Frequently asked questions

At Tasman Eco, we have two different types of cot mattresses, and there are different methods to clean both.

For a mattress without a removable cover, follow these steps to clean:
Remove any sheets or blankets. These can be put in your laundry and cleaned as you normally would with regular detergent.
Vacuum your cot mattress to get rid of any dust or dirt, it’s important that you vacuum the sides and bottom of the mattress, and any hard to get areas. You may need to use a specific attachment to get to these difficult areas.
If there are any stains, we recommend a natural stain remover to have these removed.
Then, give the mattress a scrub, using warm water and a gentle detergent that is hypoallergenic.
Once scrubbed, rinse off the detergent. It is important that you thoroughly wipe the detergent from the cot mattress once done, so that no residue is left.
Disinfect the mattress with a natural, hypoallergenic and baby-safe product. This means that mould or bacteria won’t have a chance to catch onto your damp cot mattress.
Dry the cot mattress completely. You can press dry towels into the surface of your cot mattress to take away some of the moisture, you can then let your cot mattress air-dry and in the sun if able to. You need to make sure that mattress is completely dry before placing it back in your cot.

For a mattress with a removable cover, follow these steps to clean:
Remove any sheets or blankets. These can be put in your laundry and cleaned as you normally would with regular detergent.
Remove the mattress cover and if there are any stains (on the mattress cover or mattress itself, we recommend a natural stain remover to have these removed.
Once stains have been removed, wash your mattress cover by hand in cool water, using a gentle detergent that is hypoallergenic, you can also machine wash and place the cool water settings on your washing machine.
Before you begin to clean your cot mattress, vacuum your cot mattress to get rid of any dust or dirt, it’s important that you vacuum the sides and bottom of the mattress, and any hard to get areas. You may need to use a specific attachment to get to these difficult areas.
Then, give the mattress a scrub, using warm water and a gentle detergent that is hypoallergenic.
Once scrubbed, rinse off the detergent. It is important that you thoroughly wipe the detergent from the cot mattress once done, so that no residue is left.
Disinfect the mattress with a natural, hyper-allergenic and baby-safe product. This means that mould or bacteria won’t have a chance to catch onto your damp cot mattress.
Dry the cot mattress completely. You can press dry towels into the surface of your cot mattress to take away some of the moisture, you can then let your cot mattress air-dry and in the sun if able to. You need to make sure that mattress is completely dry before placing it back in your cot.

Baby cot mattresses come in a range of shapes and sizes, although there are two main cot sizes here in Australia. A standard cot mattress size in Australia is 1300 x 690mm, while a compact cot size mattress is 1080 x 530mm. Cots that are oval shaped normally will have their own size and you’ll need to purchase a specific brand or mattress type.

Outside of these mentioned cot mattress sizes, there are others that we would recommend for the products that we stock. You can see these sizes on the baby cot product page.

The standard cot mattress size in Australia is 1300 x 690mm. However, it is very important to follow the baby cot manufacturers recommendations on the cot mattress size for the baby cot.

We don’t recommend storing a cot mattress once it has been used for your child, simply because it is too difficult to comment on the state of this second hand mattress. We do recommend the purchase of a new baby cot mattress for each child, simply because this is the safest approach.

Baby cot mattresses in Australia will be firm in order to comply with Australian standards, AS/NZS 8811.1:2013 Methods of testing infant products – Sleep Surfaces – Test for firmness.

A firm baby cot mattress is for the child’s safety. A soft mattress or sleeping surface can increase the risk of sudden unexpected infant death if a baby rolls over onto their stomach.

It is important to properly prepare your cot mattress for baby’s use, by removing any plastic packaging from the cot mattress and always make sure that your mattress protector and fitted sheet is a tight fit. Never use soft bedding under your fitted sheet in order to make it a more comfortable space, like a sheepskin, this will make the baby’s sleep surface too soft. Pillows and cushions don’t make a sleep surface safe, these items are also too soft and increase the risk of sudden unexpected infant death.

The ideal and recommended thickness of a baby cot mattress is between 10cm and 12cm for standard cot mattress sizes.

For compact cot mattresses, the recommended thickness is 6cm.

Mattresses thinner than the above mentioned sizes are quite uncomfortable and if the thickness of the cot mattress is more than 12cm, it is important to remember that this does not mean a higher level of comfort. The thicknesses recommended above for cot mattresses are compliant with the strict cot mattress standards in Australia.

Baby cot mattresses in Australia will be firm in order to comply with Australian standards, AS/NZS 8811.1:2013 Methods of testing infant products – Sleep Surfaces – Test for firmness.

A firm baby cot mattress is for the child’s safety. A soft mattress or sleeping surface can increase the risk of sudden unexpected infant death if a baby rolls over onto their stomach.

It is important to properly prepare your cot mattress for baby’s use, by removing any plastic packaging from the cot mattress and always make sure that your mattress protector and fitted sheet is a tight fit. Never use soft bedding under your fitted sheet in order to make it a more comfortable space, like a sheepskin, this will make the baby’s sleep surface too soft. Pillows and cushions don’t make a sleep surface safe, these items are also too soft and increase the risk of sudden unexpected infant death.