Air mattress is an excellent make-shift beds that you can use in many situations like for camping and for your guests. The portability and ease of setup is unique to air mattresses on top of comfort level they provide. However, due to the material they are constructed with, they are susceptible to rips and punctures. In this article, I'll explain how to repair air mattress in two easy steps when you suspect there's a leak in your mattress. First thing you need to do is to find the source of leak on your air mattress. The leaks can be noticeable rips and punctures but some leaks are not as obvious. Inspect the valve and the pump as these are prone to wears and tears. If it's the faulty valve or pump causing the leak, you will have to check your warranty to see if the manufacturer can repair or replace it for you as you won't be able to repair it. When you have trouble detecting the leak with your naked eyes, you can use a soap water mixture. Apply the mixture on your air mattress and you will see the bubbles where the leak is present.

Air mattresses tend to leak along the seams so I would start from there. Keep in mind that the damages on the seams of the air mattress can be difficult to repair as they are high stress points. Once you've discovered the damaged area, circle it with a marker. Now that you've found the leak, you will want to seal it off. Make sure you deflate your air mattress completely and flatten it before doing any repair. If the leak is a small hole or a puncture, you can use one of many different types of glues to blow it off. My favorite product to use is something called Aqua-Seal which you can purchase online or any dive shops. Just apply a drop over two over the hole and let it dry for 24 hours minimum before using your air mattress. You can also use crazy glues and other types that you purchase in hardware stores. If the damaged area is more than a mere puncture, you will want to patch it up. Some air mattresses come with a repair kit but I would recommend you purchase a good quality waterbed repairing kit.

Follow the directions that come with the kit to patch up the leak. How to Clean a Mattress Tip #1Prevention is easier than cure. Using mattress protectors simple as vinyl zip covers can drastically increase the lifespan of your mattress and protect it from unwanted bugs, mold and inadvertent spills. air purifier for toiletsThis small investment you make for protecting your mattress will save you a lot of headache and hassle in the future.will air purifier remove dustShop for mattress protectors at Amazonbest home hepa air purifiers How to Clean a Mattress Tip #2Sprinkle some baking soda on your mattress and watch the odor and moisture disappear! Just let it sit for a few minutes then vacuum your mattress.Order baking soda at Amazon

How to Clean a Mattress Tip #3Every month or two, make a habit of taking your mattress outside when it is warm and sunny. The sunlight will vaporize all the moistures trapped in the mattress and kill the mold that might've built up over time.Over the last two years of owning my first home, I’ve learned much about this strange fungus commonly called mold – and that there are many reasons besides a snotty nose to be rid of it. Mold does nature’s dirty work, helping to decompose dead organic matter – like the leaves in your yard and that fuzzy-turned-bearded peach you’ve left on the table for a month. Every household has mold, but an excess or concentration of mold (mold colony) can compromise the beauty and structural integrity of your home Mold feeds by producing digestive enzymes and literally absorbs what it rests upon. In this way it can feast its way through walls and floor boards, weaken brick and even concrete. There is probably some nasty bit of mold eating your house right now.

Worse yet, coming into contact with mold by touch or by breathing in spores can lead to a variety of health problems, including nausea, headaches, rashes, confusion or inability to focus, and sinusitis, among other maladies. While there are many reports in the media about other serious health effects, research is ongoing into just how certain molds – especially those that produce mycotoxins – affect the human body. Needless to say, it is vitally important to know how to clean mold and prevent its growth. It is important to note that any mold damage bigger than ten square feet should be handled by a professional, which will be discussed below. How to Clean and Prevent Mold Before you can clean mold, you need to find it. The best tools for the job are our eyes and nose. Mold exists in almost every variety of color and hue, and it can look like slime or fuzz or just plain alien. The most telling sign of growing mold is the dank, musty, earthy smell it produces when growing. If you are doing any investigating into walls, attics, or crawl spaces, you should use protective equipment (PPE).

Use some long rubber gloves, air-tight goggles, and at minimum, an N-95 respirator, if not a mask with a HIPA filter. You may have to spend some money, but I always play it safe. Also, wearing this stuff to the door may get you a discount when ordering in food. Now that you’ve located the mold, you need to ascertain the source of moisture that led to its growth.Mold loves moisture, and unless you fix the water problem, the mold will return even after the most thorough cleaning. With my house, a leaky roof was dumping water down two stories of wall – creating mold colonies on wood, sheetrock (gypsum board), and insulation. Another common culprit is leaky pipes. Even the slightest drip will wreak major havoc over time. While fixing a water problem can be expensive, your losses will be catastrophic if the water is left unchecked. When most people are learning how to clean mold, they are instructed to use chlorine bleach. Bleach is highly caustic and it actually doesn’t kill mold.

If mixed with the wrong stuff, it can produce toxic – even deadly – fumes. In my opinion, you’d do better simply licking the mold away. Vinegar kills mold, bacteria, germs, and also disinfects. Simply add distilled white vinegar to a spray bottle, undiluted. You can get it pretty much anywhere, or order the vinegar straight from Amazon. Another option is tea tree oil, which is all four horsemen of the Apocalypse to mold, but it is far more expensive. If you can swing it, mix three teaspoons to about three cups of water. First, we will discuss how to clean mold on non-porous materials, such as linoleum, plastic, metal, glass, some hardwoods, brick and cement. These materials can usually be saved. First, seal off the room you’re working in with some plastic sheeting and tape. Spray the mold cleaner directly and liberally onto the mold and let it sit for at least a day. This gives the solution time to do its dark deed. Next, remove the mold with soap and water. Keeping the mold wet will help prevent mold spores from spreading.

Place any waste in a plastic bag and seal it with tape, as even dead mold retains its allergenic properties. Unlike their non-porous brethren, porous materials are much harder to save. Unless you get to furniture, carpet, ceiling tiles, fabric, and mattresses early (48 hours), you may as well toss them. This should be done carefully. Wet the mold down with soap and water, and then seal the damaged objects in plastic bags. If they are too large, toss them out the nearest window if you have to rather than drag a mold spore parade through your house. Wood can be tricky – some woods are more porous than others and taking the time to clean beams is a judgment call. If the mold has in any way weakened the beam, or it looks like the mold is still in the wood after cleaning, replace it. Better to prevent it than have to learn how to clean mold. Mold thrives in 60-75% relative humidity or RH. The EPA recommends maintaining between 30-50% in your household. Having an air conditioner running kills two juicy birds with one stone.

During the unmercifully hot days of summer, it will keep your house cool and significantly reduce RH. Up in the North, I’d take out my air conditioner during the winter and replace it with a dehumidifier in places that still have moisture. These machines work great, but they do require frequent cleaning or – as they are constantly sucking up moisture – they will become mold factories. How to Clean Mold: Contractors Finding out that your house is in need of mold remediation is a miserable prospect. Luckily for you, there are whole industries dealing in misery (yippy!). However, misery also attracts swindlers in the same fashion that defenseless nations attract tanks. There are a few things to keep in mind (which I learned the hard way) when hiring a contractor to take care of your mold problem. First of all, hire a certified mold inspector, or, if you’ve got connections, a Counsel Certified Microbial Inspector. Also, don’t hire the same people to assess and then remove your mold unless references are foaming at the mouth about how good they are.

A swindler (no surprise here) will tell you that things look really, really bad no matter what – also, if they try to terrify you with medical jargon, tell them to leave. When it comes to references, get plenty, and make sure to get some that are at least a year old. A contractor might make quick work of the mold, and leave you in the lurch when it grows back because of that “quick” work. Make sure their work does not include “encapsulating” (painting over) or using chlorine bleach or other harmful chemicals. Also, never accept a free “post test” from the contractor doing the mold clean up…they aren’t exactly going to be objective about the results. Make sure one test is a few months after the job is finished, and a good contractor should be ok taking at least a portion of their payment at that time. If you’re looking to manage the humidity in your house, a quality hygrometer is the tool for you. Using one of these is an easy way to see if that dehumidifier is bringing your room within the 30-50% relative humidity range.