How to Blow Up a Leaking Mattress

An air mattress makes sleeping in a tent or on the floor a more comfortable experience, but not if there is a leak. Even a tiny pinhole in an air mattress will leave you waking up against the floor, so fixing the problem before nightfall is imperative. Fortunately, finding and repairing leaks in your air mattress is a simple task and requires few supplies. In just a few hours, your mattress is ready for use again, allowing you to go to sleep knowing that you'll wake up comfortably.

Liquid dish soap
Cloth
Bicycle-tire repair kit (including latex patches and adhesive)
Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Blow up your air mattress in a quiet area. Apply pressure to different areas of the mattress and listen for the sound of air escaping to locate your leak. You can also smear small amounts of liquid dish soap on your air mattress. When you apply dish soap over the leak, the escaping air creates bubbles in the soap. You now know the site that requires repair.
- 2
  Wipe off any remaining dish soap with a water-damped cloth and wait for your mattress to dry completely.
- 3
  Open your bicycle-tire repair kit. These kits are designed to mend holes in rubber tires, and can also be used to patch holes in air mattresses. If you are able to find one, similar kits are available for air mattresses, though they are less commonly available.
- 4
  Cut a small patch of latex if they are not pre-cut. For a pinhole-sized leak, you do not need more than 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch of latex.
- 5
  Apply a generous amount of liquid adhesive, which is similar to rubber cement, to the patch. Also apply adhesive to the site of the leak.
- 6
  Press the patch firmly over the leak and hold it in place. Confirm that no air is leaking out of the sides; if the adhesive is bubbling in an area, then air is escaping and you need to press more firmly in that area.
- 7
  Let go after a few minutes. Allow the adhesive to dry for several hours.
- 8
  Add air to your mattress to achieve desired firmness.

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