How to Take Care of Essential Comfort Aids

Comfort aids are highly helpful to provide comfort to elderly or disabled persons. A pressure relief cushion is one of the important comfort aids that help prevent development of pressure sores and ulcers in people with mobility restrictions.

Another useful comfort aid is the slippers for swollen feet that help people with edema walk comfortably without causing any strain.

However, you need to understand that if you want them to last longer, you need to take proper care of them.

So, let's explore some caring tips for these two essential comfort aids one by one.

Caring Tips for Your Pressure Relief Cushion

A pressure relief cushion lasts longer only when you properly wash it on a regular basis.

Here are the general cleaning tips for various types of pressure cushions.

However, before we proceed, you should follow one common tip: check for wear and tear in your cushion always before cleaning and keep a spare cushion for use while the other one dries.

• Foam Cushions

Don't use soap to clean these cushions. Simply use a damp cloth to wipe it clean after removing its cover. Submerging them straight into the water for cleaning or using bleach for cleaning them may damage them.

After you have wiped them clean, always air-dry them instead of autoclaving or steam drying them.

Also, avoid covering your cushion with a towel or any other cloth to keep it clean because doing so may reduce its effectiveness.

• Air Cell Cushions (like ROHO cushion)

These pressure cushions generally consist of inflatable air-filled neoprene rubber cells. You can wash this type of cushions in a washing machine using cold water and mild detergent.

Ensure that you wash it on the gentle washing cycle and tumble-dry it at the lowest temperature.

You can also wash it in a large sink using a mild detergent and a soft-bristled brush. Make sure you close the air valve before immersing it in water.

After you have cleaned it, use fresh water to rinse it clean and then air-dry it.

• Fluid-Filled or Gel Cushions

Wash these types of cushions in a washing machine on the gentle washing cycle and tumble-dry it at low heat. Use only mild soap and water to clean its fluid and gel parts, wipe excess moisture off using a clean towel and air-dry it.

Caring Tips for Slippers for Swollen Feet

These slippers are very useful for those with edema due to underlying medical conditions like diabetes or temporary external injuries.

To ensure their long life, you should take proper care of them.

So, here are some general cleaning tips for you to follow when cleaning them.

• Check if they are machine-washable

Before washing them, always check whether they are suitable for machine-washing or not. If they are using a short, slow spin and a low temperature when washing them is recommendable. If they aren't, hand-wash them, rub them thoroughly after a short soak in warm water.

Rinse them thoroughly before draining the excess water out of them.

• Never wring them

Wringing your slippers may result in the loss or distortion of their shape. Instead, use a towel to soak extra water that still remains after rinsing them.

• Protect them from unnecessary dirt

When in open but not in use, slippers tend to collect extra dirt. This dirt may clog pores and take away their finish. Overtime, the material may wear out rendering slippers unappealing and ineffective.

Therefore, covering them with a cloth or putting them in a shoe-rack after use is a good idea to make them last longer.

• Treat Foul Smells and Odors

Prolonged use may cause your slippers to start stinking. For smells and odors, using Sodium Bicarbonate may work well. It acts as a dry shampoo that you can sprinkle inside and leave for a few hours, and then extract it with a vacuum cleaner.

You can also sprinkle a shoe spray to prevent them from stinking.

The Final Takeaway

A pressure cushion and slippers for swollen feet are two of the vital comfort aids. Just like any other comfort aid, they also need to be taken proper care of.

Following the above-mentioned caring tips for both of them can help you make them last longer and serve their purpose better.

Derry has been working in the mobility aids industry since 2003, acquiring a wealth of knowledge along the way. Before Essential Aids, Derry's background was in engineering. In his spare time he is a devotee of yoga and rare reggae vinyl.