O.K., first of all, do not sleep on the mattress and get it out of your living area as soon as possible.I am not going to tell you that your mattress is toxic or carcinogenic. I simply do not know enough about the chemistry IKEA used to make that mattress. Here is what I do know:Your mattress is almost certainly an open-cell polyurethane foam. That means it is a polymer composed of three components, a polyisocyanate, a chain extender, typically a di-alcohol or a di-amine, and a cross-linker, typically a tri- or tetra-functional alcohol or amine. In addition, there is a blowing agent (to make the foam bubbles) and a catalyst. They may have added other ingredients to make the foam more uniform and reproducible.Let's talk about the ingredients in order: The polyisocyanate is the really worrisome chemical. It is a sensitizer and if there is any unreacted material present, you could easily develop a rash. However, generally these materials are high molecular weight and have essentially zero vapor pressure--so this is not what you are smelling.
However, the polyisocyanate is made from low molecular weight isocyanates and if the pre-polymer is not properly reacted, these isocyanates may be present in your mattress. The only reason I even bring it up is that you describe the mattress foam as "sticky". That may indicate incomplete reaction, either of the polyisocyanate or in the production of the polyisocyanate and in that case you might actually be at risk of contacting some of the unreacted isocyanate. That would be bad. Use gloves when handling the mattress--kitchen rubber gloves will do. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is lowest total risk, I would give this a 4.The chain extenders are also, quite probably completely reacted, and while a di-alcohol is probably not worrisome, di-amines can also be sensitizers. Again, if you had not described the mattress as "sticky" I would say that the likelihood of you being exposed to these materials is minimal. Even now, the likelihood is actually very small. These are also fairly high molecular weight materials with no appreciable vapor pressure.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this a 1.The cross-linkers are also generally reacted into the polymer matrix. Same considerations as above, except that these tend to be lower molecular weight so may have a higher vapor pressure. On a scale of 1 to 10, this would be a 2.The blowing agent may be carbon dioxide, water, or HFC. Risk from the blowing agent is probably a 1.The rest of the stuff: There are lots of other chemicals added to memory foam during manufacture. has an excellent article: that discusses a variety of additives: http://www.Read Tips, Reviews & Research on the Best Mattress Types/are-memory-foam-mattresses-safe/What I suspect, from your description is that you are smelling either ketones (acetone or methyl ethyl ketone) or methylene chloride. The presence of these materials would also explain the stickiness you are feeling as they are plasticizers for polyurethanes and will make the polymer feel sticky. What I would do: Contact the store and arrange for the immediate return of the mattress.
There is no way this mattress should be outgassing at a detectable level.It is unfortunate but many cheap mattresses have this problem. Especially the mattresses made in China. I’m most certain that Ikea mattresses are made in China and their quality of materials and manufacturing when it comes to mattresses can be quite shoddy. The smell is most likely the cheap foam and fire retardants used. Many cheap made in China mattresses have this odor problem.By the way, $349 for a memory foam mattress is dirt cheap, and I would not take my chances on such a thing. You are better off investing $100-$200 more and get yourself an Otis futon mattress which can also be used on a platform bed.Or if you are looking for something on the cheaper than $400, you can go with a Gold Bond futon mattress. Otis, Gold Bond and Mlily are reputable American based manufactures. Their mattresses are quality and don’t smell toxic. Keep in mind that any new upholstered furnishing such as a mattress or sofa will always have a new factory smell, similar to new car smell.
This is not something to be alarmed about and should go away within a week.When it comes to bedding and mattresses, never purchase a made in China mattress. If the mattress is surprisingly cheap online, you should be weary about the quality.Sofa beds are a different story and China manufactures all different qualities for the budget minded consumer and the quality minded consumer. Flame Retardatants in Couches and Mattresses Flame Retardants in Couches Keep in mind that these companies use toxic foams, glues, fabric finishes and possibly particle boards. Companies selling green upholstered furniture generally do not use flame retardants. Always ask, but I have not found one that does. For a list of totally green, non-toxic sofa companies see my post on non-toxic furniture. There are many companies making organic or natural fiber carpets, such as wool. And for rugs, some good options include cotton, rattan or jute. Carpets should explicitly state that they use all natural materials.
I go over the greenest carpet companies in this post. Conventional types from big box stores contain a long list of chemicals including flame retardants. However, many big box stores now carry carpets with the Green Label Plus certification which means the carpets emit low levels of VOCs. Always ask about FRs, since these are not considered VOCs.I have a post on window coverings with chemical-free options. Flame Retardants in Insulation HBCD is typically used in polystyrenes, in concentrations of up to 1% in EPS, and up to 5% in XPS. TCPP is typically used in polyisocyanurate foams (up to 10%). There is no EPS or XPS insulation without flame retardants on the market currently. Almost all spray foams made in the US contain FRs according to Treehugger, usually TCPP () Natural insulation options in . Apple phased out brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in 2008 but uses "safer" unspecified flame retarding chemicals. Motorola is BFR-free and Sony has phased it out of some products ().