The Ultimate Guide to Healthcare Mattress Care & Maintenance

Published 17th April 2026

Choosing the right healthcare mattress from the extensive Redwood range is just the start. To get the best protection, performance and longevity from your mattresses, you need to know how to clean, inspect and maintain them to keep them at their best.

In this article, we’ll take a look at healthcare mattress care and maintenance, including disinfection, mattress turning and where to look for wear and tear. We’ll also provide you with a handy healthcare mattress inspection checklist to make it easier for your team to keep your facilities safe, hygienic and compliant.

How to clean a medical mattress

All Redwood healthcare mattresses are designed to be wiped clean of any spills or soiling. This should be done as soon as possible. Medical mattresses should also be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each patient's use. It is important to note that cleaning always comes before disinfection.

Redwood medical mattresses are designed to withstand vigorous cleaning regimes. Our Xtreme fabric has been enhanced to withstand the most aggressive disinfection protocols that are now required to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistant pathogens. 

Cleaning and disinfection are not only crucial for patient care, they have massive financial and operational implications. Health Care Acquired Infections are estimated to cost the NHS billions of pounds every year, affecting 300,000 patients, accounting for 21% of bed capacity and causing 28,500 avoidable deaths (source BMJ)

The following disinfection regimes can be used on Redwood medical mattresses:

• VMS100 range – Reliance fabric – use 1,000ppm active chlorine

• VMS200 range – Advance fabric – use 1,000ppm active chlorine

• VMS300 range – Xtreme fabric – use 10,000ppm active chlorine

How to inspect your healthcare mattress stock

Healthcare mattresses are subject to constant use. Even the very best, from top manufacturers like Redwood, will eventually start to show signs of wear and tear. That’s why it is important to conduct regular inspections and audits of your mattress stock to identify and assess the extent of any issues.

Healthcare mattress inspections checklist

Check carefully for each of the following:

• Tears, cracks and holes in the fabric 

• Peeling, bubbling or stickiness of surface coatings

• Damaged zips, or zips that won’t fully close

• Damage to zip flaps or coverings that expose the zip

• Worn or failing seam stitching or seam welds

• Foam damage or sagging

• Moisture ingress or staining

Mattresses should be inspected regularly, at least once a month, and more often on busy wards or clinics.

How Redwood supports your medical mattress maintenance

Here at Redwood, we understand the importance of providing safe, hygienic and comfortable medical mattresses. As the challenge of HCAIs and antibiotic resistant pathogens grows, impacting patients and crippling budgets, this becomes more important every year.

That’s why you can count on Redwood to provide medical mattresses that are designed to deliver on a number of crucial fronts, including:

• State of the art fabric welding to provide fully sealed seams

• Durable fabrics backed by Redwoods quality and durability guarantee

• Tear and puncture resistant fabrics with TPU coatings

• User-focussed designs with convenient zipped covers

• Antibacterial coatings that withstand aggressive cleaning

• Turnable designs that significantly extend mattress life

Trust the medical mattress experts

By combining top quality medical mattress specification, with a practical cleaning, inspection and maintenance regime, you can significantly reduce the risks to both patients and staff in your facilities. What’s more, by making the most of each and every medical mattress, through giving them the care and attention they require, you will also protect your budgets too.

To find out more about how Redwood medical mattresses can support your hospital, clinic or care home, contact our friendly team today. We’re trusted by some of the biggest and best in the business, so you can rest assured that your team, your patients and your budget are all in the safest possible hands.

Frequently Asked Questions