How To Tell If Your Bed Has Mold? Complete Guide!

Do you want to know surefire ways how to tell if your bed has mold?

Mattress mold is the worst – and it’s something you need to act on urgently because it is where you rest, sleep, and relax.

Being someone who has been a homeowner for more than a decade, I want to help you get to the bottom of this!

You’ll know that there’s mold on your mattress by what it looks like (physical), how it smells like (scent), how your health is, and of course how your skin feels after spending hours on the bed.

Why Do Beds Grow Mold?

Before we discuss how to know if your mattress has mold, it’s important that we understand what mold is, how it grows, and why it thrives in areas you least wanted them to thrive on.

In brief, mold is a fungus usually found in homes and thrives in moist and humid environments.

The reasons for mold growth are many, but the most common include:

High Levels of Humidity

Mold loves thriving and squeezing itself in locations and areas that are warm, damp, and humid.

The high amount of water vapor is what these molds breed and feed on.

If an area is humid, then the mattress in that area will be the most susceptible because the mattress is an item that has an accumulation of sweat, heat and other types of liquid.

Liquid Spillages

Of course, if you encounter liquid spillages on your mattresses, then they will be damp and moist – resulting in the possible growth of molds and mildew.

Many, if not all types of liquid can penetrate through the deepest layers of the mattress, sprouting small molds, which can lead to large infestations.

NOTE: In just 24 to 48 hours, molds can develop and grow from water exposure (liquid spillages) if they are not cleaned and maintained properly. 

Low Air Circulation

One of the worst enemies of molds is circulation. Say, for instance, if your room has little ventilation.

This can briefly explain the fact that if the area where the mattress is has low circulation or aeration, it’ll be loved by molds and mildew, you can expect growth.

Bad Mattress Choice

Last, but most definitely not least would be the mattress choice.

In case you didn’t know, memory foam mattresses or mattresses made from LRPU.

The low-resistance polyurethane foams are the favorites of mold because of the spongy framework, which finds soaking moisture easy and fast.

NOTE: Wool, rubberized coconut fibers, and all-natural latex mattresses are mold resistant. Mold infestation is still possible, they’re just the least susceptible to it.

That being said, let us go and identify the signs of mold infestation on your precious bed or mattress.

How to Tell if Your Bed Has Mold? 4 Easy Ways

I mean, who loves molds? Whenever we see one, our basic instinct and reaction would be to get rid of it, right?

I don’t know about you, but when I notice even the subtlest signs, I take immediate action and work to remove them.

There are three sure ways to identify whether your bed or your mattress is being infested by these nasty fungi.

The Look of Your Mattress

Probably the method most people think is the easiest.

How your mattress looks, so far, is one of the simplest and most basic signs that there is an infestation.

Now, don’t get me wrong – fungi usually cannot be seen by the naked eye.

However, how fungi affect your bed or mattress can manifest in its overall physicality.

Mold appearances and signs can’t be squeezed into a singularity.

They vary in appearance, but the most common would be pink, red, off-white, and black spots on areas of the mattress that are hidden, damp, and feels humid.

NOTE: If you see these near the seams or the underpart of your bed, then it is most likely due to mold infestation.

The Smell of Your Mattress

The next sign you want to look out for would be how your mattress smells.

Molds present themselves to have a stale, musty, or damp odor that lingers in the air.

Yes, you read that right – it will linger in the air, and it will not go away – you don’t even have to put your nose close to it.

You’ll almost always feel like the smell grows out from the inside of the bed or mattress.

NOTE: If you are smelling this pungent aroma, check for other signs immediately because the smell can easily be brushed off into something else.

Your Health Conditions

Molds are fungi – and fungi aren’t healthy. In fact, it’s the other way around.

Various people reported experiencing a ton of negative health conditions because of their exposure to molds.

The most common conditions and experiences people reported include:

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Watery Eyes
• Difficulty Breathing (Short of Breath)
• Wheezing

If you are asthmatic, then exposure to molds can actually worsen your condition, it can trigger it.

This was what happened to my partner before we were able to get to the root cause – molds.

NOTE: These alone aren’t enough evidence because dust, dirt, and humidity can also cause this. So, what you want to do is to look for other signs of mold infestation.

How Your Skin Feels

Last, and most definitely not least would be to check on your skin.

Now, for the most part, I haven’t experienced this yet, but I have found a few people who said that their skin conditions worsened because of unnoticed molds and mildew on their mattresses/beds.

Scientifically, when you breathe these spores in, your body may trigger an allergic reaction to which your immune system would react.

This reaction can manifest in mild to severe skin rashes, itching or dermatitis, and other negative skin reactions.

Do note that these aren’t just telltale signs – they’ve been tested and proven by a multitude of homeowners!

Preventing Mold on Your Bed or Mattress

Prevention is better than cure – that’s what they say. And in this context, it would actually be better, healthier, and more beneficial.

If you work your way to prevent mold growth and development instead of just cleaning it.

Here are a few points to consider to successfully be able to prevent the development and molds in your bed.

• Combat humidity using a dehumidifier
• Make sure that your room has ample ventilation
• Use a mattress protector for your mattress
• Clean and maintain your mattress and bedframe regularly (once a week)

NOTE: A dehumidifier is an excellent device that can reduce moisture in the air through water extraction. As a result, the presence of mold and mildew will be extremely unlikely.

How Do You Get Rid of Mold in Mattress?

In case you fell short in preventing molds on your bed or mattress, cleaning it wouldn’t require a full-blown cleaning company. You can do it!

The best part about that is that you don’t need expensive products and materials to do so.

1. Mix 3 cups of warm water with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar well.
2. Then, soak the cloth you’ll use on the mixture, and then wring it completely.
3. Blot the spots that have molds on them – if you’re comfortable, do it to the entire surface.
4. Dry the bed out under the sun or in a well-ventilated room (48 to 72 hours).

TIP: If you are not fond of the odor of white vinegar, you can add essential oils to the mixture. About 1 tablespoon of lavender, eucalyptus, or peppermint will be enough to mask vinegar’s pungent smell.

Do this and save your mattress from being devoured by these nasty fungi.

The Bottom Line

It’s not hard to learn how to tell if your bed has mold. In fact, you don’t have to be an expert to do so!

Simply being aware of the signs and knowing what to do and when to do them is enough for you to salvage your mattress from being completely infested by these fungi.