My Mattress is Moldy! Please Help!

April 11, 2019

Help There is Mold on My Mattress.

Mattress mold is not only unsettling, but it also poses a health risk.

As a pest, mold is sneaky and can quickly spread, so by the time you notice it in your mattress, it may have already spread throughout your entire home.

Mold doesn't need much to grow, so even the cleanest homes can get infested with it.

If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, "What Is the Difference Between Mold and Mould?"

How Did My Mattress Get Moldy?

Mold only requires a dark, warm, and moist environment to grow, as we discussed in our previous post. This, unfortunately, is a typical domestic sleeping environment.

Everyone perspires while sleeping, some more than others, and this moisture can build up in the mattress or even under it, creating an ideal environment for mold to flourish and spread.

Mold can easily colonize the open cells and air pockets (sometimes numbering in the millions) in mattresses made from foam materials like latex or memory foam.

The fact that you almost never see the underside of your mattress adds another layer of complexity to these issues.

A mold problem on a mattress may go undetected for weeks because most people only see the surface of the mattress when they change the sheets a few times a month. In addition, many people hide their mattresses beneath covers, so they rarely see the mattress's surface.

For these reasons, a mattress is an ideal environment for mold to flourish in.

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Moldy mattress stains

When a mattress has mold, what does it look like?

If you don't regularly inspect your mattress, you may not notice mold growth right away.

These warning signs may help you identify the issue sooner:

• Mold and mold spores give off a strong, musty odor. The odor of mold has been likened to that of wet socks or rotting wood by some.
• Overexposure to mold on a mattress (if there is mold) is a potential health concern because the average person spends 8 hours a night in bed. ) The negative effects of mold exposure on your health may prompt you to take notice. Symptoms of mold exposure are similar to those of an allergy and can include congestion, fatigue, and itchiness. Leaving the infected area, whether to go to work or another room in the house, will help alleviate these symptoms.
• Visual Detection: When Mold Appearance Is Obvious Mould on a mattress will stand out more than any other kind of stain or mark. Fluffy pink or black spots will start to appear on the surface of the growths.

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Mattress mold (photo courtesy of our Australian distributor, Protective Technology).

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Mildew on the back of the crib mattress protector

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The results of the ASTM G21 antifungal test on mattress foam

The Best Methods for Treating a Moldy Mattress

If you discover mold in your mattress, you must take immediate action. Waiting only gives mold more time to spread and embed itself deeper into the mattress.

If mold growth is ignored for too long, it may become irreversible and the only solution will be to replace the affected item.

If there is mold on your mattress, you can get rid of it in five simple steps:

1. Completely vacuum both sides of your mattress. As soon as you're done, empty the dust catcher on your vacuum to prevent the mold spores it collected from spreading throughout your home.
2. In a disposable container, combine equal parts of rubbing alcohol and warm water. Scrub the moldy section of the mattress with a damp cloth dipped into the solution and thoroughly wrung out. Scrub with a lot of force and in a circular motion. The mold problem probably isn't limited to the area where it can be seen.
3. Use a fresh, wrung-out cloth and warm water to rinse the wet spot. Additional moisture on the mattress promotes mold growth, so be sure to wring out these clothes thoroughly.
4. Apply a mattress-safe disinfectant spray evenly across the entire surface.
5. Move your bed to a spot with lots of airflow and sunlight (the backyard, if possible). Since sunlight is toxic to mold growth, leaving the mattress here will allow it to dry out completely while preventing any further growth. )

Hints for the Future

A few more precautions can be taken to ensure that moldy areas don't return:

• Make sure your bedroom is dry by using a dehumidifier. Keeping the bedroom's humidity levels low with a dehumidifier will help to prevent future mold growth, as mold loves damp places.
• Purify the air in your bedroom with a machine. The use of an air purifier will improve the quality of air in the bedroom by circulating and filtering the air. Mold can be actively removed from the air by using the right kind of air purifier, which will stop the spores from spreading.
• After you've left, don't shut off the fans! It is common practice for people to turn off their home's ventilation systems, including the air conditioner, fans, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers, whenever they leave the house. A great way to help prevent future mold growth is to leave air-circulating devices on, preferably with safety-conscious timers.
• Allow air to circulate beneath the mattress. A slatted bed base is a good investment because it allows air to circulate freely around the mattress on both the top and the bottom. Slatted bed bases, in contrast to conventional box springs and flat top bases, will help to inhibit the development of mold on the underside of your mattress.

Mold on Mattresses: Why Using Ultra-Fresh Is Necessary

Ultra-Fresh is a line of antimicrobial treatments designed to stop the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew, which are the root cause of unpleasant odors, stains, and degradation.

During production, Ultra-Fresh is blended into the mix. Bedding components include things like mattress pad foam, fabric, adhesives, feathers, down, etc., and end up in things like duvets, mattresses, protectors, sheets, pillows, etc. The mold and mildew can no longer find this to be an appealing source of nourishment.

This prevents the growth of microorganisms, which is the underlying cause of bad smells and stains.

Protection from Microbes, as an Illustration

Antimicrobial additives in mattress foam are shown to be effective in the following images. Foam is susceptible to mold and mildew growth if given the right conditions, such as when a mattress retains moisture.

The AATCC Method 30, Part III, was used to analyze both samples of foam. Aspergillus niger was used as the test organism.

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Ultra-Fresh treated mattress foam

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Raw mattress padding

After 7 days in an incubator, fungi grow extensively in the untreated mattress foam.

Mold does not grow on the Ultra-Fresh treated foam sample after the same amount of time.

Invisible places are kept clean and odor-free with antimicrobial treatments.