Dealing with Water Damaged Mattresses

Can a flooded mattress be salvaged?

What to do with a water damaged mattress. (Photo Credits)

Water damaged mattresses may or may not be saved, and it will all depend on the severity of the damage and how long water or moisture has been sitting on the mattress.

The North Carolina State University published a guideline meant to help households deal with water damage. The guide included dealing with flooded upholstery and mattresses.

“Throw out any innerspring mattress or box spring that was partially or totally submerged in floodwater contaminated with sewage, pesticides, industrial chemicals, etc. You may need to throw out mattresses even if the floodwater was not contaminated because it is almost impossible to dry mattresses thoroughly before mold begins to grow. Buying a good used or new mattress is the best choice for your health in the long run. You can salvage a mattress or box spring that has gotten wet from a leaking roof or had minimum contact (only 1 to 2 inches of contact for only a few hours) with clean floodwater (i.e. broken water lines). Clean the surface and put the mattress right-side-up in the sun to dry as much as possible. Use blocks to keep it off the ground and allow air to circulate around it. Use a fan to circulate air and speed up the drying process. But, if there is a musty odor after it dries, then mildew is present. You should have the mattress or box springs sanitized by a professional. Look in the yellow pages of the telephone book under “Mattress-Renovating” for a professional in your area.”

The whole guide can be downloaded here.

When to salvage, when to dispose

HowToCleanStuff.net explains, the category of water damage will also play a huge role in determining whether the damaged mattress can be salvaged or not. 24hr Water Damage Repair San Diego Ca     

“If there is mold growing in the interior, it will reach the surface over time. If you notice mold growing on the surface, it is difficult to remove and the mattress should be replaced. If you are unsure about cleaning the mattress yourself, contact an upholstery cleaner in your area to do the job for you. They have machines that are able to introduce cleaning products deep into the padding and pull it back out with strong vacuums. They can also apply disinfectant sprays. Some may even offer to give you a consultation with regards to the status of your mattress.”

Take a look at the rest of the article here.

Fully soaked mattress

When a bed or a mattress has been fully soaked in flood water, there is a very huge possibility that it can no longer be salvaged. Ghostbed.com mentioned this in their guide in dealing with flooded mattresses.

“FEMA advises often to just throw away a contaminated bed. In these situations, you must only consider keeping the mattress if you have a company that specializes in water damage restoration take care of cleaning it. If the mattress has not been fully submersed in flood waters, you can work to save the water damaged bed yourself. When doing so, take special care to disinfect and assure that all moisture has been removed. After cleaning, be careful to watch for signs of growing mold, as well as nasty smells.”

Read the rest of their advice here.

Mattresses are expensive, but once water damaged, it may take a lot of effort to restore it to its original pre-water damaged state.

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