Patch a Leak in an Air Mattress

A deflated air mattress is the most sure-fire way to a rough night's sleep. You do not have to throw out your mattress when it gets a leak, however. Finding and patching a leaky air mattress is easy, and can be done at home with household objects and a cheap patch kit.

Steps

Finding Your Leak

1. Know that all air mattresses lose air naturally. Before you decide to strip the covers off of you mattress and search for holes, know that no air mattress holds air indefinitely. You will naturally have to re-inflate your mattress whether or not you have a leak.
   • Cold air, for example, causes your mattress to shrink. As the house cools down at night, your air mattress will likely soften a bit as the air cools. A space heater by the mattress can prevent this problem.
   • Air mattresses need to “stretch” after they are bought. Don’t be alarmed if they feel soft shortly after you inflate them the first few times, they will quickly adapt.
2. Inflate the air mattress fully to test for a leak. If, after several minutes, it is severely deflated, then you likely have a leak. Sit on the mattress after you blow it up – it should not sink more than 1-2 inches under your weight.
   • If you are still not sure if there is a leak, leave your mattress inflated overnight and put weight on it, like several textbooks. If it is more than a little deflated in the morning, you have a leak.
   • Keep the mattress inflated as you search for the leak. If you feel the mattress becoming soft, reinflate it before you start searching again. The higher the air pressure inside the mattress the more forceful the leak will be, making it easier to notice.
3. Check the valve holding in the air. Hold your hand over the valve and feel for any escaping air. It is usually located right next to the air pump and looks like a plug that you can detach to quickly deflate the mattress. Unfortunately, the valve is the one part of the mattress that is difficult to repair at home.
   • If your valve is broken or leaky, call the manufacturer to order a replacement.
4. Stand the mattress up on its side in a quiet, large room to examine it for leaks. The majority of punctures and leaks occur on the bottom of the air mattress after people accidentally leave things underneath the bed. Make sure the bed is fully inflated and then stand the mattress up on its side to examine the bottom. You want enough room to flip, turn, and move around the mattress to easily search for leaks.
5. Place your ear 2-3 inches away from the mattress and listen for hissing sounds. Slowly move your ear across the entire surface of the mattress, keeping your ear close enough to hear escaping air. When you find the leak, it will sound like a thin, hissing noise, like someone saying “ssssss.”
   • Start on the bottom of the mattress, then try the sides and the front if you don’t find anything.
6. Wet the back of your hand and repeat this process if you can’t find anything. The air escaping from the mattress will quickly evaporate the water, making your hand feel cool. Run your moistened hand along the entire surface of the mattress, 2-3 inches away from it, to search for small leaks.
   • You can also lick your lips and use them to sense escaping air, as your lips are some of most sensitive parts of your body.
7. Use soapy water to search for bubbles if you still cannot find the leak. While some manufacturers warn that this will lead to mold and mildew, soapy water is still one of the best ways to find a leak. It works just like a child blowing bubbles -- you will create a thin layer of bubbly water, and the air mattress will "blow" into it through the leaky hole, exposing in the leak. To do so:
   • Fill a small bucket with water and a few drops (1 teaspoon) of liquid dishwashing soap.
   • Using a sponge, slowly wipe down the surfaces of the mattress with soapy water.
   • Start near the valve, then check the seams, underside, and top.
   • When you see bubbles forming you’ve found your leak.
   • Wipe the soap away with a clean sponge when you are done.
8. Circle the leak with a pen or sharpie. When the mattress is deflated it will be nearly impossible to find the leak again. Make a note of where the leak is so that you can easily repair it.
   • If you used the soapy water method, use a towel to quickly dry the area near the leak and mark it.
9. Deflate and dry the mattress completely. Once you’ve found and marked your hole, let all the air out of the mattress. If you used the soapy water method to find the leak, pat the mattress dry with a towel and leave it in the sun for at least 1-2 hours before returning to it.

Using a Patch Kit

1. Buy a patch kit. Almost every outdoor store will have these in the camping section. They are small, cheap sets that contain glue, sandpaper, and patches for tents, bike tires, and air mattresses. If you are in a pinch and the hole is small, a tire patch made for cycling should work fine.
   • Some companies have dedicated air mattress repair kits that you can find online, such as the Thermarest Repair Kit, Tear-Aid, and the Sevylor Repair Patch.
   • Make sure that the patch kit works on plastic or vinyl.
2. Completely deflate the mattress. You don’t want any air getting under your patch and ruining the glue, so let all the air out the mattress before continuing.
3. Sand away any soft felt near your hole. If your hole is on the top side of the mattress you’ll need to remove the soft covering to make the patch stick. Take a wire brush or some sandpaper and lightly remove the felt coating until you only have plastic surrounding your leak.
   • Some mattress makers refer to this soft coating as “flocking.”
4. Clean and dry the area around your leak. Using soapy water or a little isopropyl alcohol, clean off the leaky area so that there is no dust, dirt, or debris surrounding the hole. Dry it completely before continuing.
5. Cut out a patch roughly one and a half times bigger than your hole. You want ample room to cover the leak, so cut your patch so it fits over the hole with a centimeter or more of the patch around every side. If your patches are pre-cut, use one that offers 1-2 centimeters of space around the hole itself.
6. Apply the patch according to the manufacturer’s directions. All patches function in one of two ways: they are simply applied like stickers, or you must apply special glue and then attach the patch. Either way, follow the instructions and apply your patch smoothly. Don’t remove it to get it “perfect.” As long as it covers the leak entirely it will work, and taking it off and reapplying it will make it less sticky.
7. Press down on the patch with firm, even pressure. Once your patch is on, apply pressure to it for 30 seconds or more to make sure it is firmly attached. Use the heel of your hand to press down on the patch, or use a rolling pin to strongly flatten the patch against the mattress.
8. Let the glue dry on the patch for 2-3 hours. It can help to lay a heavy, flat object on top of the patch to keep the pressure on it. Do not try to inflate your mattress until the glue is dry.
9. Inflate the mattress and check for leaks. Place your ear right next to the patch and listen for any escaping air. If no one needs it to sleep, leave the mattress inflated overnight and return in the morning to make sure no more air is escaping.

Patching Your Leak without a Patch Kit

1. Know that DIY fixes may void your warranty. Many manufacturers request that you only use patch kits, or you send the mattress back to them for repair. Though effective, DIY patches can lead you to lose your warranty on the mattress, so proceed with caution.
   • Duct tape can be a temporary fix. Though effective in the short term, the glue on duct tape is not made to permanently bind to plastic, and it will eventually dry out and fall off.
   • Never use hot glue to fix a leak. Hot glue will, in almost all cases, melt part of your air mattress and make the hole bigger.
2. Sand away the soft felt around your leak if it is on the top of the mattress. This fuzz, though comfortable, will prevent your glue or patches from completely binding around the leak, causing it to fall off shortly after applying. Take a wire brush or some sandpaper and lightly scrub away the felt coating until there is only plastic around your leak.
3. Cut out a square of thin, malleable plastic, like a shower curtain. If you’re out of professional patches or cannot buy one, you can still improvise a patch from things around the house. Tarps and shower curtains work well and are easily cut to size.
   • Make sure your square is big enough to cover the leak, with at least one extra centimeter on every side.
4. Attach the DIY patch with strong glue. Cover the leak in a generous amount of glue at least the size of your patch. Do not try this with your child’s bottle of craft glue. You need a strong, reliable adhesive, such as superglue, KrazyGlue, or Gorilla Glue, to adhere your patch.
5. Press your patch into the glue and hold it there. Use strong, even pressure to press the patch into the glue. Smooth out the patch with your fingers and gently wipe away any excess glue around the edges of the patch.
6. Place a heavy object on top of the patch and return in 6-8 hours. Use several heavy books, a weight, or similarly heavy objects and place them on top of the patch to keep the pressure up as it dries. When you return the patch should be firmly adhered to the mattress.

Tips

• Search commonly defective areas firsts, such the seams, bulging chambers, or cracked vinyl near the pump.
• These same techniques can be used to patch near seams, but they are often more difficult to fit patches to. Use more glue and cut your patch to fit.

Things You'll Need

• A spray bottle
• Soap and water
• A marker
• Patch Kit
• Sandpaper

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Your Bed
• Clean a Mattress
• Remove Blood Stains from a Mattress
• Wash Pillows
• Fold a Fitted Sheet
• Clean a Down Comforter at Home
• Change Sheets in an Occupied Bed
• Buy Bedding
• Buy a Mattress
• Make up a Bed Neatly

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