susan greenfield and her girlfriend Llina Kempner couldn't wait for their new memory-foam mattress top to arrive. For months, they'd heard friends rave about how the high-tech material molds itself to your body. But when they unwrapped the three-inch-thick pad in their Manhattan apartment, they noticed a strong, acrid odor. "My nose and my lungs were miserable," recalls Greenfield. For the two nights Kempner slept on the mattress top, she felt nauseated. After Greenfield, who is chemically sensitive, had an asthma attack in the middle of the night, the couple returned the mattress pad. But its stench lingered in the apartment for weeks.Reactions like Greenfield's are relatively rare, but you, too, might lose some sleep when you find out what's really inside your mattress—memory foam or not. The place where you spend one-third of your life is chock-full of synthetic materials, some potentially toxic. Since the mid- to late '60s, most mattresses have been made of polyurethane foam, a petroleum-based material that emits volatile organic compounds that can cause respiratory problems and skin irritation.
Formaldehyde, which is used to make one of the adhesives that hold mattresses together, has been linked to asthma, allergies, and lung, nose, and throat cancers. And then there are cotton pesticides and flame-retardant chemicals, which can cause cancer and nervous-system disorders. In 2005, Walter Bader, owner of the "green mattress" company Lifekind and author of the book Toxic Bedrooms, sent several mattresses to an Atlanta-based lab. A memory-foam model was found to emit 61 chemicals, including the carcinogens benzene and naphthalene. There is no proven health risk from the substances in mattresses, however, mostly because tracking their long-term effects is virtually impossible. Heather Stapleton, an environmental chemist at Duke University, says there's simply not enough data to determine whether low levels of these chemicals will eventually make people sick. "It's the dose that makes the poison," she says. "If they're not getting out, maybe it's not a problem—but we don't know.
There are plenty of lab studies that show that these compounds are harmful. It's just a question of what levels people are exposed to." Still, more and more consumers are seeking out mattresses made of natural latex, organic cotton batting, and organic wool. Sales of California-based Vivètique's latex mattresses have increased by 40 percent annually for the past five years—they now comprise 45 percent of the company's total sales. And they are even sold by discounter 1-800-Mattress. It's hard to say whether you should ditch your conventional bed in favor of a green one, since you'll likely have a tough time figuring out exactly which toxins are lurking under your covers. Take, for example, fireproofing chemicals: Pentabde, a member of the polybrominated diphenyl ether (pbde) family of flame retardants, was used in some mattresses before 2004, when it was phased out. (Pentabde is now known to be toxic to the liver, thyroid, and nervous system.) So let's say that just to be on the safe side you toss your pre-2004 mattress and buy a new one.
Last July, the Consumer Product Safety Commission began to require that all mattresses sold in the United States be able to withstand 30 minutes of exposure to an open flame. Mattress makers aren't using Pentabde anymore—but it's not clear exactly what they are using to meet the new standard. Major manufacturers such as Simmons, Sealy, and Tempur-Pedic won't divulge their flame-retardant formulas, which are considered trade secrets. A Simmons press release touts a "proprietary blend of char-forming, intumescing, flame-resistant components." Tempur-Pedic vaguely states that its products "consistently meet all safety standards." A best guess at what's in today's mattresses comes from Ryan Trainer, executive vice president of the International Sleep Products Association, an industry group. He says most companies use "various types of barrier fabrics" such as cotton treated with boric acid or rayon treated with silica—both relatively benign chemicals—as well as fire-resistant materials such as modacrylic fiber (which contains antimony oxide, a carcinogen) and melamine resin (which contains formaldehyde).
With a doctor's prescription, people who are chemically sensitive and have allergies can order a mattress that doesn't pass a flammability test. But organic-mattress companies have found a simple way to fireproof: wrapping their bedding in a layer of wool. Their prices aren't so warm and cozy—a queen-size latex model from Virginia-based Savvy Rest starts at $1,599. But if you're having nightmares about your mattress, and it's time to trade in your well-worn Posturepedic anyway, it might be worth it. Susan Greenfield was a fan of organic mattresses even before the smelly memory-foam pad showed up—she's slept on one for 15 years, says she "loves" it, and describes it as "very comfortable but very hard." Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night.It is important to clean your mattress just as you would clean the rest of your home and furnishings. Memory foam mattresses have gained in popularity for amazing comfort and true memory. Thanks to the NASA engineers, who invented the remarkable foam, people are realizing the many benefits of sleeping on the innovative memory foam mattress.
Once you have experienced the super comfort of your dream memory foam mattress with wonderful restful sleep, it is time to learn how to clean it and keep the mattress in its best hygienic shape. Vacuum Your Memory Foam Get Stains and Odors Out Dry Your Memory Foam Mattress Regularly vacuuming your mattress is important to rid of surface dirt that will accumulate. You will want to do this at least four times a year as the seasons change. The vacuum will suck up lingering dead skin cells, dust, lint, furry pet hair, dust mites, and those crumbs from snacking in bed. Use a good hand held vac, or the upholstery attachment, as well as tools that will zone in on any ground in dirt zones. Make sure to even vacuum the sides of the mattress as well. Once you vacuum the mattress with the cover on you should zip off the GhostBed CertiPUR-US certified plush cover in order to vacuum the actual mattress. Toss the cover into the washing machine as you continue to clean the mattress.
People get sick, wine spills… stains happen. You can get stains out of memory foam with some caring cleaning. Being foam, liquids can quickly soak in so you need to know how to specifically care for this unforeseen type of mess. Stay away from commercial cleaners that contain chemicals like bleach and ammonia. These products can cause harm to your precious memory foam mattress. Use a natural enzyme cleaner that works naturally to break down and remove stains and odors. Old fashioned dishwashing liquid and water can be used as well. Be careful to only wet the surface around where the stain is. If using an enzyme cleaner in a spray bottle, then lightly spray on the stained area and scrub in a circular pattern with a clean cloth until stain and odor is removed. When using dishwashing liquid, mix it in a bucket with water to form a very bubbly foamy mixture on top. Take a clean sponge and only dip it into the bubbles as to not soak in the solution. Begin from the furthermost area of the stain and work towards the center of it scrubbing lightly in a circular motion.
Vinegar works well to remove odor. Fill a spray bottle with a solution of a ¼-cup vinegar mixed with ¾-cup water. Spray and scrub the area in a circular motion. Soaked in stains may require you to go deeper with the cleaning. Press down on the mattress as you scrub to allow the cleaning solution to get into the core of the stain to do its job of removing it. Clean early in the morning so the mattress has time to dry before using again. The best place to dry out your memory foam mattress is in the sunshine but sometimes the sun just won’t shine. There are a few ways to accomplish drying time. Place the mattress in the heat of the sun so nature can do the job. Make sure to turn the mattress so that it will dry completely and quickly. Use baking soda as a soaking agent, as well as for additional odor removal. Sprinkle it on any wet spots and let it stand for about an hour or until it completely clumps up the dampness. Then vacuum it up. A blow dryer is perfect to spot dry a damp area.