mouldy bed, what can I do?

superchick

baza52: Ha ha, no watermark. No pets or kids (thank god) and partner and i are fully continent and not particularly sweaty or dribbly thanks! Damp is def coming from inside the mattress.

ixwood: I never thought our house was that damp, we have a few black spots in the kitchen, bathroom and by the windows at the front of house but nothing very serious. Just a slightly above average amount of condensation for an old terrace house. Looks like I'm going to have to get the landlord round and the marigolds out!

ixwood

if you get condensation, there's too much humidity in the air and mould is likely. Check out the home and Diy board for advice. It can usually be sorted with lifestyle changes, or failing that, extractor fans or dehumidifiers.

DVardysShadow

superchick wrote: »

baza52: Ha ha, no watermark. No pets or kids (thank god) and partner and i are fully continent and not particularly sweaty or dribbly thanks! Damp is def coming from inside the mattress

That definitely requires explanation. Particularly as the alternative theory that the damp is coming from the building - as evidenced by damp external walls - is at least superficially more appealing

tbw

I don't really see how a relatively small damp problem with an external wall is going to turn just a mattress mouldy! If the damp is bad enough to cause mould to grow then surely it would have been noticed before the mattress was bought (not sure how long the P had lived there before the purchase or if he/she only bought it when they moved in?). And other stuff would be damp - musty smell in wardrobes and on fabrics, mouldy patches on the walls in the corners. It seems very odd that the patch is only on the underneath of the mattress in the middle - I would guess only two possible causes, the inside of the mattress was damp when purchased or (and I expect this is what the retailer will say) the OP has spilt something or there has been an 'incontinence accident'. I don't mean to insult anyone by saying that but when I worked for the NHS with Learning Disability clients we certainly had to use waterproof mattress covers to prevent mouldy patches!

aliasojo

tbw wrote: »

I don't really see how a relatively small damp problem with an external wall is going to turn just a mattress mouldy!

An average person produces sweat each night which is absorbed by the mattress.

If the room is even slightly damp, the mattress will not be able to fully dry out and over time mould can easily develop. The area which is sandwiched between the mattress and the base is airless, best place for mould to develop.

gordikin

Far too much jiggy jiggy could perhaps be the cause? But then I'm struggling to remember and am jealous at the thought! (Grin!)

techno12

You may well just need a dehumidifier.

In my place, the bed felt a bit damp (it was an old bed that I took to the new place) but I thought nothing more about it. Was shocked to see after a year or so loads of round mould spores on the base of the bed.

The solution for me was to move the dehumidifier from the kitchen into the bedroom - it's right next to the bed. I like the white noise sound it makes when it kicks in (only during warmer months when the air contains more moisture - it hasn't switched itself on for a couple of months..). Also, the bed is completely bone dry now and never feels remotely damp.

My flat has no rising damp etc but suffers from condensation as it's a semi-basement and I can't leave windows open during the day so it gets next to no ventilation.

Tim_Deegan

superchick wrote: »

I hope that someone has some advice about my rights and can give me a bit of a heads up as to what to do otherwise I could be out of pocket quite considerably!!

We bought a divan bed from Sleepmasters in March 2009 costing just under £800. We turned it regularly as suggested and have not done anything unusual in it. No spillages or similar. In fact it's been brilliant- really comfy. However the first few times we turned it in the first months there was a slight dampness to it so we let it air for a few hours at a time

Today turning the mattress there is a biiig mouldy patch on the underside of the mattress and on the base. Probably about 30cm square. I have tried to clean it gently using mild detergent but the fabric has started to rip so i stopped.

Clearly I want my money back/replacement bed but the T&C are:

"Sleepmasters guarantee to repair or replace any part of a bed deemed to be defective due to faulty materials or workmanship free of charge for a period of 5 years. The guarantee will not apply if the product has

• Been subject to excessive wear and tear
• Suffered accidental damage
• Been allowed to become soiled

Note: to avoid unnecessary disputes it is recommended that all new beds are covered with a Sleepmasters Mattress Protector."

I think that this is a case of faulty goods or some damage prior to delivery but am expecting that sleepmasters will dispute that we have done something wrong (like allowed it to become soiled somehow, not used a mattress protector, have a slightly damp house - rented not our fault!).

Where do we stand on this one, what can I do to make sure we get our money back? I have heard that the company will send someone round to investigate, does any one have any experience with a similar situation and can give any advice.

Much appreciated!

Did you post in another thread about this mattress. Or was that someone else with a mildew problem with a mattress from Sleepmasters?

What is the make and model of the mattress?

superchick

No, not posted in another thread and I did a few searches before I posted this. I would be interested if others have had the same problems. The supplier is Relyon and it is a 'pocket orthofirm' mattress.

Thanks all for the helpful advice re: dehumidifiers and such, we will be investigating all possible ways to prevent future problems and the landlord will be visiting as well. However at the moment I need to focus on a solution to the cost of replacing the bed - hence the post in consumer rights.

Tim_Deegan

I'm having trouble finding the thread that mentions the mildew, but this is another thread about Sleepmasters: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1915569

Relyon are part of the same company as Sleepmasters. So I suspect that Relyon also produce the Sleepmasters own range.