I was given a new-ish topper. I find it very comfortable, but it smells of chemicals pretty bad. I tried off-gassing it in a room with open window for a week, but the smell is still strong. Can I wash it? I could stand it in a shower and give it a good shower down, hoping most of the chemicals would wash away. Can it somehow damage the topper? Would it dry through without getting moldy? It’s 2in of PU foam with removable cover. I don’t know the brand name.
skyisred:
Polyurethane foam toppers generally are not meant to be washed.
The first thing I would check is the cover and see if you can wash that.
You do find examples of people attempting to rinse out or wash their polyfoam toppers in tubs, some using just water, others using mild detergents. The concern here would be if you end up embedding other chemicals into the cells of the foam that might cause you issues, and then the ability to fully dry the foam and not promote mold or bacterial growth. Others have attempted to treat the foam with baking soda or sprays, such as Odo-Ban. Letting the foam air outside in the sun with the cover off might be helpful.
Since this was a free topper, you may wish to experiment with washing, but be advised you may end up with a topper that is ruined or worse off than when you started. Or it could make a bit of a positive difference. I’d be of the opinion to attempt the less invasive things (airing out outside, baking soda, washing the cover) before attempting washing and drying.
Please realize I’ve never attempted any of these methods of remediation, so they’re not things that I endorse. Just passing along what I’ve read through the years.
I realized that I forgot to thank you for sharing your experience! I did not wash the topper after all.
yw