How Long Does It Take For New Mattress Smell To Go Away
You can check your mattress label for the expected duration until it finishes off gassing. To give you an idea, beds with memory foam and polyurethane typically finish off gassing after 24 hours, but some multilayer ones can take several days. Some brands even take two weeks, but you can use the bed as long as the smell doesnt irritate you.
How To Speed Up Mattress Off
Have you bought a brand new foam mattress recently? If yes, did you notice a distinct foul smell after unpacking it? Many consumers receive the shock of their lives the first time they encounter this smell after splashing out on their favorite memory foam mattress.
With the popularity of memory foam surging by the day, potential first-time buyers must learn about this drawback. This can help them figure out ways to speed up the off-gassing process so they can enjoy sleeping on the new purchase as soon as possible.
Does Natural Latex Have A Smell
New natural latex does have a smell, but that is not due to off-gassing.
It is the natural scent of hevea milk , and it is not unpleasant or industrial-smelling. It is not that formaldehyde new car smell, or nail polish smell of acetone adhesives. It is a nutty, natural smell somewhat like vanilla, and it dissipates. There is much less urgency to get rid of this eco-friendly smell.
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What Are The Effects Of Off
At some point, youve probably experienced the effects of off-gassing if youve ever felt dizzy or had a headache when cleaning the bathroom with standard cleaning products.
Those are two real and tangible results of breathing in chemicals, but there are other effects as well.
The effects of off-gassing on your health depend on your body, the particular VOCs, the concentration of the chemicals, and how often youre exposed. But to whatever extent, off-gassing can certainly cause irritation, health conditions, and even some serious diseases.
The chemicals released through off-gassing can lead to dizziness, asthma attacks, skin irritation, respiratory difficulties, and organ damage.
Additionally, some chemicals are carcinogenic, which means that they increase the risk of cancer, and others are endocrine-disruptors, which is a fancy way of saying that they mess with your hormones.
There has also been discussion about whether or not the off-gassing of baby mattresses might contribute to SIDS.
While its hard to know the exact effects of breathing in these chemicals on a daily basis, the idea of sleeping every night on a mattress thats releasing chemicals into the air is concerning, to say the least!
Its especially worrisome when it comes to your baby, who is still developing and usually spends half of the day asleep in their crib.
How Can I Buy A Safer Mattress
Look for mattresses that use natural components, like the Leesa Legend Mattress, which is covered in a blended cotton and wool fabric.
Fortunately, there are still steps you can take to choose a mattress with lower VOC emissions. Various independent companies offer certifications that ensure the bed foam is low-toxin, low-VOC, or that it contains fabric components that are made from organically grown fibers.
Well-known third-party certifiers, such as Okeo-Tex, which issues the Okeo-Tex Standard 100 and the Global Organic Textile Standard , are a good place to start. These groups only certify products after they meet a number of criteria that can include lab testing thats completed by independent entities and production requirements.
GOTS and Okeo-Tex focus on textiles, and can certify the fabric covers used on mattresses. For polyurethane foam beds, a category that encompasses nearly all foam mattresses including memory foam and hybrid foam-spring beds, theres one certifier that comes up again and again: CertiPUR-US.
A certification from CertiPUR-US indicates the foam used in a flexible polyurethane mattress meets a number of chemical and environmental criteria. The organization’s testing criteria were based on federal, state, and local level authorities, says Helen Sullivan, a spokesperson for CertiPUR-US. To qualify for CertiPUR-US certification, foam used in a mattress:
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How To Deal With Mattress Off
After reading about all the effects off-gassing can have, you might be scared to sleep on your memory foam mattressbut do not worry. There are ways to prep and sleep on a mattress that is off-gassing without fearing for your safety.
The first step is to open your new mattress and remove the plastic immediately. Either do this outside or in a well-ventilated area. Using fans and opening windows should also help air circulation. Most VOCs will escape within the hour, and the toxic chemicals will go with them. The rest will take a little longer to leave. If you want to be extra safe, the best thing to do is let your mattress air out for 3 days to 1 week. The smell should be a good indicator of whether or not it is done.
If you are still worried about off-gassing, there are a few barriers you could put between yourself and the mattress. A regular mattress cover or sheets will not do the trick because a stronger layer of protection is neededfabric simply is not thick enough.
The best blocking agent is a set of polyethylene sheets or a polyethylene cover. Polyethylene is non-toxic and thick enough to prevent gas from permeating the sheets or mattress cover. They make these sheets from crib mattress sizes to king mattress sizes, so people of all ages are protected from any off-gassing effects they fear.
Consider Buying A Mattress That Has Been Independently Tested By Certipur
CertiPUR-US is a non-profit that makes sure the flexible polyurethane foam on memory foam meets certain environmental and health standards.
While theyre not completely chemical or VOC-free, CertiPUR-US certified foams are:
- Made without ozone depleters
- Made without PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP flame retardants
- Made without mercury, lead, and other heavy metals
- Made without formaldehyde
- Made without phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission Low VOC emissions for indoor air quality
*One quick note: When a mattress is labeled as CertiPUR-US certified, it means that just the foam in the mattress meets the requirements listed above. There are other components that make up a mattress and if you have concerns about what else the mattress is made with or have chemical sensitivities its worth reaching to the company and/or manufacturer for more details on how their product is made.
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How Much Do Leading Brand Mattress Off
Tuft & Needle offers two different polyfoam mattress options: the Original and the Mint. Both hold CentriPUR-US, GreenGuard Gold and STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX certifications. Buyers of Tuft & Needle mattresses can expect mild off-gassing that dissipates within a few days.
Leesa mattress is a CertiPUR-US certified multilayer foam mattress made from a combination of memory foam and polyurethane. After opening, buyers will notice a strong off-gassing smell that should fade within a few days.
Casper offers three different mattresses: the Caper, the Wave and the Essential. All three are made with layers of memory foam and polyurethane, but the Wave also includes a layer of natural latex. All Casper mattresses are CentriPUR-US certified. You can expect some off-gassing from Casper mattresses, but the odor typically dissipates within 24 hours.
Purple mattresses consist of an elastic polymer grid layered over CertiPUR-US certified polyurethane foam. New Purple mattresses may have a very faint off-gassing smell that fades quickly. However, many consumers report no off-gassing smell at all.
Tempur-Pedic offers a wide range of memory foam mattresses. The off-gassing odor strength varies among models, but consumers can expect it to dissipate within the first two weeks.
What Are Vocs And Svocs
Volatile organic compounds are molecules that volatilize, or evaporate and disperse, into the air at or near room temperature. Not all VOCs are inherently bad: When you smell a flower, you are smelling a naturally occurring VOC, Stewart says. But many chemicals in our homes are human-made. And dont let the word organic in this context mislead you. Organic means the compounds contain carbon.
Semi-volatile organic compounds, or SVOCs, are a sub-group of VOCs that can also be released by mattresses and other furnishings with foam components. SVOCs are characterized by a higher boiling point, which means it takes more heat and oomph for them to vaporize, Stewart says.
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How Long Will My Mattress Off
Some mattress manufacturers may take steps to make sure that some of the off-gassing processes happens before the mattress is packaged and shipped. However, it should be noted that even if the bulk of the off-gassing occurs outside of your home, your mattress will still off-gas in some capacity throughout the time that you have it in your home.
The amount of off-gassing that you can expect depends on the type of mattress that you buy, the density of the foam inside the mattress, the chemicals used in the manufacturing process and the way that your mattress is packaged. The strongest off-gassing smell will fade within a few days to a couple of weeks, according to most major mattress manufacturers, though you may notice a faint smell for longer.
Consult An Hvac Professional When Remodeling
Are you thinking about remodeling or doing some updates to your home? If so, consult with an HVAC professional to give you tips for proper ventilation within your home while you renovate.
Lots of building materials like paint, wood boards, flooring, and carpet contain toxic materials like formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, and toluene. All of these materials have the potential for off-gassing.
An HVAC professional will give you some tips and tricks on how to properly ventilate, and maybe even give you something tangible to use, like an air purifier, to keep you and your family safe during the remodeling process.
Note: Whether youre remodeling or not, your home should always have proper ventilation. Have your HVAC technician come out to your house twice per year once in the spring and once in the fall to check your air vents and ducts.
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Is Off Gassing Toxic
It can be. Many of the lesser quality mattresses that are made today, contain polyurethane foam, which has been recognized as a toxic substance by the Environmental Protection Agency. Off gassing means that toxic materials are breaking down, and dispersing into the air. When someone breathes in these toxins, some of the side effects they can experience include breathing trouble, nausea and allergic reactions.
So are new mattress fumes toxic? Yes, they can be toxic. The level of toxicity is going to depend on how many chemicals are used when making the mattress. And because off gassing symptoms are going to vary, its not always easy for the new mattress owner to relate any symptoms they may be experiencing to the off gassing of the new mattress.
What Is Mattress Off Gassing
Mattress off gassing is the continual release of gases from your mattress, not only at night but also throughout the day. Off gassing occurs as a result of the breakdown in the volatile organic compounds, known as VOCs, which are emitted as gases or vapors from some of the compounds in the product.
VOCs arent rare, in fact, they are found in thousands of the products which we use in homes every day including cleaning products, paints, and air fresheners. Typically, the VOCs which are released from your mattress will come from the adhesives and foams used in the product.
These VOCs Include:
- Naphthalene
- Perfluorocarbons
These volatile organic compounds break down over time, slowly releasing these gases into our homes. However, studies have shown that a huge percentage of all the gas that will be released is done so in the first two months of the product being used.
This statistic is important because while VOCs could be harmful. In small quantities, its unlikely to have any drastic impact while at higher concentrations it could be dangerous. In these first two months, the concentration of VOC emissions is likely to be far higher, and therefore during this period, you must make an effort to reduce the risk to yourself and your family.
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Should I Be Concerned About Off
Don’t let VOCs keep you up at night. A wrinkled nose is the worst side effect most people will experience.
Most healthy adults wont experience side effects from VOCs and SVOCs from mattresses, Stewart says. Plus the simple step of letting a new mattress air out in a room where you dont spend much time for at least a day before you move it into your bedroom has major benefits.
Many VOCs, and especially SVOCs, are still being researched for exposure concerns related to human health. But others have already been deemed known carcinogensthough research thus far indicates that their carcinogenic effects are linked only with exposure to high concentrations, nowhere near the levels you find in consumer products. As it stands, VOCs and SVOCs from mattresses could leave you with eye and throat irritation, or headaches, but these effects often quickly subside once youre away from the bed.
People with certain pre-existing conditions, including asthma and chronic lung disease, can face greater risk or side effects from exposure to VOCs, and may need to be more cognizant of off-gassing and thoughtful about the mattress they purchase, Stewart says. One way to do this is give any newly purchased mattress ample time to off-gas, preferably somewhere away from you. Whether that be in a room you dont frequent as much or your garage depends on your circumstances.
How Long To Air Out A New Mattress
After receiving your order, the next question is, how long to air out a new mattress? You might get too excited and rip out the package once it arrives. However, your new bed can’t be safely used until you get rid of that distinctive new smell.
When you air out a new mattress, it usually takes around three to seven days to get rid of the pungent chemical smell. You must do it in an open space or well-ventilated room so that the VOCs will not be contained in one area.
There are air-quality friendly mattresses out there that do not emit this harmful smell, so they can immediately be used in the first few hours of opening them. Let your nose be the judge if it is safe to sleep in your new mattress. However, if the smell still lingers after weeks or months, chances are the mattress can bring you more harm than good.
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How Long Does The Smell Last On Memory Foam
Most memory-foam mattresses include a mixture of chemicals that emit toxic odors when you first take them from their protective packaging. Unless the manufacturer opted to use plant-based oils or latex from naturally occurring rubber sources, many mattresses emit or off-gas moderate to strong odors. Most memory-foam mattresses take up to three days before the off-gassing dissipates. Highly sensitive people or those with chemical allergies should wait even longer than three days before sleeping on the bed.
Eco Terra Mattress Benefits
The Eco Terra Natural Latex Hybrid Mattress is a safe mattress because its 100% made using plants. Plant derived natural latex mattresses are becoming more and more popular because they dont contain any harmful chemicals, they are made using a sustainable harvesting system and they are good for the environment.
The Eco Terra All Natural Mattress:
- Is made using 100% Natural Latex
- Is 100% Hypoallergenic
- Comes with the finest stretch Organic Cotton Cover
- Offers sleepers a safe sleeping surface
Eco Terra is so confident that those who are shopping for a new mattress will absolutely love sleeping on a safe all natural latex mattress, as it doesnt contain any harmful chemicals and they are able to take advantage of a 90-night trial! Since theres absolutely nothing to lose, this is one of the best mattress offers available online today.
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Who Is At Risk
Any type of off-gassing is harmful to anyone and everyone. Some people are just a little more at risk than others.
Were talking about babies and school-aged children. Their little bodies are still developing, so exposure to this type of toxin can be especially harmful to them.
In addition, any adult with a weakened immune system, or those with respiratory problems, show stronger side effects from being exposed to off-gassing.
Even your pets are at risk. Think about it they spend a lot of time on or near the floor, where a lot of off-gassing takes place. And as youve discovered, off-gassing is very common with certain types of flooring and carpet.
Because of this, weve put together a list of 10 steps you can take to improve the air quality in your home, decrease the chemicals and VOCs, and reduce off-gassing.
Plus, at Newton Baby, were particularly interested in how mattress off-gassing affects your family, so weve included tips for how to choose low-emission mattresses. Read on!
Reduce The Chemical Smell
To cut down the smell which is going to increase through the place you live in, the ideal thing you should do is by locating the mattress on a wall near to a few windows. You will be able to create air circulation by opening them, which will drag out the VOCs and the combined smell.
It is not a sensible decision to use air freshener to hide the odor, as it also releases VOCs. Instead, you can light a few candles around the home to get rid of much of the scent without putting your house in danger.
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