What Causes Odor in New Mattresses?

Causes

• The odor you smell coming from your new mattress is caused by chemicals used to treat the mattress. New mattresses are sprayed with fire-retardant chemicals. Some are also treated with coatings designed to repel stains and prevent mildew from growing inside the mattress. These chemicals can release compounds called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While some VOCs are naturally occurring, many are man-made and can be hazardous to your health.

Issues

• The scent of a new mattress might distract you from a good night's sleep. The odor can do more than that; inhaling VOCs can cause health issues in the short and long term. You could experience headaches, nausea or dizziness. Worse, VOCs are associated with neurological impairment. Long-term exposure can lead to damage to internal organs, including the kidneys. Some VOCs are known to cause cancer in animals and could do the same to humans. Every time you inhale the odor of a new mattress, you are exposed to those VOCs.

Solutions

• When you purchase a new mattress, no matter how eager you are to sleep on it, air it out for a few days, which gives the scent of the new mattress time to dissipate as VOCs inside of it off-gas and disperse. Remove the mattress's plastic covering and, if possible, place it on a covered porch so it is protected from the elements but exposed to breezes and fresh air. If you don't have a porch, put the new mattress in an empty room, and leave a window open and a fan blowing for a few days to encourage the fumes to dissipate. After the odor has faded, place a tightly-woven cover on your mattress to shield yourself from any lingering VOCs.

Considerations

• Because they are smaller, children and infants are more severely effected by exposure to VOCs, so try to wait a week before using a new mattress on a child's bed, and always use a mattress cover. You can avoid VOCs and their odor by purchasing an organic natural latex mattress or a traditional mattress made with organic cotton, linen or wool. These products are not treated with chemicals; however, they can be considerably more expensive than traditional mattresses and can be more difficult to find.