Last updated on 30 June, 2022

How To Fix a Hole in an Air Mattress With Nail Polish - 3 Simple Steps

– By Casper

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.

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.

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.

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: Time To Apply The Nail Polish

After completing the above steps, it’s time to use the nail polish on the leak or hole, but before going ahead, 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.

Apply the nail polish to the leak with its small brush and make at least 4–5 thin layers to get the best results.

In the end, let it dry for at least 20 minutes but keep it away from the water.

Now, your airbed is fully ready to sleep on.

FAQs

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.

Final Words:

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