How To Clean Fiberglass From Mattress
The unpleasant condition that fiberglass can cause can also have major effects on one’s health. Even though they pose risks to human health, some of today’s most popular mattresses, such those made by Zinus, nevertheless include the ingredients in question. These mattresses contain multiple layers of fiberglass, which act as a chemical fire retardant for the entire mattress. In the event of a fire, this ingenious technique prevents the mattress from quickly becoming engulfed in flames.
Although employing fiberglass to build mattresses results in significant cost savings, one must ask whether or not the associated health risks are acceptable. Keep reading to find out if a mattress containing fiberglass or one that is devoid of fiberglass is the superior choice.
It is very easy for the fiberglass that is contained in your memory foam mattress to escape, particularly if the cover has been torn off or if you have removed it without first being aware that the mattress contains fiberglass. At this stage, you should make every effort to remove the fiberglass from the mattress as soon as possible. In this article, I’ve included a step-by-step instruction that will assist you in completing the process successfully.
Steps for how to clean fiberglass from a mattress
The steps for cleaning fiberglass from a mattress are:
- Put on protective equipment and turn off air conditioner
- Locate the fiberglass leak
- Use a zipped encasement to cover the mattress
- Bag up any loose fiberglass
- Use a lint roller around the bed
- Vacuum the area
- Dispose of the mattress
When dealing with fiberglass particles, it is necessary to perform a complete cleaning of the mattress. There is no room for debate over this matter. When we say thorough, we mean you need to go all out on the cleaning, even if it means cleaning your entire house just to be on the safe side.
Glass fibers are what are known as fiberglass particles, and due to their minute size, it is practically impossible to see them with the naked eye. But these extremely fine strands of fiberglass can irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as the skin, and even cause harm over the long run. These extremely fine fibers might have an adverse effect not just on people but also on animals.
Before anything else, make sure to keep children and animals well away from the room where the fiberglass mattress is in. This is not only for their protection but for your sanity as well.
Step 1: Put on protective equipment and turn off air conditioner
Short of wearing a hazmat suit, make sure you wear protective clothing before confronting any leaking fiberglass. You can fashion your own personal protective gear from of anything you find lying around the house, such as a raincoat or windbreaker, a pair of rain boots, gloves, and a face mask. Make sure to safeguard your eyes as well using scratch-resistant, wraparound glasses such as those that construction workers wear. Important piece of advice: before putting on a protective suit, make sure you’ve bathed to remove any fiberglass that may already be clinging to your skin and hair. This will help ensure that the suit is effective.
You may believe that the central ventilation system in your home can help filter out any free-floating fiberglass particles, but you should not make that assumption. Fans and air conditioning systems will just make things worse by further scattering the fiberglass all around your home so turn all of these off and allow the air settle before you begin cleaning.
Step 2: Locate fiberglass leak
Finding the source of the fiberglass leak can be difficult since, as we’ve already established, you won’t be able to see the particles that are being released. However, mattresses like the Nectar mattress use fiberglass as a fire retardant, and these mattresses typically include a layer of fiberglass just underneath the inner mattress cover. Leaks in these mattresses typically occur when there is a tear in the cover itself. Locate the tear and mend it using either reinforced plastic or duct tape.
A worn out mattress cover can potentially be the culprit. If this is the case, it is highly recommended that you get a new mattress altogether, since a worn-out cover almost often indicates that the mattress itself is also worn-out, and a worn-out mattress containing fiberglass offers much greater dangers to one’s health.
Step 3: Use a zipped encasement to cover the mattress
After you have repaired the leak, it is essential to add an additional layer of protection in the shape of zippered encasement coverings. This should be done as soon as possible. These mattress covers are available in all conventional mattress sizes and may be found in the majority of places that sell home improvement and hardware supplies. If you are not a trained professional, you should not attempt to make a mattress cover on your own since you run the risk of doing more damage than good.
When an encasement cover is zippered, it helps prevent glass fibers from escaping further from the container. In the case that you make the decision to replace your old mattress with a new one that does not contain any fiberglass, you can also use mattress bags to transfer the old mattress out of your home in order to assist avoid future contamination.
Step 4: Bag up any loose fiberglass
Sometimes the glass fibers pool up in sections of the bed or around it. If you spot any on or around the bed, sweep it off carefully onto a dust pan with a broom that has fine bristles and bag it up into a garbage bag. Use a broom and dust pan that you are willing to part with merely to ensure that you won’t have any renegade glass fibers and glass wool lingering about.
Step 5: Use a lint roller around the bed
After you have placed your mattress within the zippered encasement and bagged up any stray glass fibers, use a lint roller to clean the entire bed, including the bed frame. Used papers from the lint roller should be discarded in a cautious and prompt manner.
Step 6: Vacuum the area
Use a vacuum cleaner, preferably one that has a HEPA filter, to thoroughly vacuum the entire bed as well as the rest of the bedroom. A high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filter is able to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns and will also be able to remove any leftover glass fibers. Do not be afraid to vacuum your bed and bedroom a second or third time, if necessary, in order to remove all of the fiberglass from these areas.
Tip: While you’re about it, you might also want to clean the filter in your air conditioner, since it might have also picked up some glass fibers in the process of sucking air through it.
Step 7: Dispose of the mattress
If you feel or decide that there is no hope for your mattress and that the fiberglass contamination is beyond your control or even the control of a professional, then it is most certainly time to throw away your mattress. If you feel or decide that there is no hope for your mattress, then it is most certainly time to throw away your mattress. Always use a mattress bag when disposing of a mattress in the proper manner, and if at all possible, use a mattress bag that is manufactured from reinforced plastic. Using a mattress bag is the recommended method. You certainly don’t want to wander about the neighborhood infecting everyone with disease, do you? You can look into mattress disposal services that are offered in various towns and states, and some of these services are even free of charge (whether or not they are available in your region is depending on where you reside, so make sure to check). These services can be found in a variety of locations.
We are aware that acquiring a mattress is a substantial financial commitment, and it is possible that you do not currently possess the cash necessary to acquire one of those top-of-the-line memory foam mattresses that do not include any fiberglass. This is something that we are aware of, and it is possible that you do not currently possess the funds necessary to purchase one of these mattresses. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered; we’ve created a comprehensive list of mattresses that are free of fiberglass and that can meet any spending range and any requirements that you might have.
How dangerous is fiberglass?
Even with the smallest leak, there is an unacceptable chance of being exposed to fiberglass. This is because the glass fibers that result from fiberglass particles are extremely minute, and a significant number of them can become dislodged even from a little break in the cover of the mattress. But what exactly makes it so risky, and why?
Imagine that you are cleaning the dishes and a piece of shattered glass shatters and cuts one of your fingers. Is that correct? Imagine that each piece of shattered glass is little bigger than a grain of refined sugar, and then multiply that by a factor of a thousand. The fact that these glass fibers are so minute and lightweight enables them to travel through the air. You won’t just be able to relax on them, but you’ll also be able to breathe in their aroma. They are able to enter your body through your eyes, ears, and mouth.
Skin and eye irritations are the most typical signs of fiberglass contamination but there have been more than a few accounts of glass particles getting up as far as a person’s lungs, causing havoc on the respiratory system. These glass fibers can occasionally be rather large, and in order to remove them safely and eliminate any potentially fatal health hazards, surgical intervention was required.
Again, we are not stating this to terrify you because not all fiberglass mattresses break so easily and a fiberglass fire barrier is safe to sleep on as long as it stays within the mattress but the hazards are always going to be there.
How Dangerous Can Fiberglass Be?
Where Is The Fib
According to reports from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, fiberglass is the optimal material for use as home insulation because it does not present any risks associated with fire.
And when the government passed a tight legislation prohibiting the use of fire retardants, many mattress producers found it difficult to discover the best substance that would be successful at reducing the intensity of a fire.
And after a while, they came across fiberglass, a material that is both long-lasting and inexpensive.
The root of the issue, however, was in the fact that they did not investigate whether or not putting fiberglass in mattresses had any negative impacts on humans.
When shards of fiberglass come into contact with your skin, they have the potential to cause rashes, itching, and redness.
If HPV enters your body through your mouth, nose, or eyes, you may start hacking or sneezing once it does so.
erglass Inside The Mattress?
The good news is that the fiberglass does not cover the mattress’s exterior, which means that you will not come into direct contact with the fibers.
Because, as I’ve already explained to you, fiberglass can assist prevent a mattress from catching fire, the material is typically positioned in an insulating layer that’s situated underneath the mattress’s outer shell.
But the concept of sleeping on a mattress that has fiberglass in it sounds absurd, but the fiberglass is there to keep us safe, and because fire may harm memory foam, thus the use of fiberglass in memory foam mattresses is rather typical.
Do Zinus Mattresses Have Fiberglass?
The answer is yes; a good number of Zinus mattresses and Nectar do, in fact, have a thin coating of fiberglass that encases the foam inner.
Additionally, there is a layer of fiberglass underneath the cover of the mattress, ensuring that your skin will not come into direct touch with the material.
On the other hand, a traditional legal action was taken against Zinus and shops who sell products of this kind of mattress.
The lawsuits allege that a large number of defective Zinus mattresses have been sold, and that the buyers of these mattresses may be exposed to health hazards associated with fiberglass as a result of their purchase of these beds.
Do all Mattress Have Fiberglass?
People who aren’t familiar with mattresses should know that there are many different kinds, such as foam, innerspring, and hybrid mattresses. Foam mattresses are the most common type of mattress sold today.
Because foam mattresses are more prone to be harmed by fire than other types of mattresses, many manufacturers of memory foam mattresses add fiberglass as a fire retardant in their products. The majority of these foam mattresses contain fiberglass.
However, not every mattress made of memory foam contains fiberglass. If you are thinking of purchasing a new memory foam mattress, you should keep this in mind because there are many memory foam mattresses on the market now that do not include fiberglass.
Should I Buy a Memory Foam Mattress?
Now, after reading all of these, you might believe that you would never buy a memory foam mattress in your life. However, as I mentioned earlier, there are many memory foam mattresses that do not include fiberglass.
It Happened to Me! My Fiberglass Mattress Nightmare Story
In March of 2021, I had recently relocated to a new town, and I was convinced that I had located the ideal place to call home. It was located in a community that I really liked, the landlord was wonderful, AND (this was an added perk in my book), the possibility existed for it to be furnished was available.
During my tour of the apartment, I noticed that it was already furnished with a sofa, dining table, lights, a nightstand, a bed frame, and a memory foam mattress.
After visiting the property, I immediately filled out an application, was approved, and signed a lease within the same time frame. When the landlord asked me whether I would prefer the place to be equipped or unfurnished, I requested that he keep the furnishings within the apartment. Big error.
Right before I moved in, I thought about that memory foam mattress. I thought about asking him to remove it so that I could bring in my own mattress (since the thought of sleeping on other people’s mattresses worries me out).
But then I thought, “You know what? If you just kept the mattress there and continued to use it, you may save a significant amount of money. You don’t need to go out and get a brand new one!” Again, major mistake.
Fast forward two weeks later when I moved in, and I took a closer look at the memory foam mattress. Unfortunately, it had a big gash in the side of it, AND it had a big, disgusting stain in the middle of it. Yuck!
I told the landlord that the mattress looked a little “worse for wear” and asked if I could remove it so I could put a new one in. He agreed that it was fine and that I could simply store it in the shed in the rear.
However, before I did that, I made it a priority to check and see if it was possible for me to CLEAN the mattress. It was circumvented by a zipper, which suggested that the fabric cover might be removed if desired.
“Hm,” I mused to myself. “There’s a good chance that I could just remove the cover from the mattress and wash it.”
Thank goodness I chose to examine the label on the mattress first to see if there were any instructions for washing it.
However, the care instructions for the mattress were strangely located on the INSIDE of the cover for the mattress. As a result, I needed to remove the cover’s zipper and search for the label that was stitched onto the inside of the cover.
What I discovered was surprising to me: the label did not include any advice regarding cleaning the cover, nor did it state that the cover should not be removed. On the other hand, it DID state that the “inner cover” of the mattress was composed of “62% fiberglass.”
In my opinion, you made a mistake there. “Surely,” I thought to myself, “they wouldn’t make a mattress out of fiberglass!”
I was unable to find any directions for washing on the care label, so I zipped the outer cover back up and went about my day getting everything cleaned up so that I could move into the flat.
After some time had passed, the fact that the label on the mattress stated that it included fiberglass piqued my interest.
I decided to find out for myself, so I Googled, “Do memory foam mattresses contain fiberglass?”
And the results shook me to my very core. I found horror story after horror story of people who had to move out of their houses because they cleaned their memory foam mattress cover and polluted their whole house—floors, clothes, furniture, washing machines, even the air ducts in the HVAC system.
At this time, I was shaking and decided to implement the advise offered on the internet, which was to get a flashlight and shine it on the surfaces in my flat to determine whether or not I had been contaminated with fiberglass.
And sure enough, there they were: long, straight, and shimmering strands of fiberglass all over the floor of my bedroom, on the mattress itself, and all over the rest of my clothing.
I. Freaked. Out.
Because I suffer from asthma and need to wear a mask whenever I clean with bleach, I made sure to have one of those with me. I immediately threw that on and made sure to protect my eyes and hands by donning goggles and gloves.
I had to switch off my air conditioner, which is a ductless mini-split, because it was causing the air in my flat to be recirculated, which in turn was spreading the fiberglass all over the place.
I started vacuuming every inch of my apartment after going out and purchasing a Shop Vac that was equipped with a HEPA filter.
After a while, I just got to the point where I couldn’t keep going because I was so worn out and it was springtime in Florida, so there was no need for air conditioning. I left without finished cleaning the fiberglass.
I was able to reserve a room on Airbnb for a week while I tried to figure out what my next move should be. The fiberglass had gotten into both of my eyes and into the palms of my hands. Thank goodness, I had some emergency eye wash on hand, and I was able to clean it out of my eyes. However, the splinter-like sensation that persisted in my hands continued for several weeks.
The fact that fiberglass can be as little as one micron was the thing that really frightened me out about the situation. As a result, I didn’t feel safe being in the apartment because I was afraid that there would still be fiberglass floating around in the air even though I couldn’t see it.
After some time had passed, I went back to the flat to make another try at cleaning it, but this time I was more prepared. The following is what I used to arm myself.