How to protect your waterbed from pets

One solution for hardside waterbed owners is to purchase a waterbed cover that fully incases your hardside waterbed bladder for the ultimate protection. These usually have a zippered top, which is removable. It completely zips to a side and bottom panel so your furry friend cannot puncture it. This quilted top cover is usually ¾” to 2 ½” thick or more so pet claws are commonly not an issue. A person only needs to unzip the parameter of the protective zippered cover to access the waterbed mattress inside for occasion maintenance such as adding conditioner.

Waterbed protection

An example of how well protective nightwear covers from companies like Land and Sky work is this story that happened to one of our customers about two years ago. The couple having bought their bed less than a year before the incident told us how their dog dug a 2” deep hole in her 3” cover. They had left the dog alone while they were out for the evening during a thunderstorm. The dog got scared and dug into the cover of their bed. Fortunately for them the dog never did get to the $500.00 waterbed mattress.

Another thing that helps to protect a waterbed from cats and dogs is the bed linens. They offer additional protection while protecting your mattress and greatly adding to the beds comfort. This is because a mattress pad adds thickness to the top keeping the mattress from your pets’ sharp claws. The comfort comes from more breathability while drawing moisture and heat away from your body.

Waterbeds that co-exist best with your pets

One waterbed in particular that can be great to have when you own a dog or cat is a softside waterbed, which already has the protective cover built in. The outside part of the bed also has a zippered top and encloses a protective 4-5” foam perimeter keeping the sides of the waterbed totally protected from sharp claws. They look just like a regular mattress and boxspring and best of all can be used with regular bedroom furniture. We recommend a good mattress cover also on a softside waterbed not only to offer additional protection from pets, but they go a long way to protect your bed from stains and smell due to dirt and body fluids like perspiration.

So as you can see there are many solutions to the so called “I can’t have a pet and a waterbed” comments so frequently thrown around. Our hope is that this dispels some of the stories about cats causing waterbeds to pop and explode.

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At STL Beds we commonly get asked, “How do you properly store a waterbed mattress?” To begin with, you must drain the waterbed properly and that means getting most of the water out of it. One way to do that is to use a venturi pump or electric pump.

There are various waterbed pumps available which are the best way to completely drain a waterbed mattress. First, burp the air out, connect the pump, and let it drain the mattress absolutely as far down as possible. If this is done the mattress should be vacuum packed looking like a package of beef jerky. The vacuum holds the baffling in the mattress in position so it will not shift around when handling and moving. As soon as you determine the mattress is drained, disconnect the pump and immediately cap and plug the mattress. Do not allow air to refill the mattress. It is vital to maintain most of the vacuum. Besides holding your baffling in place, it will decrease the chance of your mattress turning sour as air, water, and bacteria react to each other.

We recommend putting a bottle of waterbed conditioner, such as blue magic in the mattress several days or more before draining. It is always a good idea to clean the mattress with a good vinyl cleaner before putting it into storage. STL Beds is cautious about recommending the storage of water bed mattresses because the vinyl may become brittle with age and crack when you unfold it due to plasticizer migration. Always store in a dry dark location and be cautious of places like basements, storage units, or any outbuilding with great temperature contrasts and high humidity. This seems to encourage bacteria growth, mold, and mildew in or on the mattress.

Oh yes another thing you need to be aware of is predators, varmints, and critters like mice that are notorious for and love to chew on vinyl water mattresses, so try not to store your water mattress in a woodshed, garage, and barn. I have also seen the family cat I assume after the mouse, walk across mattresses left unboxed or unprotected. Their claws can leave holes in them as well, so the proper storage area is just as important as the proper storage technique. Wrap and protect your mattress to keep it from being exposed to the elements and the things that can and might damage your waterbed mattress while it is being stored.

Don’t forget your heater. STL Beds recommends storing the heater pad in a flat position. Do not roll it up, especially if it is getting old. It is not unusual to see waterbed heaters fail after being moved and handled, so remember to handle it with care as well.

At STLBeds we get asked the following questions probably more than any others so we decided to seek out the answer.

Does Walmart sell waterbed mattresses?
Does Walmart sell waterbed conditioner?
Does Walmart sell drain and fill kits for waterbeds?
Does Warmart sell waterbed heaters?

I can only speak about the WalMarts in the St. Louis Missouri market, the answer is no. At the time of publishing I have not seen Blue Magic Waterbed Products on their shelves. As a matter of fact, I personally have not seen them on the shelves for a few years now.

Good News:
There are still a good number of online retailers and brick and mortar stores here in the Saint Louis Mo area that are selling Blue Magic Water Bed products including:

The Bedroom Store
STLBeds (Our Favorite of course!)
Waterbed Doctor
ABC Waterbeds
Waterbed.com
airbediq.com
Ebay
Mattress Outlet
Mrwaterbeds

Along with many many more simply Google Blue Magic and Waterbed or Water Bed

As much as I hate to admit it, Wal-Mart dominates or should I say dominated the replacement waterbed parts and accessories business. They did this by selling the highly popular line of Blue Magic Waterbed Products. Blue Magic for years was and is quite frankly still a favorite of water bed shoppers simply because so many people recognize the name of this one time giant of the waterbed industry. Blue Magic is still a giant, just a giant of a much smaller waterbed industry.

I have spent some time looking on line, but have found very little information concerning Blue Magic. If you visit their old URL or website address http://www.bluemagic.com/ (what used to be the Blue Magic website) it apparently no longer exists or has not been indexed by the search engines for some reason. Perhaps someone could fill in the blanks, and tell us what has happened to the old website.

Maybe we’ll never know the answers, but nonetheless Denny Boyd owner of several wholesale and retail companies involving bedroom furniture and specialty sleep products bought the rights to the company’s’ name and their patents after Blue Magic filed for bankruptcy several years back. Why this happened is anyone’s guess, my guess is that they weren’t making any money, duh.

So I am going to throw a couple questions to our readers and e-mailers.

What do you think is the reason many of us cannot find Blue Magic Products at Wal Mart?

Our readers and STLBeds would love to here from you if your Walmart is currently selling waterbed parts and accessories.

First off what is a baffle? It is a term used to explain waterbed mattresses inside wave control and support systems. Some are better than others so be sure to speak with a sales associate or continue to follow our blogs.

Most water bed mattresses use layers of fiber which are inserted to not only reduce motion but when strategically placed will add extra support for the body. To eliminate stress on the vinyl bladder many systems are not tethered or tied to hold them in position. Even models that are tethered in place can shift so do not be fooled. A simple pickup of one end of the mattress to assist and speed up the draining process can cause the baffled insert to slide out of position.

Fiber baffling shifts typically in 2 ways
•It gets accordioned to one end
•Bunches up in a big ball, wad, hump, or pile somewhere inside the water mattress.

You can drain the mattress with an electric pump, drain and fill kit, or gravity siphon. The mattress must be flat and light. You can even finish draining with a wet dry shop vac. To straighten a bunched up fiber or baffling system the mattress must first be drained thoroughly and completely to the comparable weight when purchased new approx. 50-60 pounds or less. Ideally two people will make the job easier due to the size and weight of these mattresses.

Once the mattress has been completely drained, remove the cap and plug or remove your draining device. This allows the air to reenter the mattress. You may need to add additional air by way of a shop vacuum or blow dryer. You will then need to locate the ends of the fiber layers either at the head or foot end of the mattress. Grab the vinyl and grasp the end of the fiber and lift as high as possible. This will allow gravity to do its work and the fiber should stretch back into its original position.

If the fiber is balled or wadded up in a big pile the job is one that may never bear the results you are looking for. This means the layer of fibers have not only shifted out of place but most likely have come apart and folded over and knotted amongst themselves. This can sometimes be straightened by using the valve as a periscope to look inside the mattress. Pieces, layers, and corners must be located and pulled back into their original positions. The more layers the more complicated this can be. To do this grasp the vinyl and the locate corners and edges of the inserted baffling. The insert should feel and look totally flat before filling the mattress up back up. This method of repositioning is slower and more tedious and usually bears results that are much less than acceptable to sleep on. If baffle delimitation has occurred and the layers have separated from one another inside the mattress, honestly you are looking at the need to purchase a new mattress.

If you live in the St. Louis Mo area and have had this happen, we can provide the service of fixing a messed up baffling system or giving you an honest evaluation of the damage. Call us at 636-296-8540 to schedule an appointment and get rates or visit STLBeds.

Need to know how to use a drain and fill kit?

If you recently drained your waterbed mattress and you were left with a large wad of baffling bunched up in the middle or it has shifted to the end of the bed, you may very well ruined you waterbed mattress. The shifting of the fiber or baffles is caused when a waterbed mattress is drained incorrectly. The material can accordion to one end or if handled improperly can bunch up and ball up in a big mass or hump.

In order to fix the baffling you must first know how these mattresses are put together. Most of us realize that a free flow mattress is nothing more than a big rectangular vinyl balloon filled with water. When we add fiber, baffling, or pod baffles, and coils we are creating wave breakers. Whichever baffling system is being used, the principal idea is the same, stop the motion and increase mattress support while giving you a more relaxing night of rest on your waterbed.

We will not go into each baffling system specifically because we are talking about all wave control systems that are free floating, meaning they are not attached to the vinyl mattress. This may not mean much to you at the moment but if you would picture 10 sheets of notebook paper lying in your hand with your palm up. You will notice the pieces of paper are stationary and stay in place, however if you were to slightly tilt your hand more and more the pieces of paper would shift out of place. A fiber filled mattress uses sheets of fiber that act much like the notebook paper and will shift out of position also. The problem is that the fiber acts like a giant sponge and most people do not get the bed drained enough before handling it and this is where the shifting problem evolves.

The draining process is key to being able to move you baffled mattress properly. Overlook this step and you may very well be purchasing a new mattress. The most important thing to know about these waterbed bladders is that they must be vacuum packed. The vacuum not only squeezes the excess water from the baffled insert collapsing the top and bottom of the mattress around the inserted baffling. When drained it looks exactly like a package of beef jerky that has been vacuum-sealed. When the top and bottom of the mattress collapse around the baffling it locks the inserted materials into place keeping everything in its original and correct position. When lifting one end of the mattress and it is not possible to vacuum seal it, you must grasp the baffling through the vinyl to help hold it in position.

Follow our up coming blog, How to fix a baffled mattress or How to Straighten Out a Baffled Mattress. Coming Soon
Not sure how to drain a waterbed correctly, click on the link and STLBeds can walk you through it.

Since many of you have never assembled a waterbed yourself, we thought that you might want to weigh waterbed assembly options for your self to decide if it is worth the time, money savings, and risk to do it yourself.

Professional waterbed set up
We recommend having a professional install your waterbed especially if you have a hardside waterbed. It typically takes a professional waterbed installer only 30 minutes to install a softside and while 60 minutes is the norm for putting  together a wood framed waterbed. Set up includes the unboxing, the carry in, and the complete assembly less the fill time. Having a professional set up and install your waterbed cannot only save you time, but they can also eliminate problems and failures often associated with improper installation by do it yourselfers. Problems associated with putting a waterbed together wrong could lead to a voided manufacturers’ warranty, or even worse failure, maybe even an all out collapse of the waterbed.

Installing a waterbed yourself
Many people, who like to do things for themselves and save money, opt to put their new water bed together. Minimum time for the do it yourself waterbed set up is 60 minutes for a softside and 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours to set up a wooden framed waterbed. This time is from the carry in, to the start of the filling process.  The new modern softside waterbeds are not so time consuming or difficult to install for the first timer. The 1970’s styled hardside waterbeds are often more frustrating for the not so mechanically inclined.

If you have doubts about your construction abilities, have a professional do the initial setup, for no other reason to secure warranty and waterbed integrity. Watching someone who installs these daily may give the untrained waterbed setter upper some clues or the entire picture for a better understanding of what really needed to be done for a proper waterbed setup.
Need help getting your waterbed together? Contact a professional or call 636-296-8540 for answers.

Adding more water to a waterbed to make it firmer:
This method will make a firmer surface feel in your waterbed, however it can cause other problems that may not make worth your while. Vinyl stretching, fatigue cracks, and out right failure of the seams or corners are just some of the problems that result from an overfilled waterbed. Many people often complain that they feel as though they are rolling off of the water mattress when they are overfilled, along with complaints of increased motion. This extra motion in the waterbed mattress is due to the increase of water to baffling ratio.

Firmer mattress from proper fill level:
The firmest and best support comes from a correctly filled baffled mattress. This is how the mattress was designed to work. It’s really just this simple, X amount of baffling is designed to work with Y amount of water. This this combination equals the best all around support, best wave control, and firmest support. Correct fill level also extends mattress life expectancy and protects the waterbed heater. Contrary to many thoughts out there the baffling or fiber system inside a water mattress controls the bed’s overall firmness much more than simply adding more water to the bed. The more fiber or baffling the mattress has the greater the firmness and more supportive the waterbed will be.

So what do I do to get a firmer waterbed?

We think it is more important to purchase a firm quality waterbed bladder in the beginning. as apposed to trying to make a mattress into something it cannot be, by adding more water. Adding additional water to a waterbed we believe is a risk that should not be taken.Knowing  How to properly install a waterbed mattress is the the key to acheiving the perfect waterbed firmness.

If you have questions about how much water to put in a waterbed give us a call at 636-296-8540 or Contact Us by email.

Do not plug in your waterbed heater until the mattress is full.

It is best to fill with a mixture of cold and hot water. Carefully test the water with your hand, and then the back of your hand where you are more sensitive to temperature. Getting the best temperature on a waterbed to your is like getting the perfect temperature for a baby bottle. If it’s hot its hot, if it’s cold it’s cold, simply regulate the water and make your temp. adjustment. It is likely that your hot water heater will run out of hot water while filling the waterbed. If it does, turn off both the cold and hot water and wait approximately ½ hour for it to recover and then turn on the water again.

Once the waterbed bladder is at the correct fill level, shut off the water, add your waterbed conditioner, and the burp the waterbed. It can take a waterbed heater up to a week to heat a water bed when filling it with only cold water, so we highly recommend mixing the hot and cold water to speed up the warming process and to make the mattress more comfy for the first few nights.

A drain and fill kit includes
1 Venturi pump
1 mattress adapter
1 faucet adapter
The kit will also include hose washers for all the female fittings.

All 3 methods require your to make sure that the waterbed heater has been unplugged and that the mattress has been burped and bled of any air bubbles before starting any draining process. 
 
Choose the Method below you would like to start the siphoning process with.
 
Method 1

Gravity siphon started with drain and fill kit.
Follow the drain and fill kit Instructions and turn the faucet all the way up. Let the water run until you hear a change in pitch of the exhausting water from the Venturi pump. While running disconnect the female end of the garden hose attachment from the side of the Venturi pump. Drop the hose to the ground immediately. If the end of the hose is lower than the bed the siphon will now start. You will obviously need to make sure that the draining water is going into a tub, basement floor drain, or out a window or you will have a mess on your hands.
 
 
Method 2

Gravity siphon started with only a mattress adapter.
Connect the female end of the garden hose to a faucet and the mattress attachment from the drain and fill kit to the male end of the hose. Over the sink carefully flush all air from the hose and then shut off the water. With a towel in hand, walk to the bed and connect the mattress adapter to the mattress then push valve in. Go turn on your water and count to 10. Then shut off the water disconnect and kink the hose. It is best to carefully drop the end of the hose out of a window. The lower the end of the hose the greater the tronger the siphon be due to gravity the drop.

 
Method 3

Gravity siphon started with an electric pump.
Follow Electric Waterbed Pump directions. Once the pump has been primed and water is flowing, shut off the pump and again carefully disconnect the garden hose and drop out of a window to a lower point than the waterbed. 

Many people choose the siphoning method to save on water consumption, electricity, or they just aren’t aware that there is better ways to drain a waterbed. If you have a wave control mattress, siphoning a waterbed mattress can be very tricky. In order to achieve the necessary vacuum required for moving a baffled mattress so you do not ruin It or Damage it by bunching or shifting the baffling system you must achieve a vacuum. You will need a very large drop around 8 to 10 feet or you will need to finish the vacuum process with a wet dry shop vac or Venturi pump and replace the cap and plug insert immediately to maintain the vacuum on the mattress. It should look like a package of beef jerky in the shrink wrap when finished.

Contact a waterbed store for more detailed information.

They are now here! Thanks to your emails and phone calls The Waterworks Sleep Center is now selling complete Softside Waterbeds and Hardside Waterbeds and all the necessary parts and accessories you need in for the Mid I-70 region.

We can quickly ship any in stock item right away to put you back to bed with comfort and quality waterbeds, waterbed parts and accessories .

Waterbed Sheets, Comforters, and Pads
Padded Rails
Waterbed Heater
Waterbed Conditioner
Safety Liner for Water Bed
Replacement Mattresses

Uncomfortable ordering online?

Please visit the waterbed veterans of 23-years at The Water Works Sleep Center. Our showroom is located just a short drive to St. Louis MO. There you can test rest any of our waterbeds and mattresses. When you find yours take it home with you or have it shipped to you directly.
 
What cities do we service?
If you are located in or near any of the following cities: Columbia, Jefferson City, Fulton, Boonville, Mexico, Moberly, Macon, Montgomery City, Knob Noster, Camdenton, Osage Beach, Lake of the Ozarks and other great regional cities.

Waterbed  Questions? Call us Toll Free at 1-888-793-8311 or Contact Us by email for a price quote on the waterbed of your dreams.