Fiberglass Contamination – How Can You Lose Everything?

It may seem unrealistic that people can lose everything they own by opening their mattress covers and letting fiberglass spread all over their homes. But wait till you become the latest victim of fiberglass mattresses. Then you will truly understand how much of a menace, a fiberglass contamination can be. The internet is filled with stories of how people lost everything they owned because of fiberglass contamination. Some people even had to move homes because their current residence was no longer inhabitable.

What is a Fiberglass Contamination?

This occurs when the fiberglass in your mattress is exposed to the atmosphere. It can happen when you accidentally open the cover of a bed that contains glass fibers. Or, if your mattress cover wears out and holes develop, the glass fibers can escape from there. When fiberglass contamination occurs in your home, you are not only purring your health at risk, but you could lose everything you own.

Some of the Things You Can Lose because of a Fiberglass Contamination

When we talk about losing everything, we literally mean all your belongings. As per ThoughtCo’s description of fiberglass, this material is almost similar to that used in drinking glasses or kitchen windows. The only difference is that the glass used is refined to small particles so thin that they can only be measured in microns. Because of their chemical and physical composition, glass fibers are tough to remove from a surface. And that is why contamination of this material in your home can make you lose everything. To help you understand deeper the effects of sleeping on a fiberglass bed, here is a list of things that you can lose when your home is contaminated with glass fibers.

The Bed Itself

The first victim of a glass fiber home contamination is the mattress itself. Once you see tiny shards of glass on your bed, there is no better solution than getting rid of the mattress and replacing it with a fiberglass-free one. A lint roller can help you get rid of some of the glass from the cover. You could also buy a new mattress cover and seal the fiberglass inside it. However, won’t you be postponing the inevitable? And there is no way you can decide to remove all the glass fibers from the mattress. Doing this will leave the bed defenseless against fire, which is an even bigger risk. So, the first item that you are going to lose because of fiberglass contamination is the bed.

The Beddings

What comes immediately after the mattress? It’s the sheets, pillows, duvets, and blankets. This will be the next thing that you are going to lose because of fiberglass contamination. As mentioned earlier, getting glass fibers off surfaces such as beddings is not easy. There are a couple of methods you can follow, such as vacuuming the fiberglass dust from the surface of the beddings. You can also soak the duvets and bed sheets in water. Agitate them while using a pair of gloves so as to shake off the fiberglass dust. At times, these methods can be helpful, but rarely will you thoroughly remove all the glass fibers from your beddings. Depending on the level of contamination, you may have to throw away some beddings because they will contain high amounts of fiberglass dust.

Clothing

Picture how much you love your clothes. Then imagine losing an entire wardrobe because of fiberglass contamination. During a glass fiber home contamination, the particles in your mattress spread from the cover to the sheets then blankets. From there, they get suspended in the air and settle on your clothes. Alternatively, when you lay on the bed and change clothing, you transfer the glass fibers on your skin to the clothes. Without noticing it, your entire wardrobe will be filled with glass fibers. And this can happen very quickly. The problem is that removing fiberglass from clothes is equally as hard as removing it from your bed or beddings. You may have to pay for special cleaning services or permanently get rid of clothes that have been contaminated with glass fibers.

Furniture

Next in line on the list of things you can lose because of fiberglass contamination is your furniture. The fabric on your furniture is no different from that used in clothes. When glass fibers settle on it, you have no option but to try and remove it or throw it away in case the fiberglass dust proves too stubborn. Furniture happens to be quite expensive, and discarding the ones you currently had more, especially if they were still new, can be very devastating. These are all reasons why you should avoid fiberglass mattresses. The outcomes of owning such can be quite costly.

Your Washing Machine

Ever since washing machines were invented, we have enjoyed a lot of convenience when it comes to cleaning dirty clothes and beddings. Unfortunately, washing machines are unable to get rid of fiberglass dirt. When you put clothes or beddings full of fiberglass in your washing machine, the device won’t stop working. But, you will leave traces of glass fibers in the machine. Every time you add more clothes into the machine, they will come out with glass fibers. And you will end up in a never-ending cycle of ferrying glass fibers from one place to another.

The HVAC System

Most homes have an HVAC system in place because the weather at times can be quite annoying. These valuable devices in our homes can also be affected by glass fiber contamination. If your bed is releasing fiberglass into the air, it will be sucked through the vents of your HVAC system and will be transferred from one room to another. An HVAC system is what leads to a full-blown glass fiber contamination. Should this happen, you have no option but to move house until the contamination can be managed.

Your Health

Fiberglass is dangerous to touch, inhale, or even put in your eyes. On the skin, shards of fiberglass will cause itching, redness, or the development of rashes. If it gets into your eyes, nose, and mouth, you will experience severe irritation. It even gets more complicated when you have got underlying breathing issues. Even though these effects are short-term, you may spend a considerable amount of money getting medical assistance.

How to Manage a Fiberglass Contamination in Your Home?

It might not be the easiest thing to do, but you need to master your courage and prevent the issue from escalating. Below are some tips that can help you avoid losing everything after a fiberglass contamination;

• Identify the source of fiberglass. Glass fibers can either come from the walls or your mattress. You need to figure out the source.
• After discovering the source, seal it. If it’s the mattress, put it in a casing and remove it from your premises. In case it’s coming from the walls, involve the landlord.
• Immediately switch off the HVAC system. This will prevent the glass fibers from being ferried to other rooms.
• Do not put the clothes, beddings, or covers that contain fiberglass in a washing machine. In the heat of the moment, it may seem like the best thing to do, but that will send you three steps back.
• Always wear safety clothing when handling fiberglass. This includes goggles, a respirator, gloves, and when the contamination is severe, wear a protective suit.
• Invest in an air purifier. Before doing that, open the windows so that fresh air can circulate in your home.
• Never hesitate to call in the experts. No matter how minor the glass fiber contamination in your home is, do not be afraid to ask for help. Dealing with such an issue by yourself can be difficult. However, professional cleaners have the tools and expertise that can prevent losing everything you own because of fiberglass contamination.

Preventing Fiberglass Contamination

Unlike other sorts of home contamination that are unavoidable, you can prevent this ordeal from happening by practicing the following;

• Avoid glass fibers at all costs. You can’t have fiberglass contamination in your home if you do not use products that contain such material in the first place. Most memory foam mattresses that are sold at lucrative prices contain glass fibers. Being the cheapest fire retardant available, manufacturers of low price range beds prefer to use it. If you don’t want to lose all your belongings, stay clear of fiberglass mattresses.
• If you currently own a fiberglass mattress, do not open the cover. Out of curiosity or because you may want to wash the cover, you may be tempted to open it. This will send glass fibers flying all over the room, thus contaminating your home.
• Switch to a fiberglass-free mattress before the worst happens. For those who sleep on mattresses that have glass fiber, contamination is bound to happen. You can prevent that by switching to a fiberglass-free bed.

Conclusion

From the above list of things you can lose because of fiberglass contamination, can you see how expensive it is for you to be having a fiberglass mattress in your home? Your bed may be affordable upon purchase, but the things it will put you through won’t be worth it.