A woman accidentally contaminated her entire apartment after spot cleaning her memory foam mattress. The reason why? The mattress had fiberglass in it.
In a video with over 265,000 views, Kezi (fortheluvofkez) explained her current predicament. She opened her mattress to spot clean something, only to realize that she accidentally put fiberglass fibers in the air.
“I’m going to say this for everyone like me who did not know. Do not try to unzip [a memory foam mattress], spot clean it, throw it in the washing machine,” she said. “Throw that [expletive] away.”
She said she had to throw away her mattress and all her bedding.
“Now I’m having to spend my entire week [in a hazmat suit] because I unzipped [the memory foam mattress] to spot clean something,” she continued. “I saw particles in the air and went, oh [expletive] that’s fiberglass. And so now I’m spending the entire week soaking all of my clothing.”
Kezi asked for tips in getting fiberglass out of her clothing and other items, considering the fact that she accidentally contaminated pretty much everything she owns.
What is fiberglass? And why are they in mattresses?
According to VPC Fiberglass, it’s a combination of resin and glass fibers that creates a fiber-reinforced plastic.
Fiberglass generally isn’t safe to inhale, despite not being “permanently harmful” to the body. However, it can be dangerous if it gets trapped in the upper airway and causes some problematic symptoms. For one, fiberglass can present other problems, such as irritation of the eyes, skin, or respiratory tract. Fiberglass is considered a nuisance dust according to OSHA, and people should generally avoid long-term exposure to it, especially if they are chronically ill.
Manufacturers usually use fiberglass as a cheaper flame-retardant material when making mattresses, but with eventual wear and tear, it generally makes the mattress unsafe.
Why is fiberglass in consumer products even legal?
Some TikTokers asked how a company could get away with putting fiberglass in its products when it’s harmful for people to inhale. Thousands of consumer products contain the material, with mattresses often having the material embedded in them.
One commenter said, “Fiberglass still being used in the production of something like a mattress is straight-up diabolical.”
There have been two major lawsuits due to fiberglass in mattresses: Gutierrez v. Zinus and Chandler v. Zinus, according to Sleepline. The mattress owners had to find alternative housing due to fiberglass contamination.
One commenter even wrote about the company, saying, “Learned about fiberglass on here back in 2023. bought a Zinus memory foam mattress for my son’s first big boy bed the year before.There was no fiberglass leaking, but I didn’t want to risk it. [We] got rid of it and bought a fiberglass free coiled mattress from Ikea.”
In the lawsuit, plaintiffs alleged that “the Affected [Zinus] Mattresses are equipped with an inner cover FR Sleeve that contains significant amounts of glass fibers. The FR Sleeves, comprised of glass fibers, begin as a long continuous filament fiber. Though over time, the long filament fibers break causing the FR Sleeve to shred glass fibers.”
It’s possible, considering previous cases, for Kezi to seek legal action. Still, it may be difficult considering she opened the zipper for the cover, which the company may have advised against.
@fortheluvofkez ✨How do I get this out of my clothes?! Please help! and yes my sanity is in question… #fyp #fiberglass #helpmeplease #icouldcry ♬ original sound – Kezi
The Mary Sue has reached out to Kezi via TikTok direct message.
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