Last updated on 16 Aug, 2023

How To Fix a Hole In an Air Mattress With Nail Polish(5 Easy Steps)

– By Eric Smith

Using nail polish to fix an air mattress leak may sound silly, but let me tell you, it actually works. It even works better than some low-quality patches that cannot fix the leak in the crease and joints of your air mattress. So let’s dive into this guide on how to fix a hole in an air mattress with nail polish and see how it actually works.

Remember that this is not a permanent solution; it won’t last if you frequently inflate and deflate your air mattress. However, If you don’t have a patch kit, duct tape, or any other source to stop your air mattress leak, you can go with this method and fix your leaking blow-up bed in no time.

Quick Overview

How To Fix a Hole In an Air Mattress With Nail Polish(5 Easy Steps)

Materials You Need To Fix Air Mattress With Nail Polish

Collecting all the needed stuff in one place can save you a lot of time as well as effort. Below, we have mentioned some important tools and materials you’ll need while fixing the hole in your air mattress with nail polish.

Nail Polish: You’ll need clear nail polish for this job. It’s the stuff people usually use on their fingernails. But don’t worry; we’re not painting nails here – we’re repairing an air mattress here!

Nail Polish Remover: It’s good to keep a nail polish remover with you just in case things don’t go perfectly. It will help if you need to start over.

Patch Kit: If you’re dealing with a large hole, you might need a patch kit too. These patch kits hold special stuff for fixing things like air mattresses.

Sandpaper: Sandpaper is a rough paper that helps things stick better. You’ll use it to rough the area around the hole.

Marker: You’ll need a market to mark the leaking point. So, that you don’t need to find it again and again.

How To Fix a Hole In An Air Mattress With Nail Polish?

Step 1: Find The Leak

Before fixing the leak, the first thing you have to do is locate the leak. Luckily, there are many ways to do that. Let’s discuss some quick leak-finding ways that you can perform at home even without anyone’s help.

#1 Soap Water: This is literally the most effective trick in order to find an air mattress leak. To perform this trick, you need some stuff such as a sprayer bottle, soap and of course, some water. Mix the soap with water and pour this solution into the sprayer bottle.

Remember that in most cases, the air mattress base is the real culprit, so you should inspect the base first.

Now it’s time to inflate the air mattress and make sure to inflate it up to its optimum level to get much time in leak finding.

Start spraying the solution onto the base until you find the leak. It may take some time, but believe me, you will find the leak. So, be patient and repeat the process on the whole mattress until you find the leak.

#2. Inspect with your hand or ear: What if you are not at home and don’t have a soapy water solution? No worries, in this case, you can go with the next method, which is inspecting the leak with your hand or ear.

This is a kind of effort and time taking way, and you need to implement it with proper attention(we suggest you perform this task in a quiet place) to find the leak quickly.

First of all, Inflate the air mattress up to its capacity. Try to hear the leaking sound coming out of your blow-up bed. You can easily hear the air escaping sound if it’s a bigger leak.

Use your hand if you still don’t get the sound, maybe because it’s a tiny leak. Keep your hand about 1 inch off the mattress, move it around, and try to sense the leaking air.

#3. Inspect the valve: A faulty inflation valve could be one reason you still haven’t found a leak on the vinyl surface, and there is a high chance that it is not correctly fixed in its position.

You can inspect the valve in two ways: by sensing the escaping air and by using water. Remember, if your mattress has a built-in electrical pump, please avoid the water method.

For the first method, you must inflate the mattress and carefully sense the air with your hand until you find the leaking area.

For the next method, inflate your blow-up bed to around 20-30% of its capacity. Now, take some water in a bowl and put the valve in it (avoid if the mattress has a built-in electrical pump).

If you are lucky, and the valve is in the corner of your inflatable bed, you can put the valve effortlessly. Otherwise, you might need to get someone’s help. At last, monitor carefully and check for the bubbles in the water.

Sadly, if you find a leak or any other problem with the inflation valve, you’ll have to call the manufacturer to fix the issue. Otherwise, you’ll need to change it on your own or look for another air mattress.

Step 2: Mark The Leak

After successfully locating the leak, it’s time to mark it with a permanent marker, so it doesn’t get lost again. Take a marker, make a small circle around the leak and deflate the bed.

For those who found the leak with soapy water, you can’t mark on the wet mattress, so leave the bed for 10-20 minutes in sunlight or use a tissue/towel to dry it quickly.

Step 3: Start Applying Nail Polish

After completing the above steps, it’s time to use the nail polish on the leak or hole, but before proceeding, please ensure your air mattress has no air left inside it; otherwise, the leaking air will not allow the nail polish to block the hole properly.

Take the clear nail polish and open it carefully. Make sure not to spill it. Dip the brush into the nail polish, just like you’re using a paintbrush.

Paint a layer of nail polish over the hole. It’s like coloring with a marker, but you’re sealing the hole instead of that. Make sure to cover the entire hole with the nail polish.

It’s fine if the nail polish goes beyond the hole. This will make the seal stronger. Be careful not to use too much nail polish at once, though.

After you’ve applied the first layer, let it dry for at least 20 minutes but keep it away from the water. This might take some time, so please be patient.

Once the first layer is dry, you can add more layers if needed.

Step 4: Apply Multiple Layers

After applying the first layer of your clear nail polish over the hole, it’s better to add more coats. Think of it like putting more layers on a sandwich to make it tastier. These extra coats make the fix even stronger.

You need to wait for each coat to dry before adding another one. Every single layer adds more strength to the fix and makes it even better at keeping the air inside the air mattress.

If you see any little bubbles in the nail polish, you can gently pop them with something sharp, like a pin. It will help the nail polish work smoothly. Simply add some layers until you are sure it’s strong enough to hold the air.

Step 5: Test the Repair

Once you’ve applied the nail polish, it’s time to check if it’s working properly or not. Here’s what you need to do:

Inflate the Airbed: Use your regular electric or manual pump to fill the air inside the air mattress. Make sure you inflate it fully.
Watch for leaks: Watch carefully and listen for any hissing sounds. If you see the mattress getting smaller or hear air escaping, there might still be a hole, and you might still need to reapply the nail polish or go with some other air mattress fixing methods like duct tape, a hot glue gun, or whatever you prefer.
Use soapy water: Prepare some soap with water solution and spread it over the area you fixed with nail polish with the help of a spray bottle. Look for any bubbles forming – that’s where air might be escaping.
Check the fix: If you see or hear any signs of air leaks, add more nail polish layers. If there are no leaks, then your fix is successful!

When To Use Nail Polish Remover?

Actually, this happened to me when I was fixing my Intex air mattress with nail polish. The repair process didn’t go well, and I ended up creating a mess on my air mattress. Then, I used a nail polish remover to remove it and repeat the repair process.

Remove the Nail Polish:

You’ll need something called nail polish remover for this. It’s like a special liquid that can make the nail polish you applied disappear. Get a cotton ball or a cloth and put some nail polish remover on it. Now, slowly rub the area where you applied the nail polish.

Getting Ready Again:

After removing all the nail polish, it’s a good idea to clean the area with rubbing alcohol. This helps get the spot ready for another try. You want to make sure that the spot is completely dry before you start again.

Note: Using nail polish remover doesn’t mean you messed up. It’s like getting another chance to fix things. Sometimes, things don’t work perfectly on the first try, and that’s completely okay. You’re learning and improving, just like when you practice a new game or a sport.

FAQs - How To Fix a Hole In An Air Mattress With Nail Polish?

Can you patch an air mattress with nail polish?

Yes, we can patch an air mattress or any other inflatable object with nail polish, but as mentioned in the article above, it won’t last very long.

Nail polish is easily noticeable and can look like a stain if it doesn’t match the color of your air mattress. Plus, it might not give you patch-like results, but if you don’t have anything to fix your inflatable bed, using nail polish is certainly not a bad idea.

Remember, if you’re treating your bedding with nail polish, keep the water away from it (at least the patched area) and don’t let your aggressive pet get near it.

What household items can you use to patch an air mattress?

Luckily, you can patch your air mattress even if you don’t have a proper patch kit.

Some of the best household items you can use to repair an air mattress are Nail polish, Duct tape, Thin plastic like a shower curtain, Soft Rubber, a Bicycle tire’s inner tube and Super Glue.

Will super glue fix an air mattress?

Yes, Super glue can fix an air mattress for sure. It is entirely up to you how you want to use it. If you have a patch or anything you think might fix the leak, you can apply glue on it and stick it over the hole.

Or, you can use super glue directly to the hole in the absence of a patch. Make at least 4-5 layers so that it does not leak again.

Wrapping Up:

If you are looking for a home remedy to fix a leaky air mattress, then you should try this trick. After reading this guide on how to fix a hole in an air mattress with nail polish, you’ll be able to quickly repair your airbed and make it work again.

About Eric Smith

With 4+ years of experience dealing with air mattresses, Eric has gotten really good at making useful and interesting stuff for you to read. He loves helping people find the right air mattresses and fix any air mattress-related issues.

How To Fix a Hole In an Air Mattress With Nail Polish(5 Easy Steps)

Materials You Need To Fix Air Mattress With Nail Polish