Guests are invited into the home for many reasons, from weddings to birthdays. These occasions often call for air mattresses, but using one of these dingy, old things with holes is like throwing a party on a bed that’s seen better days.
There are a number of ways to avoid this. You can prevent your mattress from getting holes by using mattress cover while sleeping on it, keeping it sufficiently inflated, use and store in a dry place.
Like most people who’ve ever tried an air mattress, I find them to be convenient, yet somewhat frustrating.
They’re great for overnight guests or for last minute sleepovers, but they seem to always have some kind of problem, like popping or getting holes.
The best air mattresses can be great investments, if you know what to look for.
Why is my air mattress deflating but no holes?
If you have ever woken up in your bed to discover that your air mattress has lost air during the night, you know how frustrating it can be to try to find the leak.
What do you do?
While it may seem like the mattress is just defective, in reality, you may just need a few simple air mattress tips to get it back to its normal shape.
If you have a mattress that is losing air, there are a few things you should know to determine the cause of the deflation.
Deflation is a common issue with air mattresses, but it’s not always the fault of the mattress.
While the mattress design might be the issue that has something to do with it, there are other reasons why air mattresses deflate overnight, which have to do with the temperature and pressure.
As the temperature rises in the room, air expands in the air mattress and some of it will escape.
Increased pressure due to overloading is another common cause of no-hole air mattress deflation.
How to prevent air mattress from getting holes
Keeping an air mattress inflated is a job that should be easy enough for any competent person, but alas, as with most things, it’s not quite as easy as it should be.
Inflating an air mattress is a simple enough task, but keeping it from getting holes requires some effort and a bit of practice.
A leaky mattress can quickly turn a good night’s sleep into a disaster, as your body makes contact with the cold, hard ground.
The main thing to remember is that just because an air mattress is an alternative to a traditional bed, doesn’t mean it should be treated like one.
Fortunately there are some simple tips you can follow to help you keep your air mattress from getting holes in it.
Here are some tips for keeping an air mattress from getting holes.
- Use a mattress cover
- When moving the mattress, do not drag it on the ground
- Make sure your air mattress is not over or under inflated
- Try to keep your air mattress in a dry place
- Don’t let it lay on the floor for too long of time
How do you find the leak?
As with every product on the market, air mattresses have their disadvantages.
At times, some air mattresses develop a leak and you notice the mattress getting deflated.
It is a very common issue faced by many consumers.
You’ll want to look for the source of the leak: some are apparent, such as a hole or a tear; others are not.
One of the biggest common problems with finding an air mattress leak is that they are hidden.
Knowing where to look for air mattress leaks is the key to fixing them.
When you think of an air mattress, you think of the top that you sleep in, but most leaks are in the seams, which are beneath the mattress.
Another area you should make sure is fine while checking for leaks is the valve.
The following methods can be helpful in identifying the leak:
- Use soap water mixture to look for bubbles around holes
- Fill the mattress with water and sit on it and let the water squirt out of the hole
- Set the air mattress on its side and put your ear or lips real close to it. Go back and forth over every surface of the air mattress until you find it
- Test for leakages using hand
How to fix a hole in an air mattress seam
When you’ve got an air mattress that has a leak, you’ll need to plug the leak to get it back into shape before you sleep in it.
Air mattresses are known for having gaps and holes that can cause the air mattress to lose air.
One of the most common problems is a hole in the air mattress seam.
This guide will walk you through the steps of fixing the hole in the mattress seam.
- Inflate the air mattress to ensure it has some air
- Find the leak by listening to the escaping air, using soap or simply feeling by hand
- When you find the leak, mark with a masking tape
- Re-inflate it if there’s been significant loss of air
- Repair the hole by covering with a rubber cement patch. Otherwise, put a dab of superglue or hot glue on it.
- Test it to see if it stayed intact after 30 minutes
How to fix a hole in an air mattress with duct tape
You’ve been living on your new air mattress for about a month now, and you’ve been using it regularly, but you just noticed a hole in the side.
In most cases, the air mattress hole may have been made by something sharp, like a nail or a staple, or maybe the hole was made when the air mattress was rolled up.
When you have a hole in your air mattress, the obvious solution to fix a hole in an air mattress is with duct tape.
Sure, duct tape was initially designed for the construction industry, but it’s since been used for everything from clothing to arts and crafts.
So, if you’ve got a small hole in your air mattress, it’s a pretty good idea to keep a roll somewhere nearby.
But how do you fix a hole in an air mattress with duct tape?
What you need to do instead is patch the hole with a piece of a similar material, like an old cloth or part of a bed sheet.
Then, wrap duct tape around it until it’s completely covered.
If you don’t have any duct tape, another great temporary fix is to use scotch tape.
What do you put under an air mattress?
Knowing what to put under an air mattress can make adjusting to the air mattress a lot easier.
The more you know about what goes under an air mattress, the more you’ll become familiar with how to properly use an air mattress.
No matter what the salesperson tells you, an air mattress can’t stand up to the wear and tear of everyday life without a little bit of help.
The air mattress is great for movable situations such as sleepovers, camping, and for kids who don’t have their own beds yet.
It is important to consider what air mattress underlay you’re going to use because of the fact that your mattress will move around a little bit.
As a result, it is best to put something sturdy and non-slippery under it, but at the same time increase circulation.
Here are some ideas for what you can put under an air mattress to make it more comfortable
- Dri-Dek mat
- Foam
- A tarp or blanket (mylar)
How do you maintain an air mattress?
You bought an air mattress!
Now what?
You need to know how to maintain an air mattress.
Air mattresses are by nature temporary solutions for guests and those who lack a bed.
The problem with air mattresses is that they are not meant to be used for extended periods of time.
But, they are a great temporary solution to a lack of furniture or bedding.
If you do not maintain your air mattress, you will have a hard time keeping it from leaking and preventing the air mattress from lasting.
The first thing you need to do is to choose a quality mattress.
Quite simply, the higher the quality of the mattress, the longer it will last.
Next, you need to ensure that you regularly clean to remove debris and check for holes and punctures.
If you find any, you will need to patch them up quickly.
Finally, you will need to ensure you air up your air mattress correctly. You should aim to do this once per week.
An air mattress is great for many situations, including when you have unexpected overnight guests. But they have a tendency to spring a leak and lose air, and they can be very difficult to patch. That’s why it’s important to take precautions to prevent air mattress problems such as holes.
Summing up
Once the air mattress has been used for some time, it will become more and more likely to have leaks.
Once it does, air can quickly escape, causing you to lose your comfortable sleep.
Some leaks can be inconvenient, but others can cause you to lose sleep entirely.
In either case, you need to determine the cause of the leak, especially if it is a large one.
You may need to repair the leak or get rid of the air mattress altogether.
The causes of leaks in an air mattress are different, but there are some common problems that you may face as I shared.
Heat in the room and overload on the mattress are responsible for a deflating mattress without the sign of holes in it.
