Any comments good or bad on mattress warmers for one with diabetes and AHLZ ?

While living in a mobile home in Denver, winter nights could get a little cold. Not the best insulation in those homes. I used an electric mattress pad, turned on about half an hour before bedtime, then turned off when we went to bed. It kept us very comfortable.

Thank you Torp....Im gonna start this right now! I got everything already here...I make a mean draft stopper for the bottoms of the doors too, who says they dont hafta smell pretty while doin the job?!

Nuke at 100% power. The time will depend on your microwave, so you'll have to experiment a minute at a time until it's the perfect temperature. Shake it after warming so that the heat is distributed evenly.

Use only 100% cotton fabric for the part that you put into the microwave. If you use a synthetic fleece cover (I love these because they're so soft) make the inside out of cotton, and slip it into the cover after you heat it.

My only other caution is to use 100% natural products or essential oils to scent it. Some of the commercial potpourri scents get stinky when you nuke them. Even the natural scents will smell funky if you overcook them, though.

I like a few drops of pure peppermint oil from the baking department of the grocery store. Put the rice in a zip lock with a few drops of the oil, shake it up, and let it sit in the sealed bag a couple of days, shaking daily. This lets the oil soak in well and distribute to all of the rice.

A mix of dried lavender and rosemary are a popular addition to the rice for scenting these bags. I wouldn't put too much. Maybe a tsp. per cup of rice, tops.

Hey Torp and Mae me likey dat idea! Oh Mae..lavender seeds add that to the mix! Its nice! So gals you just pop the whole thing in the micro??? Any temp?
Oh yeah and chamomile too Mae

T.O.R.P., YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT MAKING ONE.The one I saw on QVC was filled with rice and flax seed, then something to make it smell good.I want to do some sewing after the holidays as I have mucho material.Make it like a quilt.They did have it so the filling was even and would not shift.I have the small bags that have the same ingredients.They are suppose to be relaxing with fragrance.They do hold the heat and would be excellent for warming the bed.I use to give my mother a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel.She would use it for her hip that she had broken a few years before.

You can make your own microwavable heating pad just by filling a tube sock with rice, then sew the end shut or tie a knot in it. You can use it like they used to use a blanket-wrapped brick from the fireplace to warm feet at bedtime.

I've made fancier ones of various shapes, usually out of muslin then made a fleece or flannel cover that can be removed for washing.

It depends on the size of your bag, and the power of your microwave. Maybe 2-4 minutes.

What I purchased was covers you place in the microw wave for 3 minutes and they hold their heat for awhile.I also had gloves for my aunt with inserts that you heat in the microwave.You can get the blankets at qvc.They are more oblong and great for under the length of ones body.I never used an elextric pad unless I was in the room.There are many things that can be microwaved, even heating pads.I purchased 2.I have used on for my back at night.They are more safe and work great

Hi and welcome Will79!
You are so right - it IS easier to get an arthritic body goin' in the morning if it's warm! I can personally vouch for that!

I worry about using electric blankets, mattress warmers, etc. on beds that contain people with limited mobility because they frequently do not realize when they feel too warm and can get burns or overheat (heatstroke). Many folks who are mostly or totally bedbound do not move in the bed and will just lay there burnin' up! This is very typical of their condition so you have to be very careful. If I were to choose one or the other, I would choose an electric blanket which lays on top of them (and can be thrown off) rather than something that is heating from underneath.

Instead of leaving it on all night long, perhaps you could kick it on for a half hour before getting your loved one up... that way, they'd be nice and toasty and you would not have to worry about the blanket overheating them because you would only be using it for a small amount of time. Some gentle massage also helps to warm up extremities by increasing the surface circulation.

Whatever you decide, many blessings to you and yours. I hope you'll make yourself at home here and keep us updated on how you and your loved one are doing.

About the Edenpure heater... I did some research on this, because my Dad was uncomfortably cold if it was below 90 degrees. I figured Paul Harvey and AARP to be reliable sources of information. Do a websearch on Edenpure reviews, though, and you will find that there are a LOT of posts that it just isn't worth the money.

We ended up buying a $20 ceramic heater at Walmart that didn't get warm to the touch, and couldn't ignite the cat's tail. I safety tested it on the back porch by throwing a towel over it for 3 hours without ignition. It shut off if it was moved, picked up, or tipped over. To turn it back on you had to go through a sequence of tasks, like unplug for 4 minutes, turn switch full on then off, whatever, so that if Dad touched it it shut off and he couldn't restart it.

That little heater would warm one room right up to tropical.

Anyway, Will79, the mattress pad heaters scared me, but do some research, there are options.

Hello Will, Mattress warmers not such a good idea... I was thinking of this for my MIL but came across some reviews on them from other CG's none were that great. The fear is the inner coils getting pinched or pulled causing a fire hazard.
Im guessing you are going through the same thing as I am here...your LO is cold all the time? Keep a knitted cap on her head this is where they lose the most heat.
Now I dont know how much you can spend but there is a heater they sell thats advertised through AARP $372-$389+s&h that is nicer on electric bills..Ill try to find a site and post back here
Its safe to use with no risk of fire to it as its infrared quartz heating.
http://www.edenpurestore.com/