Don't immediately cover your foam mattress with bedclothes -- let it thoroughly air out first. Foam mattresses sometimes have a smell after you remove them from their packaging. Many manufacturers suggest thoroughly airing out the mattress for at least 72 hours before you cover the mattress with your sheets and bed coverings. But if formaldehyde was used on the foam mattress, you might want to take other steps to ensure that you don't breathe in these potentially carcinogenic fumes. Take It Outside One of the best ways to get rid of the smells associated with a foam mattress -- including formaldehyde -- is to lay a sheet of plastic on a patio or the grass in the backyard. Take the mattress outside and remove it from its packaging. Lay the mattress on the plastic sheeting and let it thoroughly air out for at least 72 hours, turning it over at least once each day, if not more often, to ensure all the fumes dissipate. Make certain you have a few days of warm, stormy-weather-free days for the project.
To ensure air circulates thoroughly around it, lay three 2-by-4s beneath the mattress. The Spare Bedroom If you cannot air the mattress outside due to inclement weather, take the mattress into a room that you can close off, such as a spare bedroom, and sleep on your existing bed while the new foam mattress airs out. Strip the packaging material and place reverse fans near the windows to pull the fumes from the mattress through the open windows. Allow the mattress to off-gas completely until you cannot smell any fumes before installing it in your bedroom. Freshen the Mattress To help dissipate the fumes from the mattress, add an upholstery freshening product to the mattress after it airs out thoroughly. After it has off-gassed for three days and you have applied the freshening product at the end of that period, cover it with a cotton mattress cover to keep down the fumes. Periodically air out the room by keeping the windows open in between sheet changes and when the weather permits. Add green leafy plants to the room to help keep the room's air fresh.
Other Considerations Formaldehyde is not a common chemical in high-quality foam mattresses; typically, it's only the lower-end or cheaper mattresses that may contain it. To avoid a mattress that off-gasses or emits fumes, buy a natural latex mattress or a foam mattress made from plant oils. Natural latex comes from plant materials that produce natural rubber and are not as offensive or harmful as mattresses made from polyurethane or petroleum-based products. References Sleep Like the Dead: Memory Foam Off-Gassing Odor Photo Credits Ryan McVay/Stockbyte/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionAir out a memory-foam mattress to reduce its odor. Some new memory foam, also known as visco-elastic polyurethane foam, emits odors that may be bothersome at night when your face is so near the mattress, pillow or mattress topper made from the foam. Some memory foam products, such as mattresses and mattress toppers, are treated with flame-retardants to comply with federal standards regarding mattress flammability.
These chemicals, also known as volatile organic compounds, "off gas" or escape from the foam, causing odor that dissipates over time. Employ a few tactics to help the odor disappear more quickly. Air It Out Remove new memory foam from the outer plastic packaging surrounding it. If possible, place the foam outdoors for at least a few hours on a dry, non-humid day. A porch will suffice if you'd rather not leave it out in the open. If you're unable to take the foam mattress, pillow or topper outdoors, prop it up in a room against a chair or wall so it ventilates from all sides. Open the windows and turn on a window fan drawing air out of the room. The longer the foam product airs out, the less noticeable the odor will be. Baking Soda Solution Baking soda -- the same type used to deodorize a refrigerator -- also helps de-fume memory foam. After airing out the memory foam, sprinkle baking soda all over the mattress, topper or pillow and allow it to sit for an hour or so. Vacuum away the baking soda with an upholstery brush attachment.
Apply the baking soda directly on the foam object, rather than on a sheet or pillowcase, for best results. Room Refresher A brand new memory foam mattress may make the entire room smell for a few days. Place a bowl of white vinegar in the room to help remove the odor from the air; as the mattress off-gases, airborne odors will be absorbed. If you don't care for the smell of vinegar, place the vinegar in the room and leave it out all day while you're away, then dump the vinegar down the drain before bedtime. Vinegar also helps deodorize drains. Keep It Fresh Mattresses, pillows and bedding absorb sweat simply from sleeping on them; memory foam is no different. Keep the mattress smelling its best by letting it air out for a few hours when it is time to wash the bedding. Remove all bed linens and let the mattress breathe; if the room has a ceiling fan, run it on "high" speed to help dry any moisture in the foam. Sprinkle baking soda over the mattress as it airs out, then vacuum away the powder with an upholstery brush attachment.
References STL Beds: Top Ten Problems With Memory FoamSleep Innovations: Frequently Asked QuestionsRocky Mountain Mattress: How to Properly Clean your Memory Foam Mattress or TopperVinegar Tips: Cleaning Photo Credits Image Source/Stockbyte/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionOne of the biggest complaints by owners of memory foam pillows and mattresses is the unpleasant, and potentially unhealthy chemical smell. Memory foam is manufactured using polyurethane and several other chemicals, so it isn’t surprising that it emits a chemical odor. This “off gassing” of volatile organic compounds is a common and well-documented property of memory foam pillows and mattresses. The fumes are often compared to those experienced in a freshly painted room. If you are experiencing this odor, the good news is you may not have to endure the smell for long. The bad news is that some of the chemicals used in memory foam aren’t entirely benign.Many memory foam mattress owners report that the off gassing period ends after a number of days.
(1) Of course there are many factors which influence this including the product, the type of foam, the sensitivity of the person, the room ventilation and more. Even if the initial odor goes away, it is natural to wonder if there are health issues related to off gassing.Most people do not report any health issues resulting from their memory foam pillow or mattress. However, there are various reports of headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions resulting from the odor produced by memory foam. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you’ll want to avoid sleeping on the foam during the initial off gassing period. You can leave the pillow or mattress in a well-ventilated area for a week or two and see if that helps eliminate or reduce the odor and symptoms. If after several weeks, the issue persists, it is probably time to consider an alternative to memory foam.Many many people use memory foam products without reporting any side effects or related health issues. That said, there are various reports and studies which indicate that memory foam may be somewhat toxic.