The story behind the Up and Under Linen & Mattress Protector started when I was looking for a bed wetting solution when my children were young. My search for a complete bed protection system turned up empty, which is why I took matters into my own hands.
Hi, my name is Houda
I invented the Up and Under Linen & Mattress Protector after one too many nights of my children’s’ bed wetting accidents when they were young.
I was sick of changing the entire bed at 3 am!
I spent many nights stripping the entire bed and changing their pajamas before remaking the bed and putting them back to sleep again.
I became very good at changing the bed in the dark
My routine was efficient and speedy: change pajamas first, then my poor toddler waited (usually crying) while I replaced sheets, doonas, quilts or blankets as quickly as possible. I dealt with the wet bedding in the morning—washing, hanging, drying… it was tough, especially in winter with a ‘no tumble dry’ feather doona!
The problem is that a mattress protector only protects the mattress
Yes, during each bed wetting incident the mattress protector worked and the mattress was kept dry. However all the sheets, blankets or doona (duvet) got wet. This created a mountain of washing that needed to be washed and dried. All this extra laundry was very time consuming and of course exhausting.
I was not alone
I spoke with other mothers about my problem and soon found that many children find it hard to stay dry through the night and also had the same problem. They too were frustrated and tired from the huge workload they were facing on most days.
Going on holiday was a nightmare
We had booked a fabulous holiday, but I panicked about my son wetting the hotel bed. Would I be charged extra for cleaning? What if he soiled the mattress and blankets? I was stressed.
There were no suitable bed wetting products on the market that would solve my problem
I searched for a bed wetting protector to save my holiday sanity. I found plenty of mattress protectors of course, but nothing that could also prevent the blankets and covers, above, from getting wet. I really wanted to find a product that could protect the covers, as well as the mattress. I was sick of stripping the entire bed, washing, drying and remaking the entire bed over and over again.
I thought to myself “imagine if there was a waterproof sheet that went over my child’s body that would stop the sheets and covers from getting wet”. I was sure that such a product must exist but that I just had not come across it yet. So I started my extensive search online, only to discover that there was no such product! Even an international patent search gave me no result.
So I invented it myself
I came up with the idea of attaching a waterproof top sheet to a draw-sheet style mattress protector, which would act as a barrier between my son and ALL of his bed linen. This would mean all I have to do if an accident occurred is change my son’s pajamas and replace my new innovation; the Up and Under Linen & Mattress Protector with a fresh one and everyone could go straight back to bed—the sheets, doona and blankets would remain dry, giving me less wet linen to handle in the morning.
I realised I could help other families struggling with bed wetting
After an extensive research, a prototype and meetings with Roger La Salle from Innovic, I approached a leading Australian bed protection company; Protect A Bed to manufacture the product. I worked closely with them to finalise a design and to get the product just right. It was vitally important to me that the product was comfortable, quiet, soft, well-constructed, durable and of course, delivers on its promise to protect the mattress from below and all bedding from above. All that hard work paid off as the product is now helping families just like yours, to achieve a much easier and less frustrating approach to bed wetting (and incontinence) management. Please read some of their testimonials here.
The Up and Under Linen & Mattress Protector was a finalist in the national Motivating Mum, Brilliant Biz Mum awards in the category of Most Innovative Product. I hope it helps you and your family achieve a better bed protection solution in your household. You will not only be saving hours of washing, hanging and drying but also save on water, energy and detergent costs, helping you save money and leaving a smaller footprint on the environment.
Order your Up and Under Linen & Mattress Protector today and feel the difference it can make to your families life.
Roger La Salle from Innovic interviews Houda Elkheir of Ezy Dry Bed at Deloitte Innovation Academy