How our cover fabrics are designed to support infection control

As it serves as the barrier between the patient and the mattress core, the cover is the first line of defense against cross-contamination for your support surface.

At the same time, ensuring a healthy microclimate – which refers to the area where the body comes into contact with the mattress surface – is also key to preventing skin maceration and pressure injuries. That is why a support surface cover should ideally be waterproof, yet breathable.

The “breathability” of a fabric is determined by its MVTR (Moisture Vapour Transfer Rate). MVTR indicates the rate at which water vapour that can pass through the fabric over a 24-hour period; the higher the MVTR, the more “breathable” the fabric.

On top of being breathable, a cover fabric should be able to withstand abrasive chemical cleaning. Support surfaces go through rigorous cleaning and disinfecting routines, typically with the use of harsh chemicals. Such actions can cause damage such as microscopic tears in the fabric, or strikethrough damage, that is not easily seen with the naked eye.

To prevent liquids from permeating through the cover of your support surface, Arjo covers are built with welded seams, meaning the material is bonded together to create a tight seal, rather than stitched together which creates tiny holes that can allow liquids to seep through to the mattress core. Similarly, any necessary detailing added to the cover fabric, such as handles, are welded rather than stitched in place.

Our range of welded support surface covers come in a choice of two high-specification, Polyurethane (PU) coated fabrics: Dartex Reliant or Dartex Premium. The Premium covers are especially engineered with increased abrasion resistance, making it ideal for the robust cleaning and disinfecting routines of high-traffic healthcare environments. Both Dartex Reliant and Premium cover fabrics are waterproof yet breathable.

For practical reasons, our covers are designed with zipper closures in order to be removable for thorough cleaning and disinfecting, or replacing. A wide watershed flap is designed to cover the full length of these zipper closures, in order to reduce the risk of liquid ingress during normal use of the support surface.

Download the brochure to learn more about our cover fabrics, or explore our Pressure Injury Prevention Portfolio to see our full range of support surfaces.