I’ve been reading about the flame retardant issue and having a real hard time sorting out the facts. Basically I have three questions:
Are flame retardants added to foams within commercial mattresses and foams we buy as toppers?
if so, is it safe to cut foams, or would this release dust containing these chemicals? I have often cut foams, including memory foam, with an electric knife in the past, and it does release some dust.
It’s popular on some sites to get into “mattress surgery” and I did a little bit myself with my old Simmons Beautyrest mattress, just to take a peek inside and see what was in there before I got rid of it. Does cutting into a mattress like this expose a person to harmful chemicals?
I saved a piece of good foam out of my old mattress that I might like to use and now I’m not sure if I should cut into it or use it?
SleepDeprived, I think it depends on different foams. I’ve seen poly foams listed as passing certain flame retardant tests while other foams like latex I haven’t really seen any info on this and I believe (though Phoenix would know more in depth) that they are simpler compounds/mixtures. In either case, even without specifically fire retardants, if there’s dust being released it may be a good idea to protect yourself. Anything in dust form can be an irritant to the nose, throat and lungs and air passages, even if it’s ‘natural’ (let alone polymers or anything petroleum chemical based). I think it depends on how often you’re exposed to it (ie, did you cut one topper or cut into a mattress once, or do you do this often). It also depends on how you feel personally, no foreign dust could really be considered ‘safe’. For instance, wood workers use masks even though wood is natural.
It might be a good idea if you’re concerned to try a mask, either a basic paper type painters mask or for more protection something like a 3m respirator with replaceable cartridges. Recently I had to do some major yard work with a tractor in confined spaces with lots of dust and potential for exposure to varying amounts of ammonia so opted for a 3m mask. The one I used for example was a 3m 6200 (that accepts replaceable cartridges, some models are designed with fixed filters which are not) and appropriate particulate/vapor combo filters. I think the mask was around $10 and the filters (for the ones I needed) were around $18-20 for a set. There’s other brands out there, that’s just the particular one I have personal experience with. Even over long periods of use, was fairly easy to breathe and the silicone part that seals to the face is comfy as far as masks go. Depending on the brand, the companies will list the available filter types for their mask and what they’ve been rated for. I would think for foam dust, a more basic particulate filter would be suitable (less expensive than combination vapor protection). In my case though, it was about my personal preference and taking into consideration I’ve had agitated allergies, and the job I was doing spanned over 2 weeks. For $30, I felt I was better safe than sorry. Hope this helps.
Most mattresses use a barrier system to pass the fire regulations (either a “sock” that goes around the materials in the mattress or a fire retardant barrier that is part of the mattress cover) and generally don’t use fire retardant chemicals in the foam itself. Fire retardant foams are much more common in the furniture industry than the mattress industry.
I don’t think that cutting foam on an occasional basis would be harmful but if you tend to be sensitive or are concerned then I would suggest a mask such as what brass suggested. If you were cutting foam on a more regular basis or working in a factory with a higher concentration of dust in the air then protective measures would certainly make sense. Just to add one more example, I used to work in a grain elevator many years ago and we always used masks when we were doing certain jobs or when the air was dusty because continuous exposure to dust of any type can certainly cause health issues.
Again … it isn’t something that I would be concerned with unless you were doing it on a regular and ongoing basis.
For reference there is more about mattress surgery in post #2 here and the other posts and information it links to.
There is also more about fire retardants in post #2 here.
While each person will have their own answers to these types of questions about “how safe is safe enough for me?” (just like some people are much more careful than others about their dietary choices) … it’s not something that would concern me if I was occasionally doing mattress surgery or cutting foam.
Thanks for the responses, guys! I think from now on when I cut foam I will do it outdoors and wear a mask. After reading the articles about flame retardants I was feeling pretty discouraged but what can you do, this stuff is all around us?
I did go ahead and put the foam on top of my latex mattress and I think I might have finally got the perfect top on it. This foam is a very soft poly foam (not memory foam) only about an inch to an inch and a half thick. It sinks in perfectly and then stops moving, which I appreciate! Will test it out further tonight and see how it works out.