What are the consequences of disinfectant damage to hospital mattress skins?

Disinfectants degrade mattress surface fabrics making them more difficult to disinfect over time.^17,18 For example, a 2-year-old mattress may require more rewetting than a 1-year-old mattress, increasing the time EVS staff take to turn a room. Eventually, the fabric may break down to the point that fluids and pathogens can freely enter and exit the mattress core, making the mattress impossible to disinfect.

Pictured here is a mattress’s fire wall destroyed by a cleaning disinfectant.

References