Fiberglass is a composite material. It’s made using reinforced plastic with glass fibers and synthetic chemicals. You’ll always find it in mattress brands like the Ashley Furniture, Amazon basics, Vibes, and Classic other brands
Inhaling fiberglass is very dangerous. When inhaled, fiberglass causes irritation to our organs. If you have breathing-related issues, it is important to wear protective clothing.
Fiberglass is a long, straight, shiny strand that can contaminate your house, clothes, or the mattress itself. That’s why it is really essential to know how to get rid of fiberglass from mattresses.
If fiberglass gets out of the mattress, it can be annoying and dangerous, and it will cause irritation to our breathing system.
So, how do you get rid of fiberglass from a mattress? You can get fiberglass from a mattress by using a wet mop or vacuum cleaner. Once done, seal the spot in the mattress where the fiberglass is coming from. However, it’s always recommended you hire a licensed cleanup company to avoid chances of contamination.
Let’s take a look at how to get rid of fiberglass from the mattress.
How To Get Rid Of Fiberglass From The Mattress
When getting rid of the fiberglass from a mattress, it is advisable to make sure you’re wearing protective clothing to avoid touching or inhaling the fiberglass. Protective gears that are needed are goggles, gloves, and a respirator.
When handling fiberglass, it is important to make sure you’re protecting yourself, so if you can find a protective suit, wear it.
It is advisable to turn off your AC and close the windows to avoid fiberglass from landing on your clothes and furniture. And if you have an air filter, turn it on immediately.
Once you’ve taken all the safety measures, let’s now get rid of these fiber glasses. First, you need to identify where the fiber glasses are coming from. Once you have identified the spot, the next step is to enclose the opening using a new mattress cover. Using a new mattress cover covers the whole mattress, including the fiberglass.
Why Is It Important To Dispose Of The Mattress Once It Is Contaminated With Fiberglass?
Buying a new mattress that is out of your budget can be a bit disappointing to a lot of people. However, one cannot remove 100% of fiberglass from the mattress.
Buying a new mattress cover can also wear out after a while, and you’ll find yourself in the same situation again. Also, using a lint roller does not guarantee that all glass fiber will be removed.
It is safer buying a new mattress than staying with a contaminated mattress and end up bringing you health issues.
Where Is Fiberglass Inside A Mattress?
Fiberglass usually has an insulating layer underneath the outer shell of the mattress. These fiber glasses are kept inside the mattress, so you don’t have direct contact with the fiberglass.
Fiber Glasses were kept in place to help prevent the mattress from catching fire. These fiber glasses are most common in memory foam mattresses. The reason they are kept in memory foam mattresses is that memory foam mattresses cause a lot of damage when they catch fire.
How Dangerous Can Fiberglass Be?
I know you’re wondering how dangerous fiberglass can be. Well, fiberglass is the ideal insulation material and does not create any fire hazards. In fact, fiberglass is a protective material that slows down the intensity of a fire.
When the government introduced the strict law against the use of fire retardants, many manufacturers opted to go for fiberglass, which is a cheap material and more durable than most materials.
On matters of health, these manufacturers didn’t take their time to look at the side effects of using fiber glasses on humans. Irritation occurs when a shard of fiberglass touches your skin, and it causes redness, itching, and rashes. Fiberglass can also get inside your body through your mouth, nose, or eyes. Once the fiberglass gets into your body, you start sneezing or coughing.
If you experience any of the above symptoms, you are advised to seek medical attention immediately.
How Safe Will I Be If I Don’t Open The Cover Of My Mattress?
With a fiberglass mattress, shards come to the surface without opening the covers. All bedding materials are bound to wear and lose strength after some years, and unlike other materials, fiberglass is known for its durability. These glass shards start to penetrate through the covers when the fabric becomes weak.
If you want to identify the presence of fiberglass on your mattress, switch off the lights in your bedroom and turn on a flashlight and Point it on the mattress. When you see sparkly shards, that is a clear indication that fiberglass has risen on top of the covers.
Avoid glass fibers from contaminating your bed by switching to a fiberglass-free mattress.
Do All Mattresses Have Fiberglass?
Hybrid, innerspring, and foam are the different brand types of mattresses found in the market.
Out of all these mattresses, foam mattresses mostly contain fiber glasses as a fire retardant. The reason is that foam mattresses are likely to catch fire quickly.
Not all memory foam mattresses contain fiberglass. There are memory foam mattresses that don’t have fiberglass. When going shopping, it is advisable to look at the product description. If the manufacturer advises you not to open the mattress cover, you should take that as a red flag. There are a few mattresses that manufacturers have indicated the percentage of the mattress.
Read Also: Does Sealy Mattress Have Fiberglass?
FAQ’s
If you still have any questions on how to get rid of fiberglass from mattress then read the below FAQ section, and you’ll have most of your answers.
How Do You Get Rid Of Fiberglass In Your Home?
You can get rid of fiberglass in your home by using an air purifier with a HEPA filter. It is important to wear protective clothing. To avoid fiberglass from sticking to your clothes or furniture, it is advisable to move them to a new place that is contaminated with fiberglass.
Can Fiberglass Come Off Mattresses?
It’s not a common occurrence, but it is possible for fiberglass to come off mattresses. When fiberglass comes off, please dispose of the mattress to avoid skin irritation and other health problems.
How Can One Tell That Fiberglass Is In The Air?
Symptoms like itchiness, throat irritation, coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, or itchiness on the eyes, headache, and running nose are symptoms that indicate you’re likely breathing in fiberglass particles. Once you develop these symptoms, please seek medical attention.
What measures To Take If You Have Fiberglass In Your Bed?
If you have fiberglass in your bed, the best way of removing the majority of the fiberglass is by using an air filter and using a damp cloth to wipe away the remaining particles. To prevent skin irritation, avoid touching fiberglass with your hands.
Conclusion
Getting rid of fiberglasses can be quite difficult. At the same time, you reduce the body’s ability to fight against fire.
The ideas I have listed above are short-term ideas. For example, cleaning the bed using a lint roller. This roller doesn’t offer a long-lasting result.
The best way to get rid of fiberglass is by disposing of the mattress and getting a new one that is fiberglass free.
I hope this article helps on how to get rid of fiberglasses from mattresses.
