How to seal a Soviet air mattress. How to repair an air mattress

If you find a hole in velor, on a fluffy surface, the first thing you need to do is remove these fluffs from the area adjacent to the hole. Around the hole you need to clear a small area slightly larger than a five-kopeck coin.

To remove flocked coating, velor, pile, you need to moisten it with a solvent or nail polish remover and wait 1-2 minutes. The adhesive connection between the pile and the air mattress will soften a little and then the entire layer can be easily cleaned off with a dull knife or spoon.

Rub the resulting bald spot again with a solvent and remove the residue. adhesive base velor covering. After drying, apply glue, wait, apply a patch, press. See below for details on proper gluing...

1. Assess the damage and prepare the area to repair the air mattress. Carefully straighten the affected area of ​​the cylinder on a flat surface. If there is none, place a board under the cut site.

2. Remove the adhesive and clear tape from the repair kit.

3. Clean the gluing area from dirt and degrease it with 646 solvent. You can also use acetone, or at worst, in field conditions- alcohol. I do not recommend stripping the material sandpaper- this can only do harm.

4. Apply a patch to the cut and outline the gluing area with a pencil or pen

5. Cut a patch from a strip of material the right size included in the repair kit. The patch can be of any shape, but it is better if it is round or oval. In the field, you can simply cut the corners off a rectangular piece. Diameter or maximum length patches should be 3-5 cm longer than the length of the cut.

5. Squeeze the contents out of the glue tube onto the damaged area.. Using a brush, apply a thin layer of glue evenly on both surfaces to be glued.. Let the glue dry.

6. After 10 - 15 minutes, repeat the same procedure and again leave the glue to dry.

7. After 5 minutes, you can begin the gluing itself. Five minutes is a relative time. It depends on the temperature environment, glue storage time, and even humidity. Touch the glue - it should dry but stick slightly.

8. To “activate” the glue, the gluing area and the patch must be heated. To do this, you can use a hair dryer to dry your hair. Remember that the gluing area needs to be heated, not lit! This operation must be carried out quickly enough so that the glue does not dry out during this time.

9.Now the surfaces to be glued need to be placed on top of each otherso that no air bubbles remain under the patch, press down thoroughly and roll with a hard roller. If you don’t have one at hand, then you can use any available means: the handle of a knife, a jar, a spoon, etc.

10. Without bending the material at the gluing site, carefully fold the mattress (boat) and leave to dry for at least a day.

Watch the video on how to seal a bed using repair kit Intex:

We think you are familiar with the situation when you stayed overnight with friends on an air mattress, and by the morning you discovered that you were lying practically on the floor. Despite all the convenience, efficiency and functionality of such beds, wondering how to seal inflatable mattress, you will have to do it more than once: no matter how rarely and carefully you use it, over time it will no longer hold air as well as in the first time after purchase. Find out how you can identify the culprit of the leak and exactly how to resolve such a problematic situation.

Rule out valve malfunction

Before scolding your children or your cat for making holes, make sure that the mattress is deflating for no other reason, and this could very well be a malfunction of the valve. Perhaps it is not necessary to seal the mattress and you can limit yourself to repairing this part.

Lie down on an air bed, put your hand to the valve and listen: if you feel or hear air escaping in this place, then restoring the valve's tightness will help you solve the problem of waking up on the floor. First, try removing the valve, cleaning it from dust and putting it back: debris accumulated in the grooves may well be the cause of the problem. But this method will only work if the valve is not damaged and does not have cracks in the pump hole. In this case, it will not be possible to repair the part at home: you will have to buy and replace the valve with a new one. Also, the cause of the leak may be an incorrectly installed or simply loosely latched valve, and since these options are easiest to determine by eye, try to eliminate them first.

To ensure that the valve remains in its original form for a long time, do not screw the pump too tightly when inflating the mattress.

Finding the source of the leak

Is everything fine with the valve, and it became obvious that there are still holes in the material? Well, it’s quite possible to seal them at home, but first you need to determine where exactly the gap is, and doing this without using household tricks is oh so difficult. By the way, in such a situation there is no need to look for someone to blame: very often holes appear on air mattresses simply during operation without any external mechanical damage.

  • An excellent way to identify holes is to use a foam solution, which is best made from bubble bath or detergent for dishes. Apply the solution to a mattress completely filled with air, section by section, using a sponge, cloth or spray bottle, and you will see that in some places large bubbles, like soap bubbles, will begin to form. It is in this place that you need to look for a hole.
  • First of all, holes should be looked for at the boundaries of the adhesion of the outer fabric with the internal elements, and this is the entire length of the relief pattern. This is the most vulnerable area, although small tears along the seam or on the main fabric cannot be ruled out.
  • Having found a hole, circle it with a pen or marker so as not to forget its location, because you can seal the mattress only when it is dry, and by that time the tears can be lost from sight.

Also, don't get complacent when you find one hole: often, especially on older mattresses, you'll be dealing with multiple tears at once, so it's best to inspect the mattress thoroughly and completely.

When inflating a mattress, remember that overfilling it with air over time can cause small or even large tears in the surface.

Seal holes and tears in an air mattress

The same store where you bought the bed probably sells branded repair kits to fix the problem, but you most likely want to know how to seal an air mattress at home without spending money on expensive kits. You can correctly and efficiently repair an inflatable bed yourself using improvised means if you follow a certain algorithm.

  1. Proceed with sealing only after the mattress is completely dry after taking soap baths.
  2. Buy PVC glue: the classic “Moment” is quite suitable, since after drying it becomes like rubber. But its transparent variations, although they will make the patch more neat, can negatively affect its quality, since such compositions “glass” after drying and can crack when bent. For the same reason, superglue is not suitable. Besides, it can ruin PVC material, as it is an aggressive adhesive.
  3. As a patch, you can use a piece of thin rubber or, for example, patches from a tire repair kit if you are a motorist and you have them lying around idle. In this case, the patch should cover the hole by at least 1 cm on each side. So, for a simple, barely noticeable hole, you need to cut a circle with a diameter of 2-3 cm.
  4. Both the area with the tear and the patch itself must be thoroughly degreased using acetone or another product if you want the adhesion to be really strong. If your mattress has a flocked surface, then the pile must first be removed with acetone or fine sandpaper: it will not be possible to properly glue a patch to it.

Due to the specifics of working with Moment glue, the mattress can only be sealed in a deflated form, otherwise it will not be possible to press the surfaces tightly together, since the mattress will spring. Apply glue to the damaged area of ​​the mattress and to the patch, wait 5 minutes, press the surfaces firmly together and secure the patch in place with a weight for the next 24 hours.

If the mattress begins to deflate while hiking or at a tent camp and there is no way to repair it, good electrical tape will completely cope with the problem before you arrive home, although this method does not work well on a velor surface.

It’s possible to repair an air mattress with your own hands, without going to a workshop or buying special repair kits, if you set aside a little time for it and follow the listed recommendations!

The popularity of inflatable furniture is explained by its ease of use and compact folded size. It can be used both on tourist trips and at home, as an extra bed. Active use of the product often leads to the appearance of holes through which air escapes, so owners often wonder how to seal an air mattress themselves.

Seal the mattress with glue (click to enlarge)

Violation of the integrity of a PVC product is not a reason to throw it away. Typically, sales centers for branded inflatable furniture provide repair services for their products. Specialists know how to properly restore a product. However, when choosing where to seal an air mattress, you must take into account that this is an expensive service.

Why is air coming out?

Intex products can deflate various reasons. This is not always due to a puncture or rupture. The valve may be the source of the problem. It is possible that debris accumulated in the grooves does not allow the lid to be screwed on tightly enough; in this case, it is enough to rinse the part. A broken plug can be replaced.

Sharp objects or pets' claws may cause cuts in the fabric of the product. Due to improper use, the seams come apart and the internal partitions of the air mattress are torn.

Defect detection methods

To repair the product, you need to find the location of the damage. Often the holes are small in size and almost impossible to notice. There are several methods by which you can detect a gap:

  • The inflated product can be immersed in water. The hole will reveal itself as a stream of small air bubbles;
  • at home, the rupture site can be found using a foamed soap solution, which is applied to the surface of the mattress. A large bubble will inflate over the rupture site;
  • several liters of foam solution are poured into the inflated product. Turning the mattress over, you can find liquid flowing from the defects with a quiet whistle;
  • It is recommended to sprinkle the surface of the air-filled mattress with flour or any powdery product. The air coming out of the hole will blow away the powder. Once a rupture is detected, the mattress is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner;

You can learn more from the video:

IMPORTANT! Usually, several damages appear at once. The area with a relief pattern that rips most quickly on air mattresses.

The detected defect should be marked with a felt-tip pen or marker.

We need to localize the place (click to enlarge)

Repair of inflatable product

When choosing how to seal an intex air mattress, you should, if possible, use a branded repair kit, which is sold complete with the product. Manufacturers complete the set with velor patches, special glue and vinyl film. How to seal the mattress is described in detail in the instructions. It is included with the set.

If the set is lost or used, you can seal the mattress in other ways. The gluing process can only begin when the product is dry. It is important to choose the right glue to use for these purposes. It is better to use a rubber-based adhesive or another composition that retains its plasticity after drying. By gluing a patch with superglue, the owner risks irreversibly damaging his item.

Typically, the repair approach changes based on the location of the damage.

Repairing punctures and cuts

The question of how to seal an air mattress is easily resolved. The patch can be cut from a rubberized item or use a patch from a tire repair kit.

On the smooth side of the product, it is enough to degrease the area around the hole with acetone or alcohol. The patch is processed using the same tool. For mattresses they are cut without corners. Glue is applied to both surfaces, which are pressed tightly against each other. The repair site is placed under a press for 12 hours.

If the mattress is damaged on the velor side, the lint from the surface around the hole should be cleaned off with fine-grained sandpaper. Next, the patch is glued in the manner described. Defects on the velor cannot be avoided with such repairs.

Watch the video to find out more:

You can seal the air mattress from the wrong side, then the puncture site on the surface will be almost invisible. To do this, the defect area must be pulled out through the hole to inflate the product. The patch is fixed with glue. After half a day, the product can be turned out and filled with air. When thinking about how to seal an air mattress, you need to take into account a number of advantages of the latter method: the tear site is effectively masked, the patch is held on the inside more securely, since the air that fills the bed presses on it. Although the repair process is more labor-intensive.

Failure to comply with the rules for operating the product leads to the fact that the consumer is often forced to look for an answer to the question of how to seal an air mattress at the seam. It is quite difficult to eliminate defective joints on your own. A patch placed on the seam from the wrong side will not last long. Manufacturers recommend contacting a service center for help.

ADVICE! Insulating tape can be used as a temporary fix for punctures. The sealed mattress can be used for several days.

Inflatable furniture is simple and easy to use. Thanks to such products, it is possible to provide full-fledged sleeping places for guests, and make outdoor recreation more comfortable. Careful use and adherence to operating techniques can save you from having to look for the answer to how to seal an air mattress at home.


An air mattress is a useful and practical household item. It is used in the summer for relaxation at sea, and also as an additional sleeping area to accommodate guests.

During operation, holes often appear that interfere further application products.

Sealing an air mattress at home is not difficult, The main thing is to detect a hole in time that allows air to pass through. The most popular brand today is intex.

The company can be called a leader in the production of inflatable products for home use. However, the most quality products capable of tearing.

Usually a special patch and a small tube of glue are supplied with the model - a kind of repair kit.

Let's look at the basic rules for repairing an inflatable product at home:


These rules help to quickly patch up punctures and cuts on an air mattress. If the hole is too large, it is recommended to contact a workshop. Proper use of the product will help avoid such situations.

How to find a hole in a mattress

The first step to solving the problem of a torn mattress is to look for punctures. They may be too small to be detected by normal deflation. To do this, there are several proven methods that help save the situation in time.

Note! Each inflatable product is always supplied with a special pump for inflating the mattress.

It will be useful when searching for a hole, so if the pump is missing, you need to purchase it.

If, when constantly sleeping on the product, it seems to the owner that the mattress is leaking air, but no obvious holes are visible, it is worth checking the valve of the model.

Perhaps this element does not completely cover the air outlet hole or a tear has occurred. If there are no problems with the valve, you should find the hole.

Let's look at several methods to determine a puncture:

Valve Inspection The element is considered a frequent source of leaks. To check it, you need to place the product in a free space and ensure that you can approach it from any side.

It must be completely inserted into the valve hole. If the problem is here, the mattress must be taken in for repair.

Dishwashing liquid A good method to check a mattress if there is a hole in it. The method involves using a spray bottle or a sponge soaked in a gel solution.

It is necessary to treat every area of ​​the product, starting with the area around the valve. If there are punctures, bubbles will appear in their places.

Check the seams of the mattress, as well as its surface and bottom. Detected punctures should be marked with a special marker that does not wash away in water. As soon as it has been discovered where the mattress is torn, it needs to be dried and sealed.

Standard inspection A fully inflated product will help you find out where the mattress burst. Start running your hand along the top plane of the product, pressing lightly on it.

To hear where the air is coming from, the room must be quiet. Temporarily place a piece of tape on the discovered cut so that you can patch it properly later.

Water Before immersing the product in water, check whether the instructions say that this should not be done. If there are no restrictions, partially inflate the product.

Run a bath and submerge the mattress in the water. Carefully go through each area of ​​the product, press it and check for the presence of bubbles

It is worth noting that a high-quality branded mattress is less susceptible to punctures than an affordable one Chinese equivalent. Therefore, when purchasing, consider the service life of the product.

What can I use to seal the hole?

If the product does not include a special repair kit, the rubber mattress can be sealed with other materials.

Main replacement options:

  1. PVC glue. The classic moment is suitable as it; after drying, it forms a film similar to rubber.
  2. Rubber. For this, use the patches from the bicycle tire repair kit. In addition, you can use a piece of ordinary thin rubber, taking the dimensions of the patch with a margin.

    After repair, you need to check whether the mattress deflates by pumping it up.

An important problem is the repair of internal partitions of the product. With such damage, a bump forms on the surface, making it difficult to sleep comfortably.

Useful video

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Even if the mattress is used rarely and carefully, over time it stops holding air. This may be due not only to the fact that the product has holes, cuts or punctures. Sometimes it begins to deflate due to a malfunction and loss of tightness of the valve.

To check this, press on the product and listen to the valve. If air comes out from there, this part must be pulled out and cleaned, repaired or replaced with a new one. By the way, to make the valve last longer, when inflating the mattress, do not screw the pump too tightly and tightly.

If the problem is not in the valve, most likely there is a hole or rupture in the product. In this case, you need to first find the air leak and then start sealing. Let's look at how to seal an air mattress at home quickly and reliably.

How to detect a hole in a mattress

Sometimes finding a gap is quite difficult. To do this, use bubble bath or dishwashing detergent. Whisk the product in a separate container until foam forms. Inflate the mattress with air and apply foam section by section using a soft sponge, brush or spray bottle. First, inspect the product along the seams and at the joints, as these areas are the most vulnerable.

If large soap bubbles have formed in a particular place, then there is a gap there. When you find one hole, do not abandon the process, but study the product completely. There may be several gaps! Mark each hole with a pen or other method so you don't forget where it is located. You can repair and seal the mattress only after it is completely dry.

If you are near a body of water or a swimming pool, inflated mattress put it in water and you will immediately find a puncture. In addition, soapy water can be poured into the deflated product. Then the mattress is turned over in different directions, as a result of which water will begin to come out of the damage with a slight whistle. However, this method is complicated by prolonged drying, since drying such a product from the inside is difficult and time-consuming.

Before sealing a hole in an air mattress, release the air and dry the product. Remove dirt and dust from the damaged area with the puncture. Then the surface is degreased with alcohol, acetone or gasoline. A product with a velvet or velor surface is thoroughly cleaned of lint. After preparatory work you need to determine what to seal the air mattress with.

How to seal an air mattress

For gluing, you can buy special parts and patches, which are sold in the same store or department as mattresses. But, if you don’t have a repair kit, you can use improvised means. In this case, you can make an oval or round patch. larger size holes two to three centimeters in diameter.

The patch is made from any rubberized material. Use thin rubber, rubberized flock, velor or bars. For a classic inflatable rubber mattress, you can take an old rubber toy, children's life ring or swimming sleeves. The patch also needs to be degreased before use using gasoline, acetone or alcohol. This will ensure strong and reliable adhesion of the material to the mattress.

It is not recommended to glue the patch to a vinyl surface using standard transparent super glue, as it can damage the material. In addition, after drying, such products become glassy and crack.

To seal the inflatable Intex mattress or any other company, it is better to take elastic glue for rubber, rubber glue made from natural rubber or special glue for rubber boats. If you choose “Moment”, take a PVC product.

How to seal a mattress

  • To seal the mattress correctly and securely, you only need to seal the product when it is deflated!;
  • To seal a small or large hole on one side of the product, glue the patch to the outside. Apply a layer of glue to the surface and back of the patch, firmly press the materials together and wait five minutes. Then fix the patch using gravity and leave it for a day;
  • Sealing a mattress at the seams is much more difficult. The procedure must be carried out from the wrong side. To do this, pull the affected area through the valve hole and glue the patch from the inside. Press the materials to be glued tightly against each other, hold for about five minutes, place a weight and leave for a day. After these manipulations, turn the mattress back out;
  • The product can be used no earlier than 24 hours after sealing. It is important that the glue dries completely and that the parts are fixed firmly and securely;
  • If the mattress begins to deflate while traveling, for example, on a hike or at a tent camp, where it is not possible to make and glue a patch, you can seal the hole with strong electrical tape. However, this tape does not adhere well to the velor side.

To keep the mattress presentable for a long time appearance, is not deformed or torn, the product must be used and stored correctly. Before placing it on the ground or floor, carefully inspect the surface for sharp objects. Do not play on the surface with pets as they may scratch or damage the rubberized material with their teeth and claws.

After use in water, the mattress must be thoroughly dried and only then folded and stored. Store the product deflated. For cleaning and washing, use a regular soap solution. Do not use chemical compositions and abrasives! Do not drag the product along the floor or throw it onto the surface, otherwise the seam may tear or come apart. How to properly clean a mattress at home, see.