Short answer
Follow the care label. For TPU waterproof protectors, a typical label reads like Casper's: machine wash cold, tumble dry low, and no solvents, bleach or fabric softener. Cotton and organic protectors may allow warmer water. Wash it regularly with your bedding and right away after any spill or accident.
Key terms used on this page
- Care label:
- The care instructions sewn into a mattress, topper or cover. Tempur UK notes that 'A label stitched inside the cover will give you specific care instructions for the item you have purchased.' A care label outranks general web guidance.
- TPU membrane:
- A thin thermoplastic polyurethane film laminated to a protector's face fabric to stop liquid. Casper lists 'Polyester with Thermoplastic Polyurethane' for its waterproof protector's top.
- Delamination:
- When a protector's waterproof film separates from its fabric, showing as bubbles, peeling or flakes. Casper warns heat drying can cause it.
Cold + low
TPU care
Casper's care instructions: machine wash cold, tumble dry low. Heat drying can cause delamination and shrinkage.
Weekly
Bedding wash
The allergist practice parameter advises washing bedding weekly to decrease bed mite numbers and allergen levels.
Before every wash
Protector wash checklist
- Read the care label first
- Check for tears, pinholes or peeling
- Mild detergent, no bleach or softener on membranes
- Label temperature, not hotter
- Fully dry before it goes back on
The care label is the instruction that matters: the maker wrote it for that membrane.
General information about mattress care, not medical advice. For allergy or asthma questions, talk with your doctor.
A typical TPU protector
Casper's care instructions for its waterproof protector are a good model: "machine wash on cold and tumble dry low," and "Do not use solvents, bleach, or fabric softener." Heat is the enemy of the membrane.
Cotton and organic protectors
These may allow warm or hot water. NIEHS recommends washing bedding weekly in hot water to kill bed mites; for a protector, only go as hot as the label allows.
Steps
- Take it off and check for tears or peeling.
- Wash on the label's setting with a mild detergent.
- Skip bleach and softener unless the label allows them.
- Dry as the label says; see how to dry it.
How often
See how often to wash sheets, pillowcases and protectors, which covers protectors after illness, pets, kids and accidents, and our blog post on washing your protector.
Washing the protector cleans the protector. It doesn't clean the mattress underneath: see does washing sheets clean the mattress?.
Sleep Sanitation's view
This section is our view. Sleep Sanitation serves Omaha, Lincoln and surrounding towns. Every visit includes dry vapor steam, HEPA vacuuming, UV-C light treatment, the built-in bed mite sensor on our JIGOO UV-C mattress vacuum and a moisture check before we leave. We take your protector off at the start of the visit, so you don't need to strip it first; wash it yourself per its care label while we work or afterward. The first mattress is $249. Call or text (402) 512-5658, or email info@sleepsanitation.com. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 to 6, and we return calls and texts on weekends.
Changelog
- 15 October 2026: First published. Sources accessed on this date.
Sources
- Waterproof Mattress Protector: Materials & Care · Casper
- Environmental Assessment and Exposure Control of Dust Mites: A Practice Parameter (Portnoy et al., 2013) · PubMed Central (Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology)
- Dust Mites and Cockroaches · National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Last reviewed October 15, 2026. Manufacturer specifications and care instructions change; check the current version for your exact model. This page is general information, not medical advice. How we source and check pages: editorial standards.