AbiliTech

Disposable Underpads

Waterproof Sheets for Bed-Wetting

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 This article discusses the various types of waterproof sheets available for bed-wetting. One thing that needs to be kept in mind as far as managing bed-wetting is concerned is this-even if a person wears diapers to bed they should also cover the bed with a waterproof sheet just in case the diapers leak.

 

 The most common type of waterproof sheets are rubber and vinyl(also known as plastic). Vinyl sheets are available in two styles-fitted and zippered. Vinyl sheets can be purchased from stores such as Walmart,Sears,J.C.Penny,Target,Bed,Bath,and Beyond,and most department and linen stores. Some fabric stores such as Jo-Anne Fabrics and Crafts also carry vinyl which they can custom cut for you.Finally there is a company based out of North Saint Paul Minnesota called Comco Inc.(not to be confused with Comco Manufacturing) which can also custom cut vinyl to your specification. You might want to call them and ask them how much this will cost. I would use a fitted sheet that way if the diapers do leak it's much more convenient to take off the bed(especially in the middle of the night) In addition it's less trouble to clean. Although you can wipe a zippered cover off,it's much more of a hassle to take it off the bed in order to let it air out after wiping it clean

 

 Rubber sheets usually have a backing of flannel on one side and rubber on the other. One company that manufactures these sheets is Duromed. Some pharmacies might have rubber sheets in stock,if not many can special order them. Additionally, many hospital supply stores stock incontinence supplies including diapers and waterproof sheets.

 

 Besides the covers previously mentioned many people use other items as waterproof sheets-people have a lot of ingenuity in terms of improvising in various situations and managing incontinence is no exception. I've heard of people using vinyl shower curtains and vinyl table cloths as bed-wetting covers. One woman on an incontinence forum said she used a plastic tarp as a protective sheet. The next few sections discuss an idea I have for making homemade bed-wetting sheets. Some people might consider this idea somewhat unorthodox but I thought I should at least mention it. I actually found out about this several years ago from a friend of mine. Her daughter had a bed-wetting problem and she used a regular plastic sheet to cover her daughter's bed. I don't know if other people also use this type of plastic for this purpose, but I thought it might be worthwhile to talk about.

 

 At this point I'd like to discuss this option. Many people have a roll of plastic sheeting on hand to use for such tasks as yard work(for instance to rake leaves onto the sheet and to put under mulch in flower beds as a weed barrier),to cover outside materials and items such as firewood,patio furniture, mulch,lumber,and other things,for weatherproofing,to use as a vapor barrier under insulation, for concrete and masonry work,as a drop cloth to cover floors and furniture when painting, if they do their own remodeling and construction work,and other tasks Plastic sheeting comes in both black and clear. Clear plastic seems to be the type that most people use. It also comes on rolls in different sizes and thicknesses. The thicknesses that are commonly available are 3,4,and 6 mil. 6 mil is the thickest and the most widely used. Several years ago after 9/11,the department of Homeland Security suggested purchasing a roll of 6 mil clear plastic sheeting to protect against possible terrorist attacks so you might have some plastic on hand or you might have some around to use for the tasks previously mentioned. If you do have a roll of plastic sheeting or are planning to purchase one ,you might consider cutting off a sheet and placing it under the youngster's bed .One reason for this is that since you already have plastic on hand it will save you money because you don't have to purchase waterproof sheets(not that waterproof sheets are all that expensive but everything adds up especially in today's day and age.) Another reason for considering this option is that you can customize how much you cut to lay over the child's bed. Third,you can cut multiple sheets so you can have several sheets on hand which makes it convenient for the child if he wakes up wet in the middle of the night and needs to change the sheets.6 mil plastic is very tough-after all it's used in construction which means it's out in the elements,it's put under concrete as a vapor barrier,and it's used as a drop cloth among other things, so it's very durable and lasts forever. As the examples above demonstrate, plastic sheeting is very versatile so you can use it for many purposes around the home in addition to using it as a bed-wetting sheet.

 

 

 In some cases the vinyl sheets that are normally used as mattress covers can rip or tear after a period of time so the plastic sheeting is a viable option. The other thicknesses mentioned-3 and 4 mil- can be used for this purpose also but it's obviously not as strong as the 6 mil. Personally I would be inclined to use the 6 mil because the thicker plastic is less likely to tear and as mentioned it lasts forever. With that in mind there is a disadvantage of using this type of material as a bed-wetting sheet. The drawback of using thick plastic sheeting is that it makes a loud rustling or crinkling sound whenever the person moves around in bed which makes it difficult to be discreet about the bed-wetting. Additionally many people find this crackling sound objectionable. If the bed-wetter shares the room with another sibling this can make him or her feel self-conscious as well as disturb the other person. If the child sleeps in their own room this obviously won't be an issue but the crinkling of the plastic might make it hard for them to sleep. This problem can be minimized somewhat by placing several layers of cloth covers over the plastic. Places like Jo Anne Fabrics sell flannel sheeting(and other material) on rolls and you can ask them to cut several sheets so you can place them over the plastic. If you have extra blankets in the house you can use them to place over the plastic as well as using an extra mattress pad. The purpose of placing multiple cloth sheets over the plastic is to muffle the sound of the plastic making it more pleasant for the child to sleep on. You might have to tinker a bit in terms of how much and what combination of cloth material to layer over the plastic. Terry cloth might be a good choice since it is thick and the thicker the material the more it will cut down on the rustling sound. Towels,extra blankets,mattress covers,and flannel sheets are just some of the items that could be used for this purpose. Places like Jo Anne Fabrics might have additional suggestions for material to use for this situation. Since many bed-wetters are deep sleepers(some individuals can sleep through an earthquake or nuclear blast!) the rustling sound might not bother them or they might be able to get used to it over time.

 

 I would make up the bed with the plastic and see if it bothers the youngster. If it does you can ask them if they think it's something they can get used to after a while.. If they feel the crinkling sound is too loud and that they won't be able to adjust to the noise you can use another type of waterproof sheet to cover the bed. Certain people might not be able to get past this so this choice obviously isn't for everybody but at the risk of sounding cliched it's good to think outside the box. As far as I know my friend's daughter didn't seem to have a problem with this type of cover but everyone is different. If parents have had lots of trouble with vinyl mattress covers ripping and tearing they might want to look into this option .Some people might consider using this type of material for a waterproof sheet as overkill, but it's good to be open minded about trying different ideas. Who knows it may become a trend to use this type of cover to manage bed-wetting! In addition to protecting the bed from bed-wetting you can use the plastic to protect the bed from dust mites and other allergens.

 

 

 There is one more thing that should be kept in mind if you are going to try this kind of waterproof sheet.. If the child is planning to stay away from home-either at a friend or relative's house or if the youngster might go away to camp for the summer,it would be better to use a different type of sheet to cover the bed in order for the youngster to maintain discretion.

 

Plastic sheeting(known as polyethylene film) is available at stores such as Lowes,Ace,Home Depot,Southern States,Tractor Supply and other farm supply stores;contractor supply stores,paint stores,and similar places. Depending on how big a roll of plastic sheeting you get it can can be quite expensive so it wouldn't be recommended to buy a roll solely for this purpose. If on the other hand you do a lot of work that requires this type of plastic or are planning to do this type of work in the future and you are thinking about purchasing a roll of plastic sheeting, than you should definitely consider cutting off a piece from the roll to use as a bed-wetting cover keeping in mind the caveats mentioned previously.

 

 At this point I would like to give a listing of several other places that sell 6 mil clear plastic sheeting,the various sizes they have in stock, and the prices they sell them for. The following information was taken from online websites. I was on the Ace Hardware website and they have rolls of plastic sheeting in sizes ranging from 10 feet by 100 feet to 24 feet by 100. They also have a roll in a a size of 20 feet by 50 feet. The cheapest rolls are the 20 by 50 which is $50.00 and the 10 by 100 which is $55.00. Other sizes of plastic sheeting are 6 feet by 100 feet,8 feet by 100 feet,and 10 feet by 50 feet(there might be other sizes also) Additional places that sell plastic sheeting online are Castle Wholesalers-they have an 8 ft. x 100 ft. roll of 6 mil clear plastic sheeting for $20.77 and Aubuchon Hardware. Aubuchon Hardware has a 6 ft. x 100 ft. for $26.99.Hardware and tools.com has a roll of 6 feet by 100 feet sheeting for $33.09 and Do It Best.com has a roll of 10 feet by 50 feet for $25.99. DoitBest.com has a free shipping option called ship to store. With this option you order the item and have it shipped directly to the store and pick it up,however this choice is not available for all items and is only available at participating places..This is something to consider because the freight on plastic sheeting can be expensive.

 

 One of the places I've seen that has the cheapest price for 6 mil clear plastic sheeting is Walmart. I was in Walmart recently and I saw a a 10 foot by 20 foot roll for $19.97. You might want to do a Google search to see what other places sell plastic in order to get the best price. You can also call your local hardware store and ask them what the prices are for the various sizes of plastic sheeting and ask them if they can special order the size you're interested in. They frequently order items in bulk so they might not be able to buy only one roll. If that's the case ask them if it's possible for you to purchase one roll and have them put it on the same order as the bulk shipment.

 

 There is one last thing I'd like to say about this method of protection in terms of how it effects the child. As mentioned earlier hardware stores sell this type of plastic in different thicknesses so if the child is averse to the thicker 6 mil plastic you can experiment with other types. For instance you can try using the 4 mil plastic and see if that is more agreeable to the child. I was on the Ace website and they have 4 mil clear painter's plastic in in a roll of 10 by 25 feet for $15.08. The brand is Contractor's Choice by Husky. You might want to go to your local Home Depot, Lowes,or Ace Hardware stores and check on the price and availability. Also paint stores such as Sherwin Williams might carry the 4 mil plastic. You can do a Google search to see what results come up in order to compare prices. It's good to be open to experimenting with different ideas. One book on bed-wetting said that you can use any type of plastic to protect the bed. With this in mind I felt it would be a good idea to mention this idea to parents who might be having problems with the conventional vinyl sheets sold for bed-wetting. Additionally this might be a cheaper alternative to some of the more expensive waterproof covers out there.

 

 Like protective garments,protective bedding and sheets are available in both disposable and reusable styles. HDIS(Home Delivery Incontinence Supplies) has different brands and sizes of disposable underpads. Another place that sells disposable underpads is Continence Connection. Other companies that sell both reusable and disposable Bed Pads are XP Medical and ABAIP which stands for A Better Absorbent Incontinence Product. Some companies that make Bed Pads are Tranquility and Attends. If you're considering going the disposable route you might want to ask the customer service rep from whatever company you're buying them from if they have samples. Most incontinence supply stores and hospital supply stores sell both reusable and disposable bed sheets so you shouldn't have any problem finding what you need.

 

 I hope this article has given a good overview of the different options out there to help manage your bed-wetting. As I've pointed out in previous articles don't get discouraged if it takes a while to find the solution that works best for you. Just like everything else in life there's a lot of trial and error involved. As always I welcome any comments and feedback you might have.

About the Author

I am a psychology major who writes about the stigma surrounding using diapers to manage nocturnal enuresis(the clinical term for bed-wetting) in older children,adolescents,and teenagers.The purpose of writing my articles is twofold-1.) to help people become more aware of the different diapering options out there for bed-wetters and 2.) to help older children and teens feel less embarrassed about wearing diapers to bed.

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