Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
May 9, 2011 12:38 PM
Joined: May 9, 2011
Points: 19
I am at a loss. Our brand new mattress that we have had since April 22 is exhibiting a damp, moisture problem on the underside of the memory foam mattress and the top of support. Not only that but there are two small rust-like or maybe mildew like stains on both the underside of the mattress and the top of the support. I called Sealy and they could not help me saying they had never heard of this problem. I called the place of purchase and he said he had never heard of this problem either and that we should try airing the mattress out near a window (we are in an apartment). I have no idea why there is moisture condensation under the mattress if the first place. What good will it do to air it out, if it happens again? Has anyone had this problem, or know of what to do? Thank you for your time.
Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #13 Jun 5, 2011 5:35 PM
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Joined: May 13, 2011
Points: 170
I forked out $200 for a wool moisture barrier for my new latex mattress.  From what I've read, wool repels moisture.  I sometimes wake up at night sweating, so I hope the wool will help with heat transfer as well as moisture.  Heat is more of an issue with memory foam than latex foam because you sink into memory foam.
Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #14 Jun 5, 2011 6:21 PM
Joined: Apr 15, 2011
Points: 163
sleepswithcats wrote:

I forked out $200 for a wool moisture barrier for my new latex mattress.  From what I've read, wool repels moisture.  I sometimes wake up at night sweating, so I hope the wool will help with heat transfer as well as moisture.  Heat is more of an issue with memory foam than latex foam because you sink into memory foam.


Slight correction - Wool actually absorbs moisture but it doesn't get "wet" as quickly. In fact, it can hold up to 30% of its weight in moisture. The way it works on a mattress cover is it wicks up the moisture and holds it so it can evaporate from the loft of those fibers instead of seeping through into the underlying material. That's part of the beauty of wool. It is more resilient than, say cotton, which absorbs a lot, but loses its resiliency, and lets the rest of the moisture pass on right through. Cotton tends to pack down more than wool fibers do when it gets wet. But both natural fibers are breathable and allow air into them so evaporation can take place. The thing about synthetics is that they don't "breathe" so if moisture gets into them, it runs right through, if it's porous, or runs off if it's not. If moisture gets trapped inside a synthetic casing or barrier, there is no escape. That's why air mattresses also have a problem with mold growing inside. In something dense like latex, there is no opportunity for airflow to get in there and assist with evaporation. If it's a memory foam or sleeps "hot", then naturally there will be more moisture from perspriration being absorbed into the open cells of the foam that make it "give." So that is why it's a very good idea to have a breathable layer on top  that can absorb moisture before it gets into the foam. The natural action of air flow through moisture in wool can provide a cooling effect on the skin through evaporation. Natural fiber sheets help, but they're usually too thin to do much in the way of moisture absorbtion and evaporation.

Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #15 Jul 1, 2011 7:21 PM
Joined: Jul 1, 2011
Points: 1
Chelleu,

the same thing happened to my memory foam mattress. We called Macy's and they sent an inspector out to my house.  After the inspection a representaive at macy's called me and told me that this is a know issue and they offered to replace the mattress at no extra cost. She told me that sometimes the manufacturer ships the matrress to the warehouse. sometimes moisture gets soaked up in the warehouse after they unpack these.

Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #16 Jul 4, 2011 1:36 AM
Joined: Jun 2, 2011
Points: 481
chelleu wrote:

I am at a loss. Our brand new mattress that we have had since April 22 is exhibiting a damp, moisture problem on the underside of the memory foam mattress and the top of support. Not only that but there are two small rust-like or maybe mildew like stains on both the underside of the mattress and the top of the support. I called Sealy and they could not help me saying they had never heard of this problem. I called the place of purchase and he said he had never heard of this problem either and that we should try airing the mattress out near a window (we are in an apartment). I have no idea why there is moisture condensation under the mattress if the first place. What good will it do to air it out, if it happens again? Has anyone had this problem, or know of what to do? Thank you for your time.



What to do?  Warranty issue obviously.  Have them pick it up and replace it.  No one should get stuck with a new moldy mattress.

Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #17 Oct 13, 2011 2:38 PM
Joined: Oct 13, 2011
Points: 1
Hi, My husband & I purchased a new MemoryWorks foam matress made by Sealy in January 2011 at Macy's, we just dicovered mold growing all over the underside of the matress & all over on the top part of the box spring.  I also found mold growing all over the bedskirt where it touched the bed & boxspring.  I originally discovered the mold when I was moving the bed, because first off our new boxspring broke in half.  We contacted Macy's where we purchased the bed & boxspring & they are giving us a full refund, also, a small credit for new bedding.  I am still waiting for the delivery company to come remove the moldy bed which is now in our garage.  I just discovered from Macy's who we purchased the bed from, that the bed is manufactured in China & there was a bad batch of matresses.  You should be reimbursed for your bed, I would take it up again with Sealy or the company you're dealing with, they are fully aware of this matter.  

 

Has anyone heard of a class action lawsuit going on with this?  There should be if not.  Everyone who purchased the MemoryWorks matress by Sealy need to know they are sleeping on a moldy bed!!  There are so many health problems that stem from mold exposure.  Now I feel like we need to clean our bedroom fully, shampoo & disinfect the whole room, maybe get new carpet & throw away all our bedding.  It's going to cost us more than the bed itself.  We bought the bed on sale, now to get a new bed will cost us more than we originally paid.  I'm so frustrated. We are not giving up in this, & I hope you don't either.  

Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #18 Oct 13, 2011 4:49 PM
Joined: Aug 30, 2011
Points: 55
metoo wrote:

MattressDan:  The "box spring" is the foundation Sealy sells with this memory foam mattress.  It, therefore, I would assume be compatible with the mattress; obviously, however, it is not.  In fact,  the label attached to the mattress indicates to either use no foundation or only the foundation sold with the mattress, else warranty is void.  As far as warming up the room, it sounds like a good idea, but this memory foam mattress already makes us feel like we're in an incubator.  I couldn't imagine the room being any warmer.  I really think the answer is with the foundation.  Sealy needs to make a product that will allow this mattress to breath.  If only, they would acknowledge the problem.


Actually the warranty says it needs to be used with a supporting foundation or the warranty is void. You can use any other foundation just fine as long as it is supportive.

Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #19 Oct 29, 2011 5:58 AM
Joined: Oct 29, 2011
Points: 1
Cyndihall wrote:

Hi, My husband & I purchased a new MemoryWorks foam matress made by Sealy in January 2011 at Macy's, we just dicovered mold growing all over the underside of the matress & all over on the top part of the box spring.  I also found mold growing all over the bedskirt where it touched the bed & boxspring.  I originally discovered the mold when I was moving the bed, because first off our new boxspring broke in half.  We contacted Macy's where we purchased the bed & boxspring & they are giving us a full refund, also, a small credit for new bedding.  I am still waiting for the delivery company to come remove the moldy bed which is now in our garage.  I just discovered from Macy's who we purchased the bed from, that the bed is manufactured in China & there was a bad batch of matresses.  You should be reimbursed for your bed, I would take it up again with Sealy or the company you're dealing with, they are fully aware of this matter.  

 

 

Has anyone heard of a class action lawsuit going on with this?  There should be if not.  Everyone who purchased the MemoryWorks matress by Sealy need to know they are sleeping on a moldy bed!!  There are so many health problems that stem from mold exposure.  Now I feel like we need to clean our bedroom fully, shampoo & disinfect the whole room, maybe get new carpet & throw away all our bedding.  It's going to cost us more than the bed itself.  We bought the bed on sale, now to get a new bed will cost us more than we originally paid.  I'm so frustrated. We are not giving up in this, & I hope you don't either.  



HI Cyndihall,

 My husband and I also bought a memory works matress form macy's in may of this year. I noticed in August that there were some ants crawling on my bed skirt and when I lifted my bed up there was mold on the matress, box spring and my new bed skirt. We also ordered the "Worry No More" warranty plan from them so I knew that nothing could have spilled and soaked threw the matress. I called Macy's and the sent us out a new bed and gave us a gift card to buy new bedding. Our new bed came and we put our new bedding on it and last week I checkud under the mattress just to make sre no mold was growing again, and sure enough, MOLD was forming again. In the same spot as the last time. My husband and I are so confused as to why this is happening. I was so relieved when I read your comment and realized we are not the only ones. I am going to call Macy's this week and demand my money back, I don't want another bed from them if it's just gonna turn moldy in 2 months. I have Asthma and so do my kids and this is a horrible thing to have in the house. I am so irritated to have to go through this again. Also, when I called Macy's the first time to tell them about the mold the representative told me she had never heard of this problem before. Thank you for sharing... Best of luck to you and your new matress.. 

Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #20 Nov 1, 2011 11:38 AM
Location: Yosemite area
Joined: Sep 10, 2008
Points: 249
EW!  That is just horribly nasty...imagine if this many people who are on this site all had the same issue, how many people in the world also are affected?  That's HUGE!  You need to contact Sealy directly, obviously the store person has no knowledge of warranties or issues, and make a big stink.  They NEED to warranty your mattress, NOW!  People don't have money to burn these days, and you should not have to buy another mattress because they sold you a faulty one.  Remember, mattress companies sometimes/often try to make things YOUR fault so they don't have to pay(I know this from my S & F warranty issues...what a crappy bed), so don't let this happen.  You can tell them if they are stinkers about this that you have been in contact with others with this same problem, so you are not alone. 

Good luck!

Kait

Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #21 Nov 18, 2011 7:25 PM
Joined: Nov 18, 2011
Points: 2
We have had the Sealy Posturepedic Memory foam mattress now for 11 months.  Today we decided to move the mattress 180 degrees and in lifting the mattress up see that the underside of the mattress and the top of the Box Foundation that came as part of the set BOTH have wetness and mold/mildew.  We have been using the mattress protector that came with our purchase 100% of the time we have owned the mattress to keep it from having liquids or stains damage the mattress.  We are trying to clean and dry it, but THIS IS RIDICULOUSWe live in Pasadena California, a relatively dry climate.  I will take this to Sealy.
Re: Problems with new Sealy Memory Foam Mattress and moisture condensation underneath
Reply #22 Nov 19, 2011 5:35 PM
Joined: Nov 19, 2011
Points: 76
Sounds like a lot of great info and I think that most of it makes sense... With the majority of top manufacturers in America purchasing from a small number of foam companies for their  "memory" foam, the problem reverts back to the foam manufacturer and probably not the end manufacturer (in your case Sealy). If it is moisture, and you are not using a true waterproof cover (something like Gortex material is the best as it breathes and does not change the feel of your mattress), use your warranty service (manufacturer's warranty should apply whether you purchased any "extra" warranty or not) and get a waterproof cover for the replacement mattress/box.

By all means NEVER feel like you don't have the right to state your concern and make a warranty claim.

Furthermore, finding a memory foam option that makes their own versions of foam (rather than buying from the same company that provides for most manufacturers) that receive good reviews. I know both Tempurpedic and Serta's iComfort options both manufacture their own memory foams and both receive very favorable reviews. The most important element of the "right" bed is that you feel comfortable at first... also feel comfortable about 10-15 minutes later (you and your partner in sleeping positions) and that the price is commfortable as well...

Sleep well "chellou"!

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