Odors

[phoenix]

Hi Mattress1953,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!.

Hi. I am beyond frustrated having not been in a bed in my own room since July

I’m sorry to hear that your mattress hasn’t worked out for you.

The first mattress arrived and the odor coming from it was so pungent, that it was overwhelming. It was not a chemical smell, unidentifiable really. The bed was made of organic cotton, wool, and coils- no memory foam or latex

There certainly are people who have sensitivities to the smell of wool.

After a week the smell hadn’t changed at all, so Gardner, sent a new one. Change offered no relief. I realized that the smell had contaminated the box springs so AGAIN Gardner sent over new box springs. Smell still putrid in a way with no explanation from the owner or delivery men who also detected the strong smell. Gardner offered that maybe it was a bad batch of wool and or lanolin problem but even he wasn’t sure. I had them come and remove everything. We agonized about what to do next since I felt pretty hopeless about continuing with Gardner given that he was clueless about the origin himself…

It seems that Gardner certainly did their best to accommodate you, but unfortunately your sensitivity to the smell of the wool (most likely) was something that couldn’t be overcome. Of course no one can smell what you smell, so it would be unreasonable to expect the people at Gardner to be able to derive the source of your sensitivity. Their speculation about your sensitivity to the smell of wool is probably accurate, as there are accounts of others with similar sensitivities. After exchanging two products for you, moving on was probably a good decision for you both.

I’ve now been to every store in New England and can find nothing without chemicals.

I would keep in mind that every mattress in the industry contains some type of “chemicals” and that even pure water is a chemical. The real issue that I would focus on is safety which depends on the specific chemicals and the amount of each chemical (safety is dosage related) and the only way to identify any safety issues would be based on the lab testing and certifications for the materials and components in the mattress or the mattress as whole. And then you can focus on the smell.

The only reliable way to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance that any harmful VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification (see post #2 here for more information about some of the more reliable “safety” certifications). If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would certainly be “safe enough” … regardless of the type of material, the smell of the material, or the name of the manufacturer on the label, although of course some people that are more sensitive or that have certain health conditions (such as MCS or multiple chemical sensitivities) may still be affected by a material that is certified even if it would be fine for most people.

Realize that the smell of a material and harmful VOC’s can be very different things. Some harmful VOC’s have no smell at all and a material that has a stronger smell isn’t necessarily harmful. Of course there are some people that are much more sensitive to smells than most (it seems that you fall into this group) and there are also some people that have some less common medical issues (such as MCS or multiple chemical sensitivities) that may still be sensitive to some materials even if they have a reliable certification. It seems that the factor of odor sensitivity is primary in your situation. You can have two different foams that are certified with two very different levels of smell, which can be quite objective. Certainly those with MCS or those who are very sensitive to odor can find certified foams to still be too “smelly” for them. If you’re ordering something online, be sure you can return it for a full refund if it doesn’t pass your smell test. Also, realize that many foam odors will dissipate as time goes on, but some will linger much longer than others. This is one case where only you will know what works for you because of your unique situation.

You asked about latex so there is more about the smell of latex in post #2 here. Like any natural material … different types and batches of latex can vary in terms of the strength of the smell or how long the smell will last and different people can be more or less sensitive to the smell of latex as well but it should gradually dissipate and diminish to levels that most people don’t notice over the course of the first few weeks.

There are also some suggestions in post #3 here that may be helpful to help reduce any offensive smells and odors more quickly. I think you’ve already done a few of these things.

In the end, I am in agreement with you that a personal visit to a store and your own testing and personal reaction to the odor of a product would be paramount. Only you can smell what you smell, so I would base my decision on finding a mattress that has good quality materials (as delineated in the Mattress Shopping Tutorial) and your own personal consideration in person. And because of your past experience, make sure to inquire about any potential exchange policy should you need it.

I know it can be tough for people who are very sensitive to odors. Please let me know if you find something that works for you.

Phoenix