The Best Ways to Fix a Leaking Air Mattress Without a Fix Kit
This is the season of vacationers and air mattresses. And chances are you’ve either heard or said, “Don’t worry, we’ve got an air mattress!” only to find out it’s leaking. This opening usually happens late, on the first night of the visit, when everyone is tired and just wants to go to bed.
Many air mattresses now come with a set of patches in the box, so if you still have yours – or happen to have a set of bike tire patches lying around – then follow the directions on the package and you’ll be fine.
But even if you don’t have a repair kit at home, there are other ways to fix a leak in an air mattress, at least temporarily. Here’s what to do.
How to fix a leaking air mattress
Okay, let’s stop this leak:
Find the leak
First, you need to find the leak. Inflate the air mattress and then position it against the wall with the bottom facing you. (Small holes or tears are more common on the bottom of a mattress .) Then look, listen, and feel for air escaping, including from the seams of the mattress. Turn the mattress over to check the top and sides if necessary.
If that doesn’t work, wet a sponge and lather it up and rub it over the surface of the mattress, paying attention to any bubbles that form due to air escaping from a hole or tear in the mattress.
And don’t forget to check the gasket as it could be the source of the leak. If this is the case, unfortunately it’s not something you can fix on your own and it usually means you need to replace your mattress. You can always try to contact the manufacturer, especially if the air mattress is new, if you suspect that it is defective.
Mark it and clean it up.
Once you find a leak, mark it with a permanent marker. Then deflate the mattress and clean the area around the leak with soap and water and let it dry completely.
stop the leak
This is the point where you would use the patch kit to finish the job. But since you don’t have one, here are some alternatives:
Super glue
Use superglue to fix leaks in mattress seams. Either pinch the seam or fold it over to close, then apply superglue. Hold the glued seam together (be careful not to spill or spill the glue) for a minute or two to help it set.
shower curtain lining
Use a piece of thin plastic , such as a shower curtain liner or pool liner, to make your own patch. Cut off a piece large enough to completely cover the leaky area, with a slight overlap. Then use superglue or rubber glue (or other adhesive of similar strength) to attach the homemade patch to the mattress.
T-shirt
Don’t have a shower curtain lining that you can cut? Take an old T-shirt and again cut off a piece slightly larger than the leaky part. But this time, apply glue to both the area around the mattress leak and the back of the fabric.
Scotch
Worst case, there’s duct tape. Cut a piece to cover the hole or leak, place it on the mattress, and then put something heavy on top of the patch for a few minutes to make it stick better.