Sleep Safe and Sound

New Bedding Options Protect When Every Second Matters

(Family Features) Every 80 seconds in the U.S., a home catches fire. Once it starts, every second counts, with families having less than six minutes to get out of their homes.

Bedrooms are the second most common location of home fire origin after the kitchen. Each year, 20,800 fires are attributed to mattresses and bedding. Mattress fires are often started by an open flame, such as a candle or a match, or by space heaters, frayed electrical cords or overloaded electrical outlets. Many other bedroom fires, however, are started by children under five playing with matches and lighters on or near the bed, making mattress fires the leading cause of fire deaths among preschoolers.

Sadly, little ones often play with fire in "secret places," like bedrooms, closets and under beds, which are highly flammable. Knowing they have done something wrong, kids often try to hide the fire by covering it with blankets and bedding, which can spread the flame.

In a mattress fire, it takes just seconds for the flammable materials inside the mattress to ignite. Within three minutes the "flashover" stage can engulf an entire room, making a safe exit virtually impossible. These deadly "flashover" fires claim twice as many lives as other residential fires. Unfortunately, nearly one baby or child dies each day in a home fire.

New Federal Safety Mattress Mandate

These sobering statistics have prompted new safety guidelines. Effective July 1, a new federal safety standard mandates the use of fire retardant materials in mattresses made and sold in the U.S.

"However, there are millions who are not ready to replace their current mattress set. Fortunately, there is now a more cost effective alternative. Louisville Bedding Company, the world's largest manufacturer of mattress pads, offers a two-piece flame resistant mattress and box spring cover set to give existing mattresses a level of protection similar to the new measures put in place by the new Federal standard.

"In lab tests, the FireDefender™ Sleep System protected mattress sets from igniting for more than 30 minutes, allowing significantly more time to escape from a home fire and to extinguish the blaze," said Scott Walters of Louisville Bedding Company. "It's a much more affordable way to achieve mattress fire protection than purchasing a new set." Created with non-toxic, flame resistant materials right down to the threads in the seams, the FireDefender™ Sleep System provides safety with the look and comfort of a traditional quilted mattress cover. The covers, which are priced from $120 to $200, are available at most major retail locations that sell bedding and come in five bed sizes.

"Our company has also launched a fire-safety awareness campaign, including free fire safety tips on our Web site, to help safeguard those who are not aware of the dangers or cannot afford to purchase a new bedding solution," Walters said. For home fire safety tips and more information about this fire-retardant bedding option, visit www.firedefendersystem.com.

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All materials courtesy of Louisville Bedding