Air mattresses are convenient for hosting out-of-town guests, slumber parties, and camping. However, even though the materials are mostly durable the mattresses are prone to getting leaks. While a repair kit is a perfect tool to avoid deflation, some super glue might be all you need to get your mattress back to top shape.
When fixing an air mattress, you can use a glob of super glue to fix a pin prick leak in your air mattress. For larger tears and big holes, you can use a zigzag motion to spread superglue layers and fix the leak.
While the process is simple, it is possible to mess it up if you don’t do it correctly. Read on for the step-by-step guide to avoid sleeping on a deflated air mattress.
Can You Use Superglue To Fix An Air Mattress?
Yes, you can use superglue to fix a hole in your air mattress. Follow these simple steps:
Find the Hole
Before you can attempt to fix a hole you must first trace where the air mattress is leaking from. The hole can be very tiny and finding it can become a challenge in itself.
To find the leak, start by standing the mattress upright. Mix some water with some powder soap or liquid detergent. Spray or splash the soapy mixture onto the mattress. When the mixture flows over a leak, bubbles will appear.
Once you spot any bubbles, circle the area with a magic marker. Ensure you’ve checked the whole mattress all around for any other leaks. There might be more than one.
Repair Small Holes
Once you’ve found the leaks, deflate your air mattress. Lay down the mattress with the sides facing up. Larger holes may demand a little more work and materials, so start with the small holes only.
Find the areas which you had marked before. Clean up and dry the surrounding area with a paper napkin or dry piece of cloth. From your super glue nozzle, squeeze off a glob of glue on top of the hole. Let the glue dry for at least a couple of hours before you inflate the mattress again.
Test
If you don’t give the superglue time it won’t hold. Depending on the quality, size of hole, and weather conditions, you might need to give it between one and six hours. Once the glue dries up, it’s time to test it out.
- Begin by making another soapy mixture using water and some soap.
- Inflate your mattress to full capacity.
- Listen carefully for any unplugged leaks.
- Spray or splash the soapy water over all surfaces and watch out for any bubbles.
- In case there are bubbles, repeat the repair steps. If the mattress has no more leaks then dry off the soapy water and use it, or deflate and store it carefully without creasing the areas that had been leaking.
How to Fix a Big Hole in an Air Mattress?
A tiny prick is an easy fix but a gaping hole can be quite a challenge. The good thing is for most holes and tears you won’t need anything more than your superglue bottle. To seal a big hole or tear in your air mattress:
- Locate the hole by inflating the mattress to full capacity then using the soapy water method to locate all leaks.
- Mark the hole with a distinct magic marker.
- Deflate the mattress and let it dry.
- Once dry, scrub the area around the hole using soft sandpaper.
- Squeeze your glue above the scrubbed area in a zigzag motion cutting across the tear.
- When the first layer dries up, repeat the process with more zigzag motions.
- Depending on the extent of the tear, repeat the zigzag application for several more layers once each layer dries up.
- Do this until at least half an inch around the tear looks well sealed.
- Inflate the air mattress and use soapy water to check whether the leak is now sealed.
Can You Patch A Hole In An Air Mattress With A Hot Glue Gun?
You can use a hot glue gun to patch any holes, leaks, and tears in your air mattress. Follow these steps:
- Use a low-temperature glue gun to avoid damaging the mattress material. Most air mattresses are made out of vinyl and other types of plastic sensitive to high heat.
- Inflate to the maximum and seal, then use soapy water to locate all leaks. Mark any spots where bubbles form.
- Insert a glue stick into the glue gun and plug it in to heat it up.
- Squeeze a glob of glue over the leak if it’s a small hole. For large holes and tears, use more glue and cover a half-inch around the hole.
- Let the glue cool down and dry.
- Inflate the air mattress and use soapy water to check for leaks.
How Do You Fix An Air Mattress Without A Patch?
A patch is the best way to fix a leaking air mattress. However, when you don’t have a patch kit and it’s probably an emergency situation there are other ways to temporarily fix your air mattress.
Seal with Duct Tape
Duct tape can fix almost anything, including pinpricks, tears, scratches, and holes that cause air leaks in an air mattress. Simply cut a large enough piece to cover the area around the hole. Apply to the area, leaving a half-inch margin all around.
Test the mattress by inflating it and using the soapy water method to check whether the leak is repaired. Keep in mind though, that the duct tape will lose grip over time and you may soon need to repeat the process. So only use duct tape as a temporary fix to last at most a few weeks.
Bind With Nail Polish
Nail polish is a temporary solution that won’t last beyond a few inflations. However, in an emergency, nail polish can come in handy. Scrub the area around the hole with sandpaper or a nail file.
Apply a thin layer of polish as a primer and leave it undisturbed until it dries up completely. Apply a second and maybe third and fourth layer before you inflate. Only apply the next layer after the previous one is dry.
Last Word
Superglue comes in handy when you’re out camping or hosting friends and you don’t have the necessary tools to do a perfect patch job on a leaking air mattress. Always ensure you check the whole mattress thoroughly for multiple leaking points. Otherwise, you might end up frustrated and sleeping on a deflated mattress.
