An air mattress is simply an inflatable mattress. It is buoyant and therefore sometimes used as a flotation device.
An air mattress can leak through the night and deflate, causing you to find yourself on the floor when you wake up in the morning.
An air mattress can deflate due to several reasons including improper use, cold temperature which makes it to lose pressure and deflate and leaking holes.
How do you repair your air mattress
Method 1
Step 1: For you to repair an air mattress you first need to prepare the necessary repair kit/materials.
Step 2: Next you need to locate where the leak is.
In order to do this you need to fill up the mattress with air until it is completely full.
Then you need to seal it up as though you are going to sleep on it.
You should then take it outside to a place that will not cause the mattress more damage.
Once outside, lay your mattress on the ground. Next, you should get a bucket full of water and add some soap in it until it makes suds.
Using a sponge, wipe the water that is now soapy over the mattress and look out for an area on the mattress that blows out suds.
This way you will have identified your leak. Now you should mark the leaking area and wipe the mattress dry using a towel.
Put the mattress in the air to allow it to dry fully. Having identified the leak, the next step is to fix the leak.
Step 3: To do this, you need to wear rubber gloves so that you protect your hands from the adhesive.
Apply the vinyl adhesive to the tear or hole causing the leakage. The next step is to allow the adhesive to dry totally. When it dries, add another coat.
When this second coat is dry, add another one and continue to do so until a firm layer is formed.
When a firm layer is formed, allow the mattress at least 48 hours for it to dry completely before using it.
Method 2
It is important to note that air mattresses (all of them) naturally lose air. No air mattress can hold air indefinitely. Therefore you should re-inflate your air mattress whether it leaks or not.
Step 1: The first step is to locate the leak in the mattress. To do this you need to fully inflate the mattress.
If it keeps deflating severely after a few minutes, then you can conclude that it has a leak.
Another way of identifying a leak is inflating the mattress and placing weight on it then leaving it that way overnight.
If by morning it will have deflated, then it has a leak. You can also identify a leak by keeping the mattress inflated and feeling for softness.
When there is high pressure in the mattress the leak will be more forceful, making it easier to identify it. It is also important to check whether the mattress valve is in good condition.
If it is not, it is advisable to order a replacement or call the manufacturer especially because the valve is quite difficult to repair at home.
To check whether or not the valve is in good shape, simply hold your hand next to it and feel for any air that might be escaping.
If there is escaping air then the valve could be leaking. You can also identify leaks by standing the mattress up in a quiet and large room and carefully examine it.
Most leaks are usually found on the bottom of the mattress. This happens mostly when people forget things under the bed and they scratch the mattress, causing it to have tears and leaks.
Examine the bottom of the mattress for leaks. You should have enough room to turn and flip the mattress as you examine it.
Next, place your ear a few inches away from the mattress and try to listen for sounds (hissing sounds) that the mattress may make as the air escapes through the leaks.
If you cannot find it, wet your hand at the back and pass it over the mattress.
If there is a leak, the escaping air will evaporate the water at the back of your hand quickly, making it easy to identify the leak.
Step 2: Having found your leak, circle it with a permanent marker then deflate the mattress completely.
Allow it to dry up before coming back to repair it. You must however take note that repairing the mattress yourself could cause you to lose your warranty, hence you must do it with care and caution.
Step 3: You can use duct tape to temporarily fix the leak. This is because the glue on the tape may not be able to hold on to the mattress for a long period of time as it is not made that way.
Be sure not to use hot glue as this will most likely melt part of the mattress, and this will cause an even bigger hole. Ensure there is only plastic surrounding the leak.
You can do this by using sandpaper or a wire brush to scrub away the coating that you have felt on the mattress.
If the coating is not removed, it will cause the glue not to bind the leak completely or to fall off shortly after it is applied.
You can also fix the mattress by using a home-made patch. All you need to do is cut off a square of thin and malleable plastic like that of a shower curtain.
Ensure that the square has at least one centimeter extra length on each side so as to cover the leak well.
Then attach the home-made patch on the mattress at the leaking spot using some strong glue such as Gorilla Glue or Superglue.
Such will be strong enough not to fall off the mattress or to serve you for a long period of time.
Having attached the home-made patch, smooth it out using your fingers and wipe away any excess glue.
Finally, you need to place some weight on the patch and give it 6-8 hours before checking on the progress.
After the said time the mattress will be okay and the leak sealed. It is pretty easy to repair your air mattress at home without having to buy a patch kit.
Now you know.
