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Is it normal for a new foam mattress to smell like chemicals for three weeks

Three weeks fading is within the normal range. The smell is off gassing from the foam and the packaging, and most of it goes in the first few days, with a long tail after that. Mine took about a month before I stopped noticing it, and I only noticed at all because I was looking for it.

What actually speeds it up is airflow across the surface, not time. Strip the bed, stand a fan blowing across the mattress for a few hours a day, and keep the window open. Heat helps too, so a warm room with airflow beats a cold room with airflow.

What does not help: covering it with a thick waterproof protector immediately, which traps the smell in and slows everything down.

158 · in/curiosities ·