How to Get Rid of Fiberglass From Mattress?

Have you made the mistake of removing your mattress cover only to discover sheets of fiberglass? Or, has your mattress cover worn out, and glass fibers are escaping through the holes or openings? But, both these scenarios are quite frustrating, and if you don’t act fast, you may end up with fiberglass contamination in your home.

The mattress is usually the first stopover for fiberglass before spreading to bedsheets, clothes or even become airborne. The reason for this is because fiberglass is often placed beneath the cover to act as a fire retardant. When the cover is exposed, the shards of glass quickly spread to other parts of the bed.

Suppose you have just seen specks of glass fibers on your bed. You must act fast, and here is how you can get rid of fiberglass from the mattress.

Word of Caution!

Even if you find an effective way, getting rid of fiberglass from a mattress is not recommended. There is a reason why manufacturers add glass fibers to mattresses. This material slows down the spread of fire. Mattresses are made of highly flammable materials, and the fiberglass works to ensure your bed is safe should it come into contact with fire.

If you remove all fiberglass from a mattress, you leave it defenseless against fire. Because there will be no fire retardant, your mattress can easily catch and spread fire. Be as it may, having fiberglass on the surface of your bed is risky as it will irritate your skin, throat, nose, and eyes. Plus, it can contaminate your home, pushing you to engage in thorough cleaning.

Recommended: The 10 best Fiberglass Free Mattresses in 2023

How Do I Get Rid of Fiberglass from Mattress?

Below is a comprehensive guide on how you can get rid of fiberglass from a mattress;

Grab a respirator, goggles, and some gloves as soon as you spot fiberglass on the mattress – In the process of getting rid of fiberglass from your bed, you can accidentally touch or inhale it. This is very dangerous as your organs will be irritated when they come into contact with glass fibers. To avoid enduring the side effects of glass fibers, we recommend wearing goggles, gloves, and a respirator when handling glass fibers. This will keep you safe from this material. And if you can find a protective suit, wear that as well. Protecting yourself is vital. And it is even more critical if you have got breathing-related complications.

Switch off the AC, and if you have an air filter, switch it on right away – This measure isn’t directly related to getting rid of fiberglass, but it is a safety precaution. At the moment, you may think that having glass fibers on the bed is bad. But wait till it becomes airborne and lands on your furniture and clothes. When fiberglass particles come from the bed to the AC, they will spread out all over your home, and cleaning it will be a nightmare.

Identify the opening on the cover where glass fibers are escaping from – Having completed the necessary safety measures, it is now time to get rid of the fiberglass from your mattress. And the first step is to identify openings in the mattress cover or areas where the cover has worn out to the point that the layer of fiberglass beneath has become visible. Next, you must look for the source from where fiberglass is escaping to the top of your mattress. Because if you do not know where it is, even if you clean the glass fibers, they will always escape from this point.

Cover the mattress with a zippered encasement– Once you know where the glass fibers are coming from, the next step is to enclose these openings. And the best solution for that is a zippered encasement. These are available in most eCommerce stores, or you can get them from your favorite beddings manufacturer. A zippered encasement covers the entire mattress, fiberglass included from spreading all over the mattress and escaping into the air.

Use a lint roller on the area around the bed – If there were glass fibers on your mattress, then there is a good chance that it may have spread to surrounding areas. A lint roller does a great job at decontaminating glass fibers from any surface, including mattress covers or clothes.

Get the mattress out of your house or dispose of it completely – You have to understand that once fiberglass starts coming to the surface of your mattress, there is nothing else you can do to salvage your bed. Therefore, the best solution is to dispose of the bed and get another one that is fiberglass-free.

Why Do I Have to Dispose of My Mattress Once It is Contaminated with Fiberglass?

The thought of throwing away your mattress can be disappointing, especially if your current finances don’t allow you to buy a new one. But, unfortunately, there is no other way that can 100% remove fiberglass from your mattress.

When you decide to buy a new cover, it will also wear out after a while, and you will find yourself in the same situation. If you use a lint roller on the mattress cover, some and not all glass fibers will be removed. Plus, they still will escape as long as the cover is worn out. And, is it really worth it to duct tape or start repairing a worn-out mattress cover.

When you discover fiberglass in mattresses, this by itself should be reason enough for you to replace it. Let alone see shards of glass on the mattress cover.

What If I Remove all the Layers of Fiberglass from My Mattress?

With precision and skill, one can remove all layers of fiberglass sheets from their mattress. However, this will take a lot of time, and your bed will be left without any form of fire protection. This means that in case of a fire, your safety will be highly compromised because there will be no fire retardant to slow down the intensity of the fire.

Also, the procedure of removing all the fiberglass from your mattress is very complicated and time-consuming. During manufacture, the sheets of fiberglass are strategically placed around the mattress. Trying to remove these layers by yourself will take days. You will also need special clothing or equipment. You could hire a professional cleaning company to handle this for you, but the costs incurred will be almost the same as those you would have when buying a fiberglass-free mattress.

Will I Be Safe If I Don’t Open the Cover of My Mattress?

We are very sorry to inform you that with fiberglass mattresses, you don’t have to open the cover for these shards to come to the surface. Many people have experienced fiberglass contamination without even touching the covers of their beds. And you, too, could be in the same situation as long as you are sleeping on a bed with glass fibers.

All bedding materials are vulnerable to wear. After a couple of years, your cover is bound to lose strength, and unlike other materials, glass fibers are very durable. It is at that point when the fabric of your cover becomes weak when the glass shards start to penetrate through it. A quick test that can help you identify the presence of glass fibers in your mattress is switching off all the lights in your bedroom and turning on a flashlight. When you point it at your bed and see sparkly strands. That is an indication that glass fibers have risen to the surface.

Just because you haven’t opened your mattress cover does not guarantee that glass fibers will not contaminate your bed. With time it will, and you better avoid this by switching to a fiberglass-free mattress as soon as possible.

How Dangerous Can Fiberglass Be?

After talking a great deal about getting rid of fiberglass from mattresses, you may be wondering, how dangerous is this material? According to Nachi Org, fiberglass is the ideal home insulation material as it doesn’t pose any fire hazards . So when the government introduced strict fire laws against the use of fire retardants, many mattress manufacturers scrambled to find the best material that was effective at slowing down the intensity of fire. By good luck, they found fiberglass, which is cheaper and durable than most materials.

The problem with these manufacturers is that they didn’t look further into the side effects of glass fibers on human beings. When a shard of glass fiber touches your skin, it irritates it and can cause rashes, itching, or redness. When you get it inside your body through the mouth, nose, or eyes, these parts get irritated, and you may start coughing or sneezing.

Do All Mattresses Contain Glass Fibers?

For starters, you have to know that there are different types of mattresses. Out of these, those that mostly contain glass fibers as a fire retardant are memory foam mattresses. And, not all memory foam mattresses contain fiberglass. When shopping for a mattress, you should always look at the label or product description. If there is a certain percentage of fiberglass in the mattress, it should be listed here. Also, if a manufacturer advises you against opening the mattress cover, that should be a red flag.

Final Thoughts

Getting rid of fiberglass from a mattress is quite hectic, and in the process, you reduce your bed’s ability to fight against fire. Most of the solutions listed above are short-term. For instance, replacing a cover or cleaning the bed with a lint roller won’t offer lasting results. The best solution is to dispose of the mattress immediately you see shards of glass on the surface. And replace it with a fiberglass-free bed so that you don’t suffer from the same experience in the future.