacement from bettwaren-shop.de.
So anyway, wash it. I might be wrong. If it shrinks, toss it.
I'd wash at 40 degrees on a gentler cycle and no more than 600-800 rpm for the spin. Stretch out carefully and line dry. I would not bleach, simply because it could be too harsh on the fibers. But vinegar is a good compromise.
I just washed 2 Dunlopillow mattress covers without any shrinkage at all.
According to the washing instructions on the cover which unzips into two sections it can be washed at 95 degrees but I thought was too hot and I washed the pieces at 60. I dried each piece on a line fully open.
The cover looks clean, so there is no need for savage washing. I would advise 40 degrees with washing liquid, a light spin and dry it on the line a bit, then put it still wet on the mattress. The mattress will form up & strain the cover and prevent it shrinking.
I have an Ikea foam mattress which has a zipped-on cover which comes apart into two halves (I've not looked at you drop-box photos, so don't know if it's similar).
I's a bit of a squash to get each one (from a 160x200 mattress) into the washing machine, but I've washed them at 60° and they come out fine. As I left the spin on the maximum this machine does (1200 or 1400, I forget) they came out pretty dry. A couple of hours on the line in our drying room and then back onto the mattress. Perfect. I do this every couple of years; not that the cover gets dirty but just because I can and I like the idea of it being freshly laundered.
I ended up washing it at 30 degrees on a wool wash but I was probably being over cautious. It didn't clean it fully but there was no shrinkage so that's the main thing. Next time I'll try it on a normal 40 degrees and see what happens.
If the cover is removable, I would gamble on it being deliberately removable so it can be washed. Then I would gamble on it being washable at 60° as that's the standard for bed linen, although I do mine at 40 most of the time.
